Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) announced their partnership with Thales for land-based SMART-L Multi-Mission Fixed (MM/F) long-range radars, to become part of the Swedish integrated air and missile defense.
Specifically, extensive radar systems are employed to encompass expansive regions. The substantial coverage capacity enables the system to enhance the overall understanding of the aerial conditions. The approximate investment that Sweden will make for this system is $91.5 million.
Referred to as SMART – L, this ground-based system possesses the capability to detect ballistic missiles and provide valuable insights into the space situation picture, stated Swedish MoD.
“Measuring ballistic missiles is a new, long-awaited capability, which will now become part of the Swedish integrated air and missile defense. The ballistic missile function will also help send data to the Patriot system, to improve its ability to combat such threats,” says Mattias Alfredsson, FMV New Sensor Systems project manager.
Sweden aims to improve its capability to detect ballistic missiles and potentially adopt the SMART-L radar system, similar to the Netherlands.
This involves, among other things, information exchange and exploring opportunities to harmonize technical requirements and contractual terms for future procurements, opportunities to harmonize maintenance agreements and system development, and opportunities to coordinate and optimize industrial cooperation between two countries.
The SMART-L MM/F radar, already in use on land and sea, offers long-range detection with a range of up to 2,000km.
Thales is scheduled to deliver the first system to the FMV in 2025, followed by deployment to the Swedish Armed Forces in 2026. Later on, there will be continuous delivery to the Armed Forces until 2028.
