Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has launched deliveries of a new airborne surveillance radar product, handing over a first example of its ELM-2025 to an undisclosed “strategic customer”.
Developed by the company’s Elta Systems unit, and also named C-catcher, the active electronically scanned array (AESA) system is a successor to its ELM-2022 family of sensors. More than 1,000 of those mechanically-scanned radars have been delivered to customers in 35 nations, it says.
“The new C-catcher radar family leverages everything we have learned in more than 35 years of continual operations,” notes Elta chief executive Dror Bar.
Versions of the new system have been developed for integration with fixed-wing aircraft such as large business jets and twin-engined turboprops, plus helicopters and unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), including vertical take-off and landing designs. Configurations are available using either a fixed or rotating array.
IAI touts the new system as combining “high performance and very high reliability in a compact package”.
“Interleaving detection modes, together with powerful processing capability, afford simultaneous multi-mode, multi-role capabilities for air-to-sea, air-to-ground and air-to-air missions,” it says.
“All configurations are especially adept at performing wide-area maritime surveillance from high altitudes and speeds to detect, track and classify thousands of objects in real-time,” the company states.
“Powerful digital processing and advanced algorithms endow the C-catcher with best-in-class detection of small targets from high altitudes, particularly in high sea states,” it claims. Additionally, enhanced-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and inverse SAR modes “improve target classification capabilities over previous designs”.
A promotional video released by the company on 12 February depicts potential host platforms as including the Bombardier Challenger 650, Airbus Defence & Space CN235/C295, Sikorsky S-70 Seahawk and unmanned platforms.
