Latvia and Slovenia Purchase Multi-Functional TRML-4D Radars For IRIS-T SLM Air Defense Systems Under ESSI
On July 4, Latvia and Slovenia signed a contract with HENSOLDT to integrate multifunctional TRML-4D radars into the IRIS-T SLM (Surface Launched Medium Range) air defense systems purchased from Diehl Defence as part of Germany’s European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) in August 2022. According to the company’s statement, the contract, worth 100 million euros ($108 million), includes maintenance and training packages as well as high-performance radars. However, no information was provided concerning the planned delivery schedule or the number of TRML-4Ds to be delivered to the two customers.
HENSOLDT CEO Oliver Dörre stated about the contract: “The pent-up demand in European air defense is enormous. We have already made so much progress with the expansion of our production capacity that we can already supply all customers in record time.”
TRML-4D, according to HENSOLDT, is a multifunctional radar system designed for close- and long-range surface-to-air detection and weapons identification. It is based on the most advanced solid-state Gallium Nitride Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) sensor technology and features multiple digitally shaped beams. With a range of up to 250 kilometers, an altitude detection capability of 40 kilometers, and radar cross-sections as small as 0.01 square meters, the radar can reliably detect and track over 1,500 targets, including cruise missiles, rockets, unmanned aerial vehicles, and aircraft, and classify them for engagement.
In addition to the TRML-4D high-performance radar, HENSOLDT’s portfolio includes the SPEXER short-range radar, the Twinvis passive radar, and a number of radar systems designed to ensure ship and air traffic safety. The company has produced more than 80 radars under the ESSI program, which was launched in response to Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukraine and aims to establish and strengthen European integrated land air defense. With additional radar orders for Ukraine and IRIS-T as the sole bidder for the Swiss Federal Office of Defense Procurement’s new medium-range ground-based air defense system (Bodluv MR), HENSOLDT is poised to increase its sales under the European Sky Shield Initiative in the future.