Hensoldt to supply additional TRS-4D radars for German Navy Type 126 programme

Hensoldt has been awarded a contract by Thales for the supply of additional TRS-4D radars for the German Navy's Niedersachsen (Type 126)-class frigates.

Under the contract, announced by Hensoldt on 19 August, the company will deliver a further two TRS-4D radars that will equip the final two frigates in the six-ship programme.

Hensoldt was awarded an initial contract in 2022 for the supply of TRS-4D radars to equip the first four Niedersachsen-class frigates and a radar segment for the Type 126 test centre. According to the company, the latest order brings the total value of the contract to more than EUR200 million (USD221 million).

Under the original contract terms initial deliveries of the system were expected to start in 2025. The previous delivery period has been extended in light of the contract extension. The integration of the radar on the ships and shore installations will be carried out by Thales in order to deliver an operational and combat system that meets German requirements.

The radar being supplied for the Type 126 programme is the fixed-face version of Hensoldt's TRS-4D C-band (NATO G-/H-band) active electronically scanned array (AESA) multifunction air/surface surveillance radar employing solid-state gallium nitride (GaN) transmit modules.

Both the rotating and non-rotating versions have a maximum instrumented range of up to 250 km (135 n miles) and a minimum range of less than 100 m, the ability to detect targets with a radar cross-section of 0.01 m2, and a track update rate of less than 1 second.