DSEI 2019: Hensoldt unveils Mk5 SharpEye radar

Hensoldt (formerly Kelvin Hughes) showcased a new variant of its SharpEye solid state X band Doppler navigation radar designed for integration on small vessels at the Defence & Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition in London.

The Hensoldt Mk5 SharpEye on display at DSEI in London. (Hensoldt)

According to the company, the Mk5 open array 80W SharpEye variant was developed to meet the needs of smaller military vessels requiring a full capability but with limited space availability. The radar is an upgraded version of the company’s Mk5 magnetron radar that has been updated with SharpEye technology, Adrian Pilbeam, head of sales, Ground & Maritime Surveillance Radar at Hensoldt, told Jane’s at DSEI on 12 September. Like the larger SharpEye systems, it is designed to detect small targets in bad weather and severe clutter.

“Kelvin Hughes’ SharpEye radar has been in service for over 10 years now, and one of the issues regarding the bigger versions of the radar is that the price point/weight point was always a limitation on smaller patrol boats,” Pilbeam said.

“So we basically took an old, well-proven magnetron radar turning unit – it’s called the Kelvin Hughes Mk5 – which has been around for a long time, and we took the old electronics out of it and put a new SharpEye transceiver in, so that we now have a state-of-the-art radar in a much lighter package for small boats; we’ve brought the Mk5 into the twenty-first century.”