Blighter, a pioneering designer and manufacturer of ground-based electronic-scanning array (ESA) radars, has won a follow-on contract from an undisclosed Eastern European Army to supply its Blighter A800 Mk 2 4D multi-mode radars. The systems will protect vulnerable borders from ground incursions and hard-to-detect low-flying and one-way attack drones.
Army officials selected the Blighter A800 Mk2 4D radar due to its multi-mode functionality, allowing simultaneous detection, classification and tracking of ground, sea, and air targets at ranges up to 20km. As with the previous contract, the A800 radars will be deployed to fixed locations along the country’s borders and integrated onto army reconnaissance vehicles.
According to Blighter, low-altitude drones present a major challenge for the military as their small size, low radar cross section (RCS), and ability to fly close to terrain make them difficult to detect with conventional air surveillance radars. Blighter radars overcome this using advanced Ku-Band sensing, ESA antennas, micro-Doppler signature analysis, and sophisticated clutter-suppression technologies.
James Long, Blighter’s CEO, said: “We are delighted to have secured a follow-on contract for our A800 multi-mode radars from this military customer. Our radars will provide 24/7 all-weather protection against ground incursions and the growing threat of low-altitude drones that have caused such devastation in recent conflicts.
“Our ground-based radars excel in detecting low-and-fast targets, including first-person view (FPV), fibre-optic and fixed-wing drones up to 20km away. We are proud to be one of only a handful of companies offering a sub-US$1m radar that can detect targets at speeds up to Mach 1!”
This contract includes the supply of BlighterNexus software to ensure the radars are seamlessly integrated with the Army’s command-and-control (C2) networks, operator interfaces, and third-party sensors to deliver a unified display or common operating picture (COP) across multiple border regions.
The Blighter A800 Mk2 radar combines electronic beam scanning, next-generation monopulse elevation measurement, and target classification using micro-Doppler signature analysis to offer unmatched situational awareness, all in a small size, weight & power (SWaP) format. The radar is also fitted with a Gigabit Ethernet interface for secure and encrypted data transfer.
Blighter radars have been successfully deployed for drone detection at UK and international airports, by the United States Air Force, by multi-national Forward-Operating-Bases (FOBs) in the Middle East, and for various government and military national Counter-UAS systems.
Blighter supports international systems integrators in creating layered, multi-sensor surveillance systems and supports localised manufacture. Over 800 radars have been deployed in more than 40 countries, making Blighter a trusted partner for surveillance projects among defence, homeland security, critical national infrastructure, and energy sectors worldwide.
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