Cassidian, the defence and security division of EADS, has developed the world’s most powerful radar for battlefield surveillance for use by the German armed forces.

Owing to a combination of the latest technologies, this ground surveillance radar under the German Army designation “Bodenüberwachungsradar” (BÜR) can track movements on the ground, in the air close to the ground and over water, with previously unattainable precision, speed and reliability.

“The BÜR system represents a quantum leap in the area of battle field surveillance,” explained Dr Elmar Compans, Head of Cassidian’s Sensors & Electronic Warfare unit. Compans said, “With this, the German Army can close a gap in its capabilities in the area of intelligence gathering and reconnaissance, thus significantly increasing its performance and the protection of its soldiers.”

The BÜR system is based on the latest electronic scan control technology active electronically scanned array (AESA), which opens up completely new possibilities for detection and surveillance. Thanks to delay-free electronic beam scanning, the radar can perform multiple reconnaissance tasks at the same time, thus achieving a much greater level of efficiency and reliability in comparison to mechanically scanned radars. Each BÜR system can therefore assume the tasks of several conventional radars.