31 July 2023

Denmark replacing radars in coastal regions

by Olivia Savage

Denmark will replace the RAT-31 DL radar situated in Bornholm, at the very east of Denmark in the Baltic Sea. (Selex ES)

Denmark is to replace two of its coastal air-defence radars to enhance the surveillance of its airspace, Janes has learnt.

A Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO) spokesperson informed Janes on 26 July that the authority plans to replace the Alenia Marconi Systems S-723 Martello 3D radar on the island of Bornholm and the Leonardo RAT-31 DL (previously Selex) radar in Skagen.

The spokesperson was unable to elaborate on the operational and technical requirements of the new radars.

DALO also plans to replace the radar on the Faroe Islands as part of the procurement programme. In total, replacing all three radars with new enhanced long-range systems is expected to cost DKK400–800 million (USD59–118 million), with deliveries expected from 2025 to 2029.

The RAT-31 DL is an advanced D-band 3D solid-state, phased-array surveillance radar with a range of over 500 km. The system uses multiple, simultaneous, independently phase-controlled pencil beams that provide flexibility in scanning and a high data rate for effective clutter processing. In August 1995 NATO awarded Alenia Difesa a contract to deliver a total of four RAT-31 DL systems to Denmark and Turkey.

The S-723 is a D-band, 3D stacked beam, long-range transportable surveillance radar with an instrumented 500 km range. The antenna is a planar array, consisting of a vertical stack of 40 linear arrays that rotate to provide 360° surveillance. In total, Denmark has ordered and operated two S-723 radars, funded by NATO.

Denmark is to replace two of its coastal air-defence radars to enhance the surveillance of its airsp...

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