The German Navy has selected Thales to equip the Berlin and Frankfurt am Main supply ships (EGVs) with a new radar system for air surveillance and helicopter guidance.
In addition Thales will also equip the same radar suite along with the command and control system and the internal communication system on the third EGV, the Bonn, which is scheduled to be launched in 2012.
The VARIANT radar, which is to be supplied with hardware and software for helicopter detection and guidance, is expected to significantly enhance their performance capabilities.
The VARIANT air and surface surveillance radar for helicopter detection and guidance is used to safely detect and guide multiple helicopters by using its dual band pulsed radar system and radar frequency modulated continuous wave radar.
The radar features a helicopter control console for each of the three EGVs and four consoles for using the Maritime Control, Command and Information System and provides all-weather and automatic helicopter detection capabilities.
