Defpro-com reports that Thales UK’s Searchwater 2000 airborne early warning (AEW) radar, fitted as part of the Cerberus mission system in the Royal Navy (RN) Sea King Mk7s currently deployed in Afghanistan, has been playing a critical role in helping crews combat Taliban operations with its state-of-the-art surveillance capability.
In recent operations, Sea King crews have described the radar as ‘unique’ and both British and coalition partners have seen it as a key factor in protecting civilians and military personnel from the insurgents, providing the essential ‘eyes’ for the land force commander.
Use of the Searchwater radar over land demonstrates the inherent flexibility of the system that was originally designed to provide airborne force protection for RN task groups at sea.
Operating out of Camp Bastion, the Sea Kings undertake land surveillance, supporting ground troops and collecting invaluable data, which is then analysed further to build a picture of the pattern of life in Helmand Province.
Thales has been involved in providing the RN’s rotary wing AEW capability since the a force protection capability gap was graphically identified during the 1982 Falklands War when a number of surface ships were sunk by enemy aircraft.
The Sea King AEW Mk2 was rushed into service to fill this gap carrying a modified Searchwater radar transferred from the Royal Air Force’s Nimrod MR aircraft.