In a contract worth £100 M, the UK Ministry of Defence has selected the Advanced Radar Target Indication Situational Awareness and Navigation (ARTISAN) 3D radar to provide the next generation of medium range radars (MRR) for the majority of the current Royal Navy (RN) surface fleet and for the Future Aircraft Carriers.
ARTISAN 3D is the culmination of a three-year industry private venture programme to develop a new generation of radar that builds upon a family of mature technology from the BAE Systems existing portfolio of radars. It will replace the RN’s legacy Type 996 surveillance and target indication radar.
The ARTISAN 3D Radar Team comprises BAE Systems, QinetiQ and Roke Manor Research and thus comprises the core of UK industry’s surface radar research. These three companies have a pedigree and heritage at the very heart of UK radar development epitomised by the established relationship on the UK ARTIST programme.
ARTISAN 3D will improve the performance of the RN’s primary sensing capability, particularly in terms of meeting the challenges posed when operating in a complex littoral environment. When integrated into the overall combat system, ARTISAN 3D will enable marked improvements in the platform’s overall situational awareness and exploit the full capabilities of the updated Seawolf system.