Eight Ground Fire radars will be delivered to the French Armed Forces from 2026, confirming Thales’s industrial readiness to support national and European airspace security. Thales tripled its radar production capacity between 2022 and 2024 and continues scaling to meet growing operational demands.
The factory tests were the final step in an extended series of trials conducted at Thales’s Limours site near Paris, ensuring optimal performance of the new radar system. The Ground Fire uses fully digital multiple beamforming AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) technology in S-band, enabling detection, tracking, and classification of multiple threats in complex environments, including drones and ballistic missiles.
Its rapid one-second refresh rate and full 360° elevation detection meet modern force requirements for a complete and up-to-date air picture. Designed for mobility and fast deployment, the system fits within an ISO container and features reduced encampment and decampment times.
With open architecture for interoperability, the radar integrates with other European systems, supporting joint air defence capabilities and strategic autonomy. The Ground Fire replaces the Arabel radar in the original SAMP/T system and enhances the effectiveness of next-generation ASTER 30 missiles.
The programme is managed by the Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation (OCCAR) for France’s Armed Forces Ministry and the DGA, with Eurosam as prime contractor and Thales supplying several components, including the Ground Fire-based fire control unit.
Eric Huber, Vice-President, Surface Radars at Thales, said: “The Ground Fire, designed and produced in Europe, will contribute to a robust European air defence system. We have implemented all the necessary processes to accelerate industrial production, tripling radar production in our factory in Limours from 2022 to 2024 and increasing the robustness of our supply chain and partner eco-system, to ensure swift on-time delivery to contribute to air surveillance and air defence of European nations.”
