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SMART-L

SMART-L is a long-range, multi-beam, air and surface surveillance system developed by for naval platforms, providing volume search and tracking capabilities against , missiles, and surface targets. Initially introduced in 2002, it operates in the L-band and features a phased-array that enables simultaneous detection of up to 1,000 targets at ranges exceeding 400 km for conventional . The radar's development began in 1991 under a contract with the Royal Netherlands Navy, with initial deployment on De Zeven Provinciën-class frigates by 2001–2002, marking it as a key component of modern naval air defense systems. Its design emphasizes high automation, electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM), and integration with command-and-control systems for enhanced situational awareness. Over time, software upgrades have extended its functionality to include ballistic missile defense (BMD), allowing trajectory estimation and impact point prediction at ranges up to 1,000 km. Key capabilities include long-range detection of air-breathing threats like cruise missiles (up to 65 km for stealth variants) and medium-range tracking of stealthy targets, supported by digital beamforming for precise multi-target handling. The system is mast-mounted for shipboard use, with a rotational speed of 12 rpm and coverage from 0° to 70°. It has been integrated into various international navies, including those of on Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates, on Sachsen-class frigates, on Dokdo-class amphibious assault ships, and for ground-based systems as of 2025. Evolutions of the SMART-L family include the SMART-L MM (Multi-Mission), a next-generation (AESA) variant using (GaN) technology, which achieves detection ranges of 2,000 km for ballistic missiles and 480 km for air-breathing targets while supporting for low-Earth orbit objects. Recent selections include upgrades to SMART-L MM/N for and Italian frigates, with deliveries planned from 2026. Another upgrade, SMART-L EWC, tested in 2016, further enhances exo-atmospheric target detection. These advancements reflect ongoing demand for versatile, long-range sensors in response to evolving threats like hypersonic missiles and .

Development and Design

Development History

The radar was developed by , formerly Hollandse Signaalapparaten, as the long-range D-band member of the family of naval radars, with development announced in 1991 to address evolving requirements for extended in operations. Initial efforts intensified in the late to provide volume search capabilities for frigates and larger vessels, culminating in its introduction in 2002. The radar achieved its first operational deployment that year aboard the Royal Navy's De Zeven Provinciën-class frigates, where it served as the primary long-range air and surface system. Early enhancements focused on ballistic missile defense, with Thales constructing a prototype SMART-L Extended Long Range (ELR) variant in 2003 specifically for detecting and tracking such threats at extended distances. This laid the groundwork for the SMART-L Multi-Mission (MM) upgrade, a major software and hardware upgrade introduced in , which optimized the system for early ballistic missile detection and extended its instrumented range beyond 2000 km, enabling integration into layered defense architectures. The upgrade was demonstrated during the 2017 Formidable Shield exercise, where it tracked a ballistic missile at 1500 km. The MM upgrade was implemented starting on frigates in 2018–2019, enhancing NATO-compatible capabilities amid growing proliferation of advanced missiles. Successful at-sea demonstrations followed, such as a 2021 test where SMART-L MM/N radar data enabled a US Navy Aegis vessel to intercept a ballistic missile target in space using a Standard Missile-3. Further evolution came in 2023 with the announcement of the SMART-L Multi-Mission Fixed (MM/F) variant, a land-based iteration designed for fixed-site deployment to counter hypersonic and ballistic threats. This development was spurred by NATO's emphasis on integrated air and missile defense amid escalating geopolitical tensions, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Sweden selected the MM/F under its "särskilt långräckviddig radar" (SLRR) program that July, contracting Thales for delivery to reinforce national airspace sovereignty and provide a reliable recognized air picture with 2000 km range for air, surface, and space domain awareness.

Technical Design

The employs the L-band frequency (now redesignated as the D-band in terminology, operating between 1 and 2 GHz), which offers superior long-range propagation characteristics due to lower atmospheric attenuation and reduced susceptibility to weather clutter compared to higher-frequency radars. This frequency selection is fundamental to the system's ability to perform volume search and over extended distances in environments. At its core is a digital passive (PESA) composed of a stack of 24 linear arrays, where 16 arrays function as transmit/receive modules during transmission and all 24 contribute to reception. This configuration enables rapid in , eliminating the need for gimbals and allowing for agile multi-beam operation without physical movement of the face. The rotates mechanically at 12 rpm to achieve full 360-degree coverage, combining precision with reliability for naval platforms. The features a fixed-face optimized for shipboard , providing structural stability and efficient integration into vessel masts. Advanced utilizes digital beamforming techniques to form multiple simultaneous beams—up to 14 in elevation—enabling the radar to handle complex scenarios with low and multipath suppression. This processing capability supports tracking of up to 1,000 simultaneous targets, facilitating comprehensive air and surface surveillance in dense threat environments. The system integrates seamlessly with Thales' TACTICOS combat , allowing for automated , threat evaluation, and cueing of effectors based on inputs. This enhances operational efficiency by providing real-time and coordinated response across networked naval forces.

Capabilities and Modes

Air and Surface Surveillance

The SMART-L operates in a dedicated air mode, enabling the detection of fighter-sized at ranges up to 400 km. This mode performs volume searches across a full 360° and up to 70° coverage, utilizing multiple simultaneous receive beams to provide comprehensive three-dimensional target positioning for routine naval air defense operations. In surface , the tracks sea-skimming missiles and ships, achieving detection of stealthy at 65 km through advanced Doppler processing that facilitates multi-target classification and clutter rejection. This capability supports early warning against low-altitude threats approaching over the horizon, enhancing in environments. The system employs functionality, simultaneously monitoring up to 1,000 airborne targets and 100 surface targets, with automatic initiation and maintenance of tracks during continuous scanning. It includes provisions for automatic cueing to integrated systems, streamlining processes. Anti-jamming is achieved through frequency agility, which selects the least jammed channels, and sidelobe blanking with adaptive nulling to suppress from mainlobe and sidelobe jamming sources. Integration with (IFF) systems allows for real-time friendly target identification during both air and surface surveillance operations, ensuring accurate threat discrimination without interrupting radar scans. The baseline antenna design, a fixed-face , supports these modes by enabling rapid electronic in while mechanical rotation provides coverage.

Ballistic Missile Defense

The SMART-L radar plays a in ballistic missile defense (BMD) through its Early Warning Capability (EWC) upgrade, tested in 2016, which employs wide-elevation to detect and track at ranges exceeding 2,000 km. This upgrade enables precise mid-course phase tracking, providing essential cueing data to interceptor systems such as the SM-3 and SM-6 missiles, enabling launch-on-remote operations in networked defense architectures. The SMART-L Multi-Mission Fixed (MM/F) variant enhances BMD performance in fixed land-based configurations, incorporating () amplifiers in its (AESA) design to achieve higher sensitivity against challenging threats with low radar cross-sections. This variant supports detection of small radar cross-section (RCS) targets during exo-atmospheric phases, maintaining tracks at altitudes over 300 km and speeds up to 3 km/s for durations exceeding five minutes. As part of the BMD architecture, the SMART-L radar has demonstrated interoperability in multinational exercises such as Formidable Shield, starting in 2017 and continuing annually, where it successfully detected and tracked ballistic missiles at over 1,500 km to support allied interceptor engagements. Software upgrades in the SMART-L MM series enable multi-mission processing, allowing simultaneous BMD operations—such as long-range ballistic missile surveillance—and conventional air defense tasks without performance degradation, leveraging fully digital control for adaptable waveforms and forward/backward scanning modes up to the zenith.

Variants

Standard SMART-L

The Standard SMART-L is the baseline variant of the Thales Nederland long-range naval radar system, introduced in 2002 as a shipborne 3D volume search radar operating in the L-band frequency range. Optimized for integration on frigate-sized vessels, it features a rotating antenna mounted on the ship's mast, with a rotational speed of 12 revolutions per minute (RPM) to provide continuous 360-degree coverage. This configuration enables fully automatic detection, track initiation, and 3D tracking of air and surface targets, supporting primary roles in volume search and target acquisition for air defense systems such as the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) and Standard Missile-2 (SM-2). In its original setup, the Standard SMART-L delivers a maximum detection range of approximately 400 km for patrol , with reduced performance for stealthier targets like low-observable missiles at around 65 km. It lacks native capabilities for defense (BMD), focusing instead on conventional air and surface without the extended ranges or multi-mission processing of later variants. The radar's design emphasizes high accuracy for low-flying targets and clutter suppression in littoral environments, making it suitable for medium- to long-range threat detection in naval operations. First deployed in the early 2000s, the Standard was integrated on Dutch starting in 2001, German in 2004–2006, and Danish in 2012–2013. These installations established it as a core sensor for NATO-aligned navies, providing early warning and cueing for integrated air defense networks. Retrofit options allow existing Standard SMART-L systems to be upgraded to the Multi-Mission (MM) configuration through software enhancements and transmit/receive module (TRM) modifications, extending capabilities without full hardware replacement. This upgrade path has been demonstrated on platforms like the Dutch frigate HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën, preserving the original mast-integrated form factor while adding advanced functionalities.

SMART-L Multi-Mission (MM)

The SMART-L Multi-Mission (MM) family comprises upgraded variants of the original SMART-L , designed to enhance detection of advanced threats such as and hypersonic vehicles through advanced digital processing and multi-beam capabilities. These upgrades enable simultaneous support for air defense, defense, and missions, with improved (ECCM) performance. An intermediate upgrade, the SMART-L Early Warning Capability (EWC), tested in 2016, provides enhanced detection of exo-atmospheric targets and ballistic missiles at ranges up to 1,500 km through software modifications to existing systems, serving as a precursor to the full MM family. The MM/N is the naval variant, featuring a fully digital active electronically scanned array (AESA) architecture with gallium nitride (GaN) transmitter technology and dual-axis multibeam receivers, which boost sensitivity and extend detection ranges. This configuration achieves up to 2,000 km for ballistic missiles and certain air targets in extended long-range mode, while maintaining surface surveillance to approximately 400 km. The MM/F serves as the fixed, land-based variant for static installations, utilizing non-rotating AESA panels to provide 360° coverage via electronic scanning, eliminating mechanical rotation for greater reliability and reduced maintenance. In July 2023, became the first operator to order the MM/F for , with delivery scheduled for 2025 and operational deployment in 2026; the number of units remains undisclosed as of November 2025. The MM/D is the deployable, mobile tactical variant, introduced in 2017 for land-based transportable applications, offering similar long-range multi-mission capabilities in a containerized or vehicle-mounted configuration for rapid deployment. Central enhancements across the MM family include dual-mode waveform adaptability for BMD and detection, allowing seamless transitions between volume search and precision tracking without compromising other missions. The design also incorporates a larger effective through optimized configuration, yielding superior for discriminating small or maneuvering targets at long distances. A related derivative, the S1850M, developed in collaboration between Thales and , integrates -derived technology for volume air search on and French aircraft carriers, supporting detection up to 400 km in multi-role operations. Since 2016, existing installations have been compatible with retrofits to MM standards, as demonstrated by upgrades on frigates completed between 2018 and 2024.

Specifications and Performance

General Characteristics

The SMART-L radar system is primarily configured as a mast-mounted installation for naval vessels of size and larger, though it is also suitable for smaller patrol craft; the Multi-Mission Fixed (MM/F) variant is designed for ground-based fixed deployments. It operates in the D-band frequency range (1–2 GHz, formerly known as ) and incorporates platform stabilization to maintain beam accuracy during vessel motion. The antenna is a multi-beam electronically scanned array comprising 24 linear arrays (16 for transmission and 24 for reception), enabling elevation coverage from 0° to 70°; the standard configuration uses passive electronically scanned array (PESA) technology, while the Multi-Mission variant employs an active electronically scanned array (AESA) with gallium nitride (GaN) transmit/receive modules for enhanced efficiency. For naval applications, the antenna rotates at 12 RPM to provide volume search coverage. The standard antenna assembly measures 8.4 m × 4 m × 4.4 m and weighs 7,800 kg.

Operational Performance

The SMART-L radar demonstrates robust detection capabilities in its standard configuration, achieving a range of approximately 400 km against aircraft with a 2 m² radar cross-section (RCS), such as military patrol aircraft. For low-observable threats like sea-skimming anti-ship missiles, the detection range is around 65 km, enabling early warning against fast, low-altitude targets. In the extended long-range (ELR) mode of the Multi-Mission variant, the system extends its reach to 2,000 km for ballistic missiles, facilitating over-the-horizon surveillance of high-speed exo-atmospheric objects. In tracking operations, the supports simultaneous monitoring of over 1,000 air targets and up to 100 surface contacts, leveraging pulse-Doppler processing for clutter rejection and precise target discrimination. This multi-target capacity ensures comprehensive in dense threat environments, with automatic track initiation and maintenance across its operational volume. The system provides high-fidelity positioning data essential for control integration. The search volume covers a full 360° in azimuth and up to 70° in elevation, with an update rate of about 5 seconds per scan, allowing for rapid refresh of the battlespace picture. Electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) features enhance reliability against jamming attempts. Operational testing has validated these metrics in real-world scenarios, including NATO's Formidable Shield 2017 exercise, where the SMART-L Multi-Mission radar successfully detected and tracked a ballistic missile target at an average range of 1,500 km from a land-based test site in the Netherlands. Similar performance was confirmed in subsequent trials, such as Formidable Shield 2021, demonstrating reliable tracking of ballistic missile surrogates at extended ranges without loss of accuracy (as of 2021).

Deployment and Operators

Naval Deployments

The SMART-L radar has been integrated into several naval platforms, primarily for long-range air and surface surveillance in air defense roles. In the Netherlands, all four De Zeven Provinciën-class frigates of the Royal Netherlands Navy are equipped with the SMART-L system, paired with the Active Phased Array Radar (APAR) for multifunction tracking and integrated with the Mk 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) firing SM-2 and Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM) for air defense. Denmark's three Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates utilize the SMART-L for extended-range detection, complementing the APAR and supporting air defense operations via the Mk 41 VLS with SM-2 and ESSM missiles. In Germany, the three Sachsen-class frigates (F124) of the feature the SMART-L alongside APAR, enabling integration with RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles (), RGM-84 anti-ship missiles, and SM-2 via Mk 41 VLS; however, upgrades to replace SMART-L with the TRS-4D radar began in 2021, with full replacement expected by 2028. The United Kingdom's six Type 45 destroyers employ the S1850M variant of the SMART-L, optimized for the and Sea Viper missiles ( family), with upgrades to the Sea Viper missile system enhancing ballistic missile defense compatibility, while the S1850M radar receives obsolescence management. France's two Horizon-class destroyers, alongside Italy's two in the same class, are fitted with the S1850M (SMART-L derivative) as part of the , using missiles; mid-life upgrades contracted in 2023 include replacement with the SMART-L MM/N for improved and ballistic missile detection, with initial deliveries starting in 2026. South Korea operates the SMART-L on its two Dokdo-class amphibious assault ships for volume search capabilities, though ROKS Dokdo is undergoing replacement with an indigenous AESA radar as of 2025. As of 2025, approximately 22 SMART-L or derivative systems remain in active naval service across these platforms, with several undergoing upgrades for enhanced multi-mission roles including ballistic missile defense.

Land-Based and Other Deployments

In July 2023, Sweden's Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) awarded Thales a contract to supply SMART-L Multi-Mission Fixed (MM/F) radars as a core component of the Swedish Long Range Radar (SLRR) program, aimed at enhancing national air surveillance and ballistic missile defense capabilities. Initial deliveries began in 2025, with operational deployment expected in 2026. These land-based systems, with deliveries scheduled to continue through 2028, will provide long-range detection up to 2,000 km and integrate into NATO's air and missile defense networks to support collective sovereignty over Swedish airspace. The contract encompasses an undisclosed number of radars, selected for their ability to detect and track advanced threats including ballistic missiles in a multi-layer sensor architecture. The Netherlands conducted early land-based trials of the SMART-L radar prior to 2010, including factory testing at Thales' facility in Hengelo during 1997–1998 to validate its performance in fixed-site configurations for potential coastal defense applications. Building on this, the Royal Netherlands Air Force operates land-based variants of the SMART-L MM, with the first fixed installation completed in early 2020 to support extended air and missile surveillance. These systems contribute to NATO-integrated ballistic missile defense, including interoperability with the U.S. AN/TPY-2 radar through shared data links in joint exercises and operational architectures. Thales introduced a ground-mobile variant, the SMART-L MM/D, in 2017 as a deployable option for tactical land operations, offering flexibility for export markets beyond fixed naval or stationary sites. This configuration adapts the radar's for rapid setup and transport, maintaining multi-mission capabilities for air, surface, and ballistic tracking. Adapting the shipborne SMART-L to land-based roles involves configuring the fixed MM/F variant with non-rotating electronic scanning to achieve 360-degree coverage without mechanical rotation, addressing stability and environmental integration challenges in static installations.

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