Sea Fire passes qualification milestone
Sea Fire digital AESA radar, pictured at the shore integration facility. (Photo: Thales)
AESA radar is ready for integration by Naval Group aboard FDI frigates.
Thales announced on 21 October that its Sea Fire fixed-array naval surveillance radar is ‘qualified and ready for integration’ by Naval Group with the combat system of the future Frégate de Défense et d'Intervention (FDI) vessels for the French Navy.
In line with the initial schedule from the French procurement agency DGA, this qualification milestone was achieved after 18 months of extensive tests at the DGA shore integration facility in Saint-Mandrier.
The solid-state modular multifunction Sea Fire radar features a four-panel AESA antenna that simultaneously performs missile guidance plus long-range air and surface surveillance.
Sea Fire production started in May 2018 and the first FDI shipset of four panels was delivered in May 2021.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Fregates de Defense et d'Intervention (FDI) (1-5) [France]
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