Thales AirMaster C ultra-compact airborne surveillance radar

Threat detection, identification and surveillance missions depend on a force’s ability to operate in any type of environment and all weather conditions. Drawing on its experience with the successful Master series of radars, Thales has developed a new, ultra-compact surveillance radar with enhanced target detection capabilities for fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and UAVs. “With its low integration and operating costs and high availability and performance, the AirMaster C sets a new standard for airborne radars.”

The AirMaster C is a new surveillance radar with an ultracompact, programmable 2D active antenna based on SiGe (silicon

germanium) technology. SiGe is much more energy efficient than other technologies used for AESA radars and allows the radar to self-cool. Weighing less than 20 kilogrammes and housed in a single unit design, the radar has a 30% lower SWaP (size, weight and power) than other radars in this class.