The German Armed Forces will be equipped with a new kind of ground surveillance radar (BÜR – Bodenüberwachungsradar) for detecting movements on the ground and at low altitudes with a precision unmatched in the world.
On May 19 the first of two system demonstrators were handed over to the German Federal Office of Defence Technology and Procurement (BWB) for evaluation by the Bundeswehr’s Technical Centres.
The delivery of approximately 80 BÜR systems is scheduled to start in 2012. They are intended to close the gap in capabilities of the German Armed Forces in the area of intelligence gathering and reconnaissance. A modified version of this radar destined for civil applications such as surveillance of border regions or industrial facilities is currently under development.
BÜR is suited for mobile use on the DINGO 2 armoured vehicle manufactured by the Munich-based company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. The BÜR system is based on the latest electronic scan control technology “AESA” (Active Electronically Scanned Array), which opens up completely new possibilities for detection and surveillance. Thanks to delay-free electronic beam control, 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. Operation of the system and the radar is fully effected from the protected interior of the vehicle, without the crew having to leave the vehicle.
