SEA DIGITAL ARRAY RADAR - VirtuaLabs S.r.l - Radar & EW Systems Innovation

SEADAR is an advanced AESA radar derived from the family of advanced 3D Multifunction Radar (MFR) in S Band. The four fixed digital AESA faces are based on the Digital Array Radar (DAR) Technology, developed by Virtualabs. SEADAR is one of the first Digital Array Radar and is built with modular concept. Each AESA face is composed of many digital modules called Virtualabs Bricks (VBR). The modularity allows to arrange several digital AESA configurations, depending on the requirement. Therefore, the final SEADAR can be adapted to fulfil the requirements of any size of ships. The standard SEADAR AESA face is composed of 24 VBRs.

SEADAR has been designed by exploiting the most advanced technologies to cope with the present and future very demanding naval search and tracking requirements. Beside the superior performances, the exploitation of the most advanced technologies allows to make very cost-effective systems. The digital VBRs utilize Gallium Nitrate technology (GaN) to generate the RF radiated power. The advanced digital array allows to perform the Digital Beam Forming (DBF) at array element level: this means that SEADAR can:

• make simultaneous pencil beams in any directions;

• tailor beams and radar functions to cope with the different threat types to be detected or tracked;

• operate in any complex scenarios, like the littoral one, where slow moving targets and high-speed targets are present at the same time.

Depending on requirements, SEADAR can be provided in a configuration composed of one AESA face with many VBRs, installed in a rotating pedestal.

The smart organization of the digital AESA control and the many available processing functions (pulse compression, MTI, FFTs, CFAR, Plots extractor, TWS, Target Classification, Monopulse Single targets Tracking, etc.) allow to consider SEADAR as a real Software Controlled Radar.

The software controls can be used to realize a “cognitive” radar or a customized software radar. Beside the many Search functions, SEADAR implements also, thanks to the monopulse pencil beams, a very accurate single targets tracking with an accuracy such to allow also a direct artillery control.

The many available radar beams allow also to dedicate beams to the Up-Link for anti-air missiles intermediate flight control.

Max instrumental Range: up to 250 Km

Min. Range: 200 m

Tilt of faces: +15°

3D Angle coverage 360° Az x near to 90°El.

500 TWS tracking channel (programmable)

Very high data rate (2 sec)

Very accurate Single Target Tracking (suitable for artillery guidance)

Proprietary Anti-nodding function for low altitude targets tracking

Beams for S Band anti-air missile Up-link

Advanced ECCMs

Graceful degradation

Enormous growth potential by only FW/SW upgrading

Digital Array Face dimension: 1.5m x 1.5m

Low weigh (about 600 Kg above deck) and low power consumption.

SEADAR can be provided with Digital AESA faces composed of different number of bricks, achieving so, not only advanced 3D Search and Track MFR adequate for installation on small or big ships, but also radars for different applications (e.g. 64 VBRs face for Long Range Detection).

The solid-state digital arrays that utilize digital TX-RX modules and all digital processing allows SEADAR to get an MTBCF of more than 3000 hours. This means that beside the very high availability a very simplified low-cost logistic support will be required.