SMART-L

F220 Hamburg of the German Navy with SMART-L radar

SMART-L onboard F221 Hessen a Sachsen class frigate

SMART-L (Signaal Multibeam Acquisition Radar for Tracking, L band)^[1] is a naval long-range search radar from Thales Nederland, formerly Hollandse Signaalapparaten (Signaal).

The passive electronically scanned array antenna has 24 elements; all are used for reception, while 16 are used for creating virtual receiver beams through digital beamforming. The beams' vertical elevation, and compensation for ship movement, is done electronically.^[1] Horizontal training is done by mechanically rotating the entire array.

As designed, SMART-L has a maximum range of 400 km (220 nmi) against patrol aircraft, and 65 km (35 nmi) against stealthy missiles.^[2] A software upgrade, Extended Long Range (ELR) Mode, extends the maximum range to 480 km (260 nmi). In 2006 HNLMS Tromp used the ELR Mode to track an ARAV-B missile from 150 km (81 nmi) during a US Navy ballistic missile defence exercise.^[3]

Variants

• SMART-L
• SMART-L Early Warning Capability (EWC)
• SMART-L EWC Ground Based (GB)
• S1850M

Specifications

• Antenna system:
  • Dimensions; 8.4 × 4 × 4.4 m (28 × 13 × 14 ft), 7,800 kg (17,200 lb)
  • Number of antenna elements: 24 (16 transceivers, 8 receivers)
  • Number of beams formed: 16
  • Beamwidth 2.2° horizontal, 0–70° vertical
  • Polarization: vertical
  • Frequency: D band (former L band)
  • Rotational speed: 12 rpm
  • IFF system integrated, D band
• Maximum detection ranges:
  • Stealth missiles: 65 km (35 nmi)
  • Patrol aircraft: 400 km (220 nmi)
  • Ballistic missiles:1000 km after software upgrade.^[4]
• Maximal numbers of tracked targets:
  • Airborne: 1000
  • Seaborne: 100

Users

Ship class	Operator	Variant	Total units
Zeven Provincien FFG	Royal Netherlands Navy	Smart-L EWC	4
Sachsen FFG	Deutsche Marine	Smart-L	3
Type 45 Daring DDG	Royal Navy	S1850M	6
Queen Elizabeth CV	Royal Navy	S1850M	2
Forbin FFG	French Navy	S1850M	2
Andrea Doria DDG	Italian Navy	S1850M	2
Dokdo LPH	ROK Navy(South Korea)	Smart-L	4
Iver Huitfeldt FFG	Royal Danish Navy	Smart-L	3
Air Operations Control Station Nieuw Milligen	Royal Netherlands Air Force	Smart-L EWC GB	2
Total			26

• De Zeven Provinciën class frigate
• Sachsen class frigate
• Type 45 destroyer (S1850M)
• Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier (S1850M)
• Horizon class frigate (S1850M)
• Dokdo class LPH
• Iver Huitfeldt class frigate
• Royal Netherlands Air Force SMART-L EWC Ground Based

See also

• Thales/BAE Systems Insyte S1850M, a SMART-L derivative.

References

1. "SMART-L Radar". www.Radartutorial.eu. Retrieved 24 Oct 2011.
2. "SMART-L 3D Long range surveillance radar". Thales. Retrieved 24 Oct 2011.
3. "Thales on track in TBMD". Thales. 8 Dec 2006. Retrieved 24 Oct 2011.
4. "SMART-L For Smart Defense?"