European AESA Radar Market 2026: Systems, Operators, and Contracts

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Table of Contents

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Europe's AESA Market in Four Shifts

Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar is now the default sensor for virtually every new European combat aircraft, surface combatant, and layered air-defence programme.

With gallium nitride (GaN) T/R modules replacing legacy GaAs across nearly all programmes, these systems deliver simultaneous multi-function performance — search, track, missile guidance, and electronic attack — at two to five times the power density of earlier generations.

As of February 2026, four structural shifts are driving the European AESA market and explaining why the order books look the way they do. The analysis below examines these forces in detail before the complete system-by-system catalogue with operators, contracts, and specifications.

Ukraine broke the market open

Before October 2022, ground-based air defence was the orphan domain of European radar. Naval and airborne AESA attracted the prestige contracts; ground-based systems competed for modest budgets on long procurement timelines. Ukraine inverted that hierarchy. The IRIS-T SLM's near-90 percent intercept rate against Russian cruise missiles — tracked, guided, and killed by Hensoldt's TRML-4D — did more for Europe's radar order book than two decades of trade-show demonstrations. More than twenty nations have now signed up through the European Sky Shield Initiative, with eight-plus having selected IRIS-T SLM. The combined IRIS-T SLM pipeline (incl. missile stocks, options, follow-on orders, and Ukrainian aid packages) is worth north of €5 billion, and every fire unit ships with a TRML-4D radar. Ground-based AESA is where European defence money is flowing fastest.

One name keeps appearing

Hensoldt makes the TRS-4D that equips Germany's current and next-generation frigates. It makes the TRS-4D LR replacing the Sachsen-class's ageing surveillance radar and the identical HADR NF radar for the Luftwaffe's land-based network. It co-leads the ECRS Mk 1 for Eurofighter. It makes the TRML-4D powering the IRIS-T SLM surge. And it makes the Spexer 2000 that sits on every Skyranger 30 counter-UAS turret Germany, Austria, and Denmark have ordered.
No other European radar house spans air, naval, and ground domains with this breadth of production programmes — though that breadth owes as much to Germany's position as Europe's largest defence spender as to any single company's strategy.
Each of the other major houses dominates a different part of the architecture. Thales holds the high end: SMART-L MM and APAR Block 2 are unmatched for fleet-level BMD, Sea Fire gives the FDI frigates destroyer-grade air defence from a frigate hull, and the Ground Master family is NATO's most widely fielded surveillance radar. Leonardo leads fleet air defence with the Kronos family and is building the most EW-capable fighter radar in Europe with ECRS Mk 2. BAE Systems' SAMPSON remains the sensor at the heart of the Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyers — still regarded as one of the most capable air-defence platforms afloat — and its Sea Viper Evolution programme is now adding sovereign BMD capability. Saab's Giraffe family has carved out the lightweight end of the market, equipping fifteen nations from a single architecture that scales from a pickup truck to a corvette mast.
The European radar industry is not a single-company story — but Hensoldt's cross-domain concentration is one of its less-examined structural features. Its naval and land-surveillance programmes remain tied to German budget cycles. Its two fastest-growing lines — TRML-4D and ECRS Mk 1 — have diversified through ESSI and Spanish co-funding, but Berlin still sets the production tempo for both.

Domain boundaries are dissolving

The old taxonomy — naval radar, ground-based radar, airborne radar — is breaking down. Hensoldt's TRS-4D LR for the F124 frigates is "largely identical" to the HADR NF radar the Luftwaffe uses for land-based air surveillance. In October 2025, Hensoldt’s TRS-4D supported the first naval firing of an IRIS-T SLM from the German F125 frigate Baden-Württemberg — the first navalized IRIS-T engagement, pointing toward a ground-based air-defence missile on a ship guided by a naval radar. Leonardo's Kronos family spans corvettes, destroyers, SAMP/T batteries, and now — with the Power Shield — ballistic missile detection from a single digital architecture. Saab's Giraffe 1X serves the Swedish Navy, Finnish corvettes, US Army counter-UAS units, and a dozen other forces, all from the same 100 kg package.

The companies winning contracts are the ones that can cross domains, reusing core designs and manufacturing lines across naval, land, and air applications. That drives down unit costs, simplifies logistics, and — critically — lets smaller nations buy into a sensor ecosystem rather than a single platform. The ESSI procurement wave is accelerating this: nations that buy IRIS-T SLM with a TRML-4D are now part of a sensor and data-sharing architecture that connects to Hensoldt's naval and airborne products. That kind of lock-in is deliberate, and it is working.

The gap nobody talks about

For all the momentum in European AESA, one strategic dependency remains unresolved. SMART-L MM can detect a ballistic missile at 2,000 km and cue a US Navy Aegis destroyer to fire an SM-3 — it proved this in a live test in 2021. But Europe has no sovereign fire-control radar for upper-tier ballistic missile defence. There is no European equivalent to the US SPY-6 or AN/TPY-2. The volume-search half of the BMD chain is European; the kill chain still runs through American hardware. APAR Block 2 will improve things at the medium tier, and Kronos Power Shield may eventually close part of the gap. But as of early 2026, any European BMD engagement above the SAMP/T envelope depends on a US fire-control solution. That is the single largest structural gap in the European sensor architecture, and none of the programmes catalogued below fully addresses it.

Germany's own leading peace- and security-research institutes — IFSH, PRIF, BICC, and INEF — reached the same conclusion in their 2025 Friedensgutachten, rating layered ballistic missile defence as the highest-impact, highest-urgency capability gap facing European NATO. A year on, the sensor investment is surging while the fire-control question remains unanswered.

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The programmes that follow represent Europe's current and near-term AESA capabilities across domains — impressive in breadth, yet still constrained by the upper-tier BMD limitation highlighted above.

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Captor-E and the ECRS Family — Eurofighter Typhoon

The Euroradar consortium — Hensoldt, Leonardo UK, Leonardo Italy, and Indra — developed the Captor-E AESA radar for the Eurofighter Typhoon. The baseline variant, now designated ECRS Mk 0, features approximately 1,400 to 1,626 GaAs T/R modules arranged in a circular aperture mounted on a mechanical repositioner (swashplate). The swashplate physically swivels the array to provide a field of regard up to 200 degrees — significantly wider than fixed-plate competitors.

The ECRS Mk 0 is in service with Kuwait and Qatar, and is being delivered on initial Italian Tranche 4 aircraft. From this baseline, the programme has diverged into two substantially different enhanced variants.

ECRS Mk 1 — Germany and Spain

Led by Hensoldt and Indra, the ECRS Mk 1 replaces the Mk 0's GaAs antenna with a new broadband array of more than 1,500 GaN-based T/R modules, paired with a new multichannel digital receiver, high-end processor, and antenna power supply and control (APSC) unit. The architecture is designed to deliver advanced air-to-air, high-resolution air-to-ground (including ultra-high-resolution synthetic aperture radar imaging), and — from Step 2 onwards — active and passive electronic warfare.

The programme has moved faster than many expected. Hensoldt and Indra completed production of the first Mk 1 Step 1 radars in June 2025, just 13 months after Germany and Spain approved the enhanced APSC and processor hardware. Hensoldt received a €350 million contract extension from Airbus in February 2025, covering test systems for the Airbus A320 ATRA flying testbed and revisions to the Mk 1 Step 1 configuration. Flight testing on the ATRA was scheduled for late 2025, with installation on German Quadriga (Tranche 4) aircraft planned for 2027. Series production of Mk 1 Step 1 began in summer 2025.

The procurement pipeline is substantial. The Luftwaffe is receiving ECRS Mk 1 on 38 Tranche 4 Quadriga aircraft, with retrofit planned for 110 Tranche 2 and 3 Typhoons. Germany also ordered 20 Tranche 5 Eurofighters in late 2025, equipped with Mk 1 — including 15 aircraft configured for the Eurofighter EK electronic combat/SEAD variant that will replace the Tornado ECR by 2030, using the AGM-88E AARGM and the Saab Arexis EW suite. Spain is buying Mk 1 for 20 Tranche 4 Halcón I jets (delivery from 2026) and a further 25 Halcón II aircraft between 2030 and 2035.

ECRS Mk 2 — United Kingdom and Italy

Led by Leonardo UK, the ECRS Mk 2 is a fundamentally different design optimised for electronic warfare and electronic attack. It features a new high-power multifunction array (MFA) hosting significantly more T/R modules than comparable AESA radars, with what Leonardo describes as the widest RF bandwidth of any fighter radar in the world. The MFA uses both GaAs and GaN semiconductors, blending the two technologies across different parts of the system to balance power, bandwidth, and cost. A dedicated EW receiver and EA techniques generator — developed at Leonardo's Luton facility — are integrated alongside the radar's multichannel receiver and processor. The combination enables the Typhoon to simultaneously search, track, and conduct high-power electronic jamming from a single aperture.

The Mk 2 prototype flew on Typhoon test aircraft ZK355 in September 2024 at BAE Systems' Warton facility, with initial flight trials completing by early 2025. BAE Systems and QinetiQ are also preparing a modified Avro RJ100 as an Airborne Technology Demonstrator (ATD) to accelerate further Mk 2 flight-test work.

In January 2026, the UK MoD awarded a £453.5 million full production contract to BAE Systems, Leonardo UK, and Parker Meggitt for 40 production-standard ECRS Mk 2 radars (plus two for testing), to be installed on the RAF's full fleet of Tranche 3 Typhoons. This follows a £205 million long-lead-items contract placed in June 2025 and an earlier £870 million development and integration contract. The total approved UK programme budget is £2.35 billion. IOC is targeted for 2030.

Italy has committed to adopting the Mk 2 for its Eurofighters. Engineers from Leonardo's Nerviano (Milan) radar site have joined the development team in Edinburgh, building the sovereign design capability for Italian participation in the programme. The Mk 2's development is also feeding directly into the GCAP (Global Combat Air Programme) sixth-generation fighter radar being developed by Leonardo, BAE Systems, and Japan's Mitsubishi.

Key data

Manufacturer: Euroradar (Hensoldt, Leonardo UK/IT, Indra) · Band: X-band · Semiconductor: GaAs (Mk 0), GaN (Mk 1), GaAs/GaN hybrid (Mk 2) · T/R modules: ~1,400–1,626 (Mk 0), 1,500+ (Mk 1) · Aperture: Circular, repositioner-mounted · Operators (Mk 0): Kuwait, Qatar, Italy (initial Tranche 4) · Mk 1 customers: Germany (38 Tranche 4 + 110 retrofit + 20 Tranche 5), Spain (20 Halcón I + 25 Halcón II) · Mk 1 first installation: 2027 (Quadriga) · Mk 2 customers: UK (40 Tranche 3, £2.35bn total programme), Italy (committed) · Mk 2 IOC: 2030

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Thales RBE2 — Dassault Rafale

The Thales RBE2 was the first European production AESA fighter radar, entering frontline service on the Dassault Rafale in 2012. Built around GaAs T/R modules, the RBE2 provides multi-target track-while-scan, synthetic aperture ground mapping, and automatic terrain-following. It equips all AESA-standard Rafale variants in French Air and Space Force and French Navy service, as well as export aircraft for Egypt, Qatar, India, Greece, Indonesia, Croatia, Serbia, and the United Arab Emirates.

By installed base, the RBE2 is the most widely produced European fighter AESA. Dassault delivered its 300th Rafale in October 2025 and holds a firm backlog of 220 aircraft — 175 for export and 45 for France — as of December 2025. Total firm orders stand at 533 airframes across nine operators. France plans to order a further 52 Rafales from 2027, taking its national target to 288 aircraft. Indonesia received its first three F4-standard jets in January 2026, and India's Air Force is pursuing a government-to-government deal for up to 114 additional Rafales under its Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft programme. Production is ramping from 26 deliveries in 2025 toward a target of 35 per year by 2029–2030. Every one of these aircraft ships with an RBE2.

Thales is developing GaN-based upgrades for the Rafale F4 and F5 standards. These will increase detection range, improve electronic counter-countermeasure (ECCM) performance, and add bandwidth for the sensor-fusion architecture envisaged under the Franco-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System (FCAS/SCAF) programme. Thales does not publish T/R module count, detection range, or detailed performance specifications for the RBE2 — making it the least publicly documented of Europe's major fighter radars despite being the most produced.

Key data

Manufacturer: Thales · Band: X-band · Semiconductor: GaAs (current), GaN (F4/F5 upgrade) · Platforms: Dassault Rafale (all AESA-standard variants) · Operators: France, Egypt, Qatar, India, Greece, Indonesia, UAE, Croatia, Serbia · Total firm orders: 533 · Backlog: 220 (as of December 2025) · Delivered: 300+

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Leonardo ES-05 Raven — Saab Gripen E/F

The ES-05 Raven is an X-band AESA fire-control radar developed by Leonardo (originally Selex ES) for the Saab Gripen E/F. Its defining feature is a repositioner-mounted antenna — a swashplate mechanism that physically tilts the AESA array, giving the Raven a field of regard of approximately ±100 degrees. That is substantially wider than a fixed-plate AESA and allows the Gripen pilot to track targets and guide missiles well off-boresight, including while manoeuvring away from the threat.

The Raven uses GaAs T/R modules in its current production configuration. It is paired with the Leonardo Skyward-G infrared search and track (IRST) system and the Saab Arexis electronic warfare suite to form the Gripen E's integrated sensor package. As of early 2026, 117 Gripen E-series aircraft have been ordered: 60 for Sweden, 36 for Brazil (designated F-39E/F, with final assembly at Saab Aeronáutica Montagens in Gavião Peixoto), 17 for Colombia (a €3.1 billion contract signed in December 2025, with deliveries planned from 2026 to 2032), and 4 for Thailand. Saab is targeting an annual production rate of 36 Gripen E/F aircraft.

Separately, Saab has developed its own GaN-based AESA antenna for the PS-05/A radar that equips the earlier Gripen C/D. Flight-tested in April 2020, the upgrade replaces the mechanically scanned antenna with more than 500 GaN T/R modules while retaining the same back-end processor. The GaN AESA requires no changes to the aircraft's power or cooling systems and is being offered as an ITAR-free upgrade path for existing C/D operators — Sweden, Czech Republic, Hungary, South Africa, and Thailand — and for Saab's proposed Gripen Aggressor adversary training platform.

Key data

Manufacturer: Leonardo · Band: X-band · Semiconductor: GaAs (current Raven), GaN (Saab PS-05/A AESA upgrade) · Aperture: Repositioner-mounted (±100° FoR) · Platform: Saab Gripen E/F · Operators / on order: Sweden (60), Brazil (36), Colombia (17), Thailand (4) · Total E-series ordered: 117

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SMART-L Multi Mission — Thales Nederland

The SMART-L Multi Mission (MM) is a rotating L-band AESA with an instrumented detection range of up to 2,000 km — sufficient to track ballistic missile targets and low-observable aircraft at extreme distances. It supports dual-axis multi-beam modes and can switch to a non-rotating "staring" mode for dedicated ballistic missile defence (BMD) tracking. In 2021, tracking data from a SMART-L MM/N aboard HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën was used by USS Paul Ignatius to conduct a "launch on remote" intercept of a ballistic missile target with an SM-3 — the first time a European sensor provided fire-control-quality BMD data to a US Aegis ship in a live firing.

The SMART-L MM is now available in three configurations: the shipborne MM/N (Naval), the tower-mounted MM/F (Fixed) for land-based air surveillance, and the fully deployable MM/D (Deployable) for expeditionary BMD coverage. A derivative of the original SMART-L, the S1850M, serves as the volume search radar on British Type 45 destroyers, Franco-Italian Horizon-class destroyers, and UK Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.

Key data

Manufacturer: Thales Nederland · Band: L-band (D-band NATO) · Range: Up to 2,000 km · Variants: MM/N (naval), MM/F (fixed), MM/D (deployable) · Naval operators: Netherlands (De Zeven Provinciën-class), Denmark (Iver Huitfeldt-class), Germany (Sachsen-class), South Korea (Dokdo-class) · On order: France and Italy (Horizon-class upgrade, 4 × MM/N, first delivery 2026), Sweden (MM/F), Netherlands (MM/N upgrade + MM/F for Royal Netherlands Air Force) · Derivative: S1850M on UK Type 45, Franco-Italian Horizon-class, UK Queen Elizabeth-class carriers

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APAR Block 2 — Thales Nederland

The Active Phased Array Radar (APAR) was the first Western naval multifunction AESA when it entered service in the early 2000s aboard Dutch and German air-defence frigates. Each of its four fixed antenna faces contains 3,424 X-band T/R modules, providing fire-control-grade tracking and missile guidance for the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) and Standard Missile families. APAR's interrupted continuous wave illumination (ICWI) technique allows it to guide up to 32 semi-active missiles in flight simultaneously — including 16 in terminal phase — making it one of the highest-firepower naval radars in NATO service. Ten APAR Block 1 systems are operational: four on Dutch De Zeven Provinciën-class frigates, three on German Sachsen-class frigates, and three on Danish Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates.

Its successor, APAR Block 2, introduces true digital beamforming with GaN amplifiers in a redesigned four fixed-face array. The move to digital beamforming allows each face to form multiple simultaneous receive beams, substantially increasing the number of targets that can be tracked and engaged concurrently — a critical capability against saturation attacks combining cruise missiles, drones, and high-velocity threats. Paired with the new SM400 Block 2 S-band radar, the two sensors integrate into a single dynamically reconfigurable system under Thales's Above Water Warfare System (AWWS), which continuously optimises threat prioritisation and weapon assignment across the full engagement envelope. APAR Block 2 will support ESSM Block 2 and future Standard Missile variants via the JUWL datalink, extending the engagement ceiling above the current Block 1's capability — the most concrete near-term step Europe is taking toward pushing its sovereign naval BMD capability upward at the medium tier.

APAR Block 2 is under contract for three programmes. For Germany's four F126 frigates, Thales signed a €1.5 billion combat system contract in November 2020, covering APAR Block 2, AWWS, and the full TACTICOS integration — with the first ship targeted for operational status by 2028. For the Dutch-Belgian ASW frigate programme, Thales received a contract valued in excess of €500 million in June 2023 for AWWS, APAR Block 2, and the full sensor suite, with Dutch Navy deliveries from 2029 and Belgian Navy deliveries in 2030. Approximately 70 percent of F126 work is performed in Germany and 30 percent in the Netherlands; the ASW frigate integration is led from Thales's Centre of Excellence in Hengelo.

Key data

Manufacturer: Thales Nederland · Band: X-band · Semiconductor: GaN (Block 2) · Configuration: Four fixed-face array · T/R modules: 3,424 per face (Block 1) · Current APAR operators: Netherlands (4, De Zeven Provinciën-class), Germany (3, Sachsen-class), Denmark (3, Iver Huitfeldt-class) · APAR Block 2 platforms: German F126 frigates (4 ships, first operational ~2028), Dutch-Belgian ASW frigates (4 ships, deliveries 2029–2030) · Key contracts: €1.5bn F126 combat system (Nov 2020), €500m+ ASWF AWWS (Jun 2023)

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Thales Sea Fire — French Next-Generation Naval Radar

The Sea Fire is a fully solid-state multifunction AESA radar with four fixed antenna panels, developed by Thales in Limours, south of Paris. It operates in S-band using GaN T/R modules and simultaneously performs long-range 3D air surveillance, horizon search, surface surveillance, and fire control for Aster surface-to-air missiles — delivering destroyer-grade air-defence performance from a frigate-sized hull. Thales states the Sea Fire can detect and track up to 800 objects concurrently, with air surveillance coverage out to 500 km and surface detection to 80 km. Each antenna panel generates approximately one terabit per second of raw data, processed by advanced algorithms that optimise performance to the specific operating environment.

The Sea Fire is the primary sensor for the Frégate de Défense et d'Intervention (FDI) programme — the Amiral Ronarc'h class for the French Navy and the Kimon class for the Hellenic Navy. France has ordered five FDIs; Greece has ordered three (with an option for a fourth). The first Sea Fire was delivered for integration at the Lorient shipyard in April 2021, on schedule after a seven-year development. The first Greek frigate, PN1 Kimon, was delivered in December 2025, making Greece the first export customer for Sea Fire. The lead French ship, Amiral Ronarc'h, is expected to commission in 2026.

A variant of the Sea Fire is planned for the French Navy's next-generation nuclear aircraft carrier, the PA-NG (Porte-Avions de Nouvelle Génération). The FDI design — and with it, Sea Fire — is also being evaluated by Sweden for the planned Luleå-class surface combatants (2030–2035) and by Denmark for its future air-defence frigate requirement, following a Franco-Swedish defence cooperation roadmap signed in June 2025.

Key data

Manufacturer: Thales · Band: S-band · Semiconductor: GaN · Configuration: Four fixed-face panels · Simultaneous tracks: 800 · Air surveillance range: 500 km · Platforms: French FDI frigates (5 ordered), Greek FDI frigates (3 ordered), PA-NG carrier (planned) · First delivery: April 2021 · First export ship: PN1 Kimon (Greece), delivered December 2025

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BAE Systems SAMPSON — Royal Navy Type 45

The SAMPSON is a dual-face S-band AESA multifunction radar developed by BAE Systems for the Royal Navy's six Type 45 Daring-class destroyers. Two hexagonal antenna arrays, each containing 640 T/R modules driving 2,560 radiating elements, are mounted back-to-back inside a distinctive spherical radome and rotate at 30 revolutions per minute, providing 360-degree coverage with a detection range of approximately 400 km. The rotation ensures no part of the sky goes unobserved for more than half a second. The entire assembly sits atop a 19-metre foremast — roughly double the height of comparable US systems above the waterline — extending the radar horizon against sea-skimming threats.

SAMPSON is the primary sensor within the Sea Viper (PAAMS) air-defence system, providing simultaneous surveillance, multi-target tracking, and fire control for Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles. The National Audit Office has noted that a single Type 45 can detect, track, and engage more targets simultaneously than any previous Royal Navy ship. In September 2013, HMS Daring demonstrated SAMPSON's ballistic missile tracking capability at the Reagan Test Site in the Pacific, detecting and tracking two medium-range ballistic missile targets and — by BAE Systems' own assessment — exceeding expectations in all respects.

The Sea Viper Evolution (SV-E) programme, announced in May 2022, is now upgrading SAMPSON for dedicated ballistic missile defence. In January 2024, the UK MoD awarded a £405 million contract to MBDA and BAE Systems for the integration of Aster 30 Block 1 missiles with upgraded warhead and seeker software, with a subsequent assessment phase evaluating the new Aster 30 Block 1NT with its active radar seeker across the Type 45 fleet. The Power Improvement Project, which resolved long-standing electrical generation limitations in warm climates, had been completed on three of six ships by December 2025, enabling sustained high-power SAMPSON operation. In 2025, MBDA UK was also contracted to deliver two DragonFire laser-directed energy weapons for the Type 45, with first fit planned for 2027.

Key data

Manufacturer: BAE Systems · Band: S-band (E/F-band NATO, 2–4 GHz) · Configuration: Dual-face rotating AESA (30 rpm) · T/R modules: 640 T/R modules driving 2,560 radiating elements per face · Range: ~400 km · Platform: Type 45 Daring-class destroyers (6 ships) · Missile system: Sea Viper (Aster 15/30, Aster 30 Block 1NT under SV-E) · BMD upgrade: £405m SV-E contract, January 2024

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Hensoldt TRS-4D — German Naval Multifunction Radar

Hensoldt's TRS-4D is a C-band GaN AESA multifunction radar designed for surface combatants from corvettes to frigates. It is available as a single-face rotating antenna (TRS-4D Rotator) and as a four-panel fixed array (TRS-4D Fixed Panel). Both variants use GaN solid-state T/R modules and multiple digitally formed beams for simultaneous 3D air and surface surveillance. The TRS-4D can track over 1,000 targets simultaneously and has a maximum instrumented range of 250 km.

The TRS-4D Rotator already equips Germany's F125 Baden-Württemberg-class frigates and the second batch of K130 Braunschweig-class corvettes (seven radars ordered in 2019). The four-panel fixed version has been selected for the F126 frigate programme under a contract worth more than €200 million, with first delivery in 2025 and installation by Thales as part of the F126 combat system. The US Navy operates a variant as the AN/SPS-80 on Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ships.

In 2025, Hensoldt delivered the first TRS-4D LR (Long Range), an S-band derivative developed in cooperation with IAI/ELTA, to the Naval Technical School in Parow. Three TRS-4D LR radars will replace the ageing SMART-L systems on the Sachsen-class F124 frigates. The TRS-4D LR is largely identical in design to the radars being produced under the HADR NF (Hughes Air Defence Radar Successor) programme for the Luftwaffe's land-based air surveillance network, creating cross-domain commonality that reduces logistics costs.

In October 2025, Hensoldt’s TRS-4D supported the first naval firing of an IRIS-T SLM from the German F125 frigate Baden-Württemberg — the first successful navalized IRIS-T engagement, pointing toward a future short-range air-defence upgrade for the F125 class.

Key data

Manufacturer: Hensoldt · Band: C-band (TRS-4D), S-band (TRS-4D LR) · Semiconductor: GaN · Max instrumented range: 250 km · Tracks: 1,000+ simultaneous · Platforms: F125 frigates, K130 corvettes (Batch 2), F126 frigates (fixed panel), F124 frigates (LR variant), US Freedom-class LCS (AN/SPS-80) · Related programme: HADR NF (Luftwaffe land-based air surveillance)

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Leonardo Kronos Family — Italian Multiband Radar

Leonardo's Kronos AESA radar family is one of the most widely deployed European sensor systems, with more than 50 units sold across naval and land domains. The family covers multiple frequency bands and platform classes, from corvettes to fleet-level air defence and ballistic missile detection.

Kronos Grand Naval

The Kronos Grand Naval is replacing the EMPAR as the primary sensor for the PAAMS (Principal Anti-Air Missile System) that equips the Franco-Italian Horizon-class destroyers — the backbone of European fleet air defence. It provides volumetric search, multi-target tracking, and Aster missile guidance from a C-band AESA. During the Formidable Shield 2023 exercise, the Kronos Grand Naval demonstrated simultaneous tracking of air-breathing threats and tactical ballistic missiles in an integrated air and missile defence (IAMD) environment, sharing all tracks via data link to allied ships in real time.

Kronos Naval and Kronos Dual Band

The smaller Kronos Naval serves vessels of 400 tonnes and above, including Italy's new PPA (Pattugliatore Polivalente d'Altura) multi-purpose patrol vessels. The Kronos Dual Band combines C-band and X-band arrays on a single platform, giving next-generation combatants simultaneous long-range surveillance and precision fire-control tracking. It is designed to perform air-breathing threat and theatre ballistic missile defence simultaneously. Leonardo has selected the Kronos Dual Band for the Italian Navy's new Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD).

Kronos Power Shield

The Kronos Power Shield is an L-band fully digital AESA — described by Leonardo as Europe's first fully digital radar — designed for long-range surveillance and ballistic missile defence with an instrumented range exceeding 1,500 km for TBM targets. Initial components are now in production for the Italian Navy's LHD. The fully digital architecture, based on Leonardo's proprietary Digital Active Tile (DAT) technology, allows a much wider range of scanning patterns and methods than earlier analogue beamforming designs.

Kronos Grand Mobile High Power

On land, the Kronos Grand Mobile High Power uses GaN T/R modules to push air target detection beyond 250 km from a standard ISO 20-foot container. It has been chosen as the surveillance and fire-control radar for the Italian version of the SAMP/T air-defence system (Eurosam) and by the Greek Air Force for the NATO Missile Firing Installation (NAMFI) on Crete.

Key data

Manufacturer: Leonardo · Bands: C-band (Naval, Grand Naval), X-band (Dual Band), L-band (Power Shield, Ground Shield) · Semiconductor: GaAs and GaN (High Power variants, Power Shield) · Naval platforms: Horizon-class destroyers (France, Italy), PPA patrol vessels (Italy), Italian Navy LHD · Land operators: Italy (SAMP/T), Greece (NAMFI) · Units sold: 50+ worldwide · Export regions: Middle East, Asia-Pacific, South America

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Saab Sea Giraffe Family — Swedish Lightweight AESA

Sweden's Saab offers the Giraffe and Sea Giraffe AESA family, designed for platforms where size, weight, and rapid deployment are critical. The Giraffe 1X is now in steady production serving fifteen nations across ground and naval domains.

Sea Giraffe 1X

The Sea Giraffe 1X is an X-band AESA with a topside weight of just 100 kg that delivers air target detection out to 75 km with a one-second 360-degree refresh rate. It can detect a small UAV at 4 km and a sea-skimming missile at substantially greater range. The combination of AESA performance in a package light enough for a corvette or patrol vessel has made it one of the most commercially successful European naval radars of the 2020s.

The Swedish Navy ordered the Sea Giraffe 1X in late 2024 (deliveries 2024–2026), with a follow-on framework agreement signed in December 2025 covering Giraffe 1X for multiple branches of the Swedish Armed Forces. Finland selected a combination of Sea Giraffe 4A and Sea Giraffe 1X fixed-face radars for its four new Pohjanmaa-class corvettes. Saab also received a contract from BAAINBw to deliver and integrate new naval radars and fire control directors for Germany's Brandenburg-class F123 frigates. In October 2025, the US Army awarded Saab a $46 million contract for Giraffe 1X radars to support allied counter-UAS missions — the land-based variant can be transported on a pickup truck-sized vehicle or towed trailer.

Sea Giraffe 4A

The Sea Giraffe 4A is an S-band long-range AESA for larger combatants, offering true 3D multi-role capability that combines air defence and weapon-locating tasks. The Giraffe 4A can be airlifted in a single C-130 load and deployed by two people in under ten minutes. Saab has developed a Hypersonic Detection Mode for the 4A family in response to emerging missile threats.

Key data

Manufacturer: Saab · Bands: X-band (1X), C-band (AMB), S-band (4A) · Weight: <150 kg total (Sea Giraffe 1X) · Air target range: 75+ km (1X) · Naval platforms: Finnish Pohjanmaa-class corvettes, Swedish Navy vessels, US Independence-class LCS (Sea Giraffe AMB as AN/SPS-77), German F123 frigates (upgrade) · Land operators: US Army, Swedish Armed Forces, UK (49 Battery RA), France, Finland, and others · User nations (Giraffe 1X): 15+

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Hensoldt TRML-4D — IRIS-T SLM's Eyes

Hensoldt's TRML-4D is a C-band GaN AESA ground-based multifunction radar that has become the primary sensor for Europe's fastest-growing air-defence system: the Diehl Defence IRIS-T SLM. An IRIS-T SLM fire unit in German national configuration comprises one TRML-4D radar, one IBMS-FC command post, and three launchers with 24 ready-to-fire missiles. The TRML-4D provides 3D surveillance, target tracking, and missile fire-control in a single mobile package, mounted on a Rheinmetall MAN 8×8 truck, with a range of 250 km.

The TRML-4D's operational reputation was cemented in Ukraine, where IRIS-T SLM batteries have been credited with intercept rates near 90 percent against Russian cruise missiles, drones, and — in some engagements — short-range ballistic missiles. Ukrainian operators have reported engagements where multiple cruise missiles were intercepted within seconds during saturation attacks. By September 2024, German officials referenced hundreds of successful intercepts attributed to IRIS-T SLM and SLS systems in Ukrainian service.

Through the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), eight-plus European nations have now selected IRIS-T SLM — and with it, the TRML-4D. The customer list and known contract values are as follows:

On 13 February 2026, the Luftwaffe's Air Defence Missile Group 61 in Todendorf received the first IRIS-T SLM fire unit in full German national configuration — marking the start of operational integration within Germany's own layered air-defence structure. Hensoldt also secured a dedicated €100 million TRML-4D radar order for Latvia and Slovenia in February 2026. In November 2025, a broader €3.85 billion German defence package allocated roughly €1 billion to expand IRIS-T SLM stocks, additional launch elements, and improved sensor integration. The ESSI framework now includes 24 member states, with further procurement expected from Belgium, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Romania, and Slovakia.

Key data

Manufacturer: Hensoldt · Band: C-band · Semiconductor: GaN AESA · Range: 250 km · Role: 3D surveillance, tracking, fire control for IRIS-T SLM · ESSI customers: Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Denmark · Export: Egypt, Ukraine · German IOC: September 2024 (first unit), February 2026 (national configuration)

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Thales Ground Master Family — NATO's Standard Surveillance Radar

The Thales Ground Master family is the most widely fielded European ground-based AESA radar series, with more than 100 units delivered across NATO, the EU, and export customers. The family spans short-, medium-, and long-range air surveillance in a common S-band AESA architecture, all designed to fit inside a standard 20-foot ISO container and be transportable by C-130 or heavy-lift helicopter.

Ground Master 400 and GM400α

The GM400 is a long-range 3D air surveillance radar with an instrumented range of 470 km. Its AESA with digital beamforming detects and tracks everything from manned fast jets flying at very low altitude to UAVs, cruise missiles, and tactical ballistic missiles. A four-person crew can set up the system in 60 minutes, and operational availability exceeds 98.5 percent. European operators include France (15 units), Finland (12), Germany (6), Estonia (4, including 2 GM400α), Slovenia (2), the Netherlands (1), Bulgaria (7), and Serbia (4 GM400α). Outside Europe, India operates 20 units, Indonesia 13, and Morocco, Egypt, and Malaysia are also users — making it one of the most successful European defence exports of the past decade.

In 2021, Thales introduced the GM400α, with five times the processing power, range extended to 515 km, and AI-enhanced algorithms for improved detection and classification of low-observable targets. Qatar ordered GM400α radars in January 2026.

Ground Master 200 Multi-Mission

The GM200 MM family represents the next generation of Thales medium-range ground radar. Available in two variants — the GM200 MM/A (All-in-one, designed and built in France) and the GM200 MM/C (Compact, developed by Thales Nederland with and for the Royal Netherlands Army) — both feature Thales's latest 4D AESA technology with dual-axis multi-beam steering, GaN transmitters, and S-band operation with an instrumented range exceeding 400 km. The MM/C can deploy in under two minutes and simultaneously performs air surveillance, air defence cueing, weapon locating (counter-battery), and UAV classification.

The Netherlands has ordered 16 GM200 MM/C systems (9 initial plus 7 follow-on, with 2 in option). In April 2025, Sweden became the fifth NATO nation to procure the GM200 MM/C, signing a SEK 1 billion contract under the "Sensorsystem Ny" programme to replace its ageing PS-871 radars, with first deliveries in 2026. The UK has selected the GM200 MM/C for its Serpens Project. Lithuania has also contracted the system. Thales positions the GM200 MM as part of its wider 4D AESA scalable architecture, sharing core technology with the naval NS100/NS200, Sea Fire, SMART-L MM, and Ground Fire systems.

Key data

Manufacturer: Thales (France) / Thales Nederland · Band: S-band · Semiconductor: GaN (GM200 MM, GM400α) · Range: 400 km (GM200 MM), 470–515 km (GM400/α) · Transportability: C-130, 20 ft ISO container · GM400 operators (European): France, Finland, Germany, Estonia, Slovenia, Netherlands, Bulgaria, Serbia · GM200 MM customers: Netherlands (16), Sweden, UK, Lithuania · Total units (family): 100+

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Hensoldt Spexer 2000 3D — Counter-UAS Detection

At the short-range end, Hensoldt's Spexer 2000 3D MkIII is an X-band AESA pulse-Doppler radar optimised for detecting small, slow, and low-flying targets — the counter-UAS mission that has dominated European defence procurement since 2022. It can pick up a small UAV at up to 9 km and a dismounted person at 18 km.

With more than 150 units sold and 1.7 million cumulative operating hours in the field, Spexer has established itself as the standard short-range sensor for European C-UAS and force protection. It equips the Skyranger 30 air-defence turret that has been selected by Germany, Austria, and Denmark.

Key data

Manufacturer: Hensoldt · Band: X-band · Type: AESA pulse-Doppler · UAV detection: 9 km · Personnel detection: 18 km · Units sold: 150+ · Platform: Skyranger 30 (Germany, Austria, Denmark)

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The GaN Transition — Europe's Semiconductor Shift

The European radar industry is in the middle of a generational semiconductor transition. Gallium nitride is replacing gallium arsenide as the baseline material for T/R modules because it offers two to five times the power density, wider instantaneous bandwidth, and better thermal efficiency. That translates directly into longer detection ranges, faster beam agility, and the ability to support advanced waveforms needed to counter hypersonic weapons, low-observable cruise missiles, and drone swarms.

The key European programmes driving the GaN transition are APAR Block 2 (Thales), Sea Fire (Thales), Ground Master 200 MM and GM400α (Thales), TRS-4D (Hensoldt), ECRS Mk 1 (Hensoldt/Indra) and Mk 2 (Leonardo), TRML-4D (Hensoldt), Kronos Grand Mobile High Power and Kronos Power Shield (Leonardo), and future Rafale radar upgrades (Thales). Saab has also flight-tested a GaN AESA antenna for the Gripen C/D's PS-05/A radar. Leonardo, Hensoldt, and Thales all manufacture GaN T/R modules in-house — making Europe increasingly self-sufficient in this critical defence semiconductor technology.

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European AESA Industrial Landscape

Six companies account for virtually all European AESA radar production. The table below summarises their current programme portfolios and GaN transition status — the two factors that will determine who holds market position as the next wave of contracts lands.

Three observations stand out. First, the three companies manufacturing GaN T/R modules in-house — Hensoldt, Thales, and Leonardo — are the same three winning the largest new contracts. Sovereign semiconductor production is now a prerequisite for major European radar programmes, not an advantage. Second, cross-domain manufacturers (Hensoldt, Thales, Leonardo) are pulling ahead of single-domain players (BAE Systems, Saab) in total order-book value, driven by the ecosystem lock-in described in the analysis above. Third, the GaN transition is nearly complete on the programme side but unevenly distributed: Hensoldt and Thales have shifted their entire new-build portfolios to GaN, while Leonardo and Saab still field significant GaAs-based systems alongside their GaN lines.

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References

• TRS-4D — Hensoldt
• ECRS Mk 1 Step 1 Production — Militär Aktuell, June 2025
• ECRS Mk 2 Production Contract — UK DE&S, January 2026
• ECRS Radars Profile — Journal of Electromagnetic Dominance, May 2025
• SMART-L Multi Mission — Thales
• Sea Fire First Delivery — Thales, April 2021
• Ground Master 200 MM/C Sweden Contract — Thales, April 2025
• SAMPSON Multi-Function Radar — BAE Systems
• Kronos Grand Naval — Leonardo
• Sea Giraffe 1X — Saab
• Giraffe 1X US Army Order — Saab, October 2025
• IRIS-T SLM / ESSI Denmark — Diehl Defence, December 2025
• IRIS-T SLM German IOC — Army Recognition, February 2026

First published 21 February 2026. The web edition is the authoritative version of this article and is updated as new contracts, deliveries, and technical disclosures are confirmed.

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