Article Posted on : - Jan 21, 2013

A Thales photo.

MASSY, FRANCE (BNS): The Finnish Air Force has received its first Ground Master 400 (GM 400) long-range air defence radar system from ThalesRaytheonSystems.

The radar was delivered to the Finnish Air Force at its headquarters in Tikkakoski on January 15, the company announced.

The GM 400 is the first of 12 radar systems ordered by the Finnish Air Force to provide extended surveillance of the nation's airspace. The radars are designed to operate at fixed sites under a radome or for rapid deployment in the field in less than two hours.

Set up in a tactical, truck-mounted configuration with an independent power supply, the first radar system will bring Finland the benefits of all the latest advances in radar technology, providing superior detection performance at high and low altitudes, high availability and simplified maintenance, the company said.

Finland had placed orders for the new radar systems with ThalesRaytheonSystems in June 2009.

The Ground Master 400 is capable of detecting from very high to very low altitudes. It tracks a wide range of targets from highly manoeuverable tactical aircraft flying below several hundred feet to the unconventional small radar crosssection device as Unmanned Air Vehicles or cruise missiles, ensuring an excellent global air picture.