09 February 2023
Ukraine conflict: Ukraine orders air-defence system from Thales
by Olivia Savage
The GM200 tactical, medium-range air-defence radar operates in S band and provides 3D coverage from -7° to 70° in one rotation. (Thales)
French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu and his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksiy Reznikov signed a contract with Thales for the delivery of a short-range air-defence system.
Under the contract, Thales will supply its Ground Master 200 (GM200) radar as well as a command-and-control (C2) centre, a radio communications system, and air target designators to Ukraine, the company announced on 1 February.
The system was financed from a French EUR200 million (USD214.61 million) Ukraine support fund that was approved at the end of 2022.
A Thales spokesperson informed Janes that along with the GM200 radar, the company would supply its F@stnet HD VHF (very-high-frequency) radios, which “provide voice and data loop between the [C2] system and the Portable Weapon Terminal”.
According to the spokesperson, the Portable Weapon Terminal is based on a ruggedised electronic device, which allows the “C2 system to designate a 3D air target while sharing contextual air situational awareness to avoid friendly engagement”.
Thales confirmed the terminal was manufactured by the company, although they were unable to respond to further questions at the time of publication.
F@stnet HD is a highly compact VHF/FM (frequency modulation) software-defined radio (SDR) that offers high-rate data transmission and electronic counter-countermeasure (ECCM) protection, the spokesperson said.
It is the newest generation of the PR4G family of radios, providing enhanced, secure, and resilient communications for vehicular and dismounted operations. The system leverages the GeoMux HD waveform and uses a single channel for voice communications, data transmission, and blue force tracking, allowing the commander to monitor the tactical situation and the location of all units in near-realtime, the company detailed.
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French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu and his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksiy Reznikov signed a co...
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