What Is Searchmaster? Thales’s AESA Surveillance Radar for Maritime Patrol Aircraft
Searchmaster is Thales’s new-generation X-band AESA multirole surveillance radar, developed to be integrated on maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft. Weighing under 80 kilograms, it can be fitted to platforms ranging from a patrol aircraft to a small unmanned aircraft, and produces a simultaneous picture of the sea, land and air.
What Is Searchmaster?
A maritime patrol aircraft’s core job is to sweep vast ocean areas to detect ships, submarines and other targets; Searchmaster is that aircraft’s eye. Using the latest X-band AESA technology, the radar steers its beam electronically rather than mechanically, providing continuous detection by electronically scanning in the vertical plane for short- and long-range surveillance at the same time. Its light weight (under 80 kg) and software-upgradable architecture make it attractive for a wide variety of platforms.
Specifications and Mission Types
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| System type | X-band AESA multirole airborne surveillance radar |
| Manufacturer | Thales |
| Weight | Under 80 kg |
| Coverage | 360°, electronic scanning in the vertical plane |
| Mission types | Anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, maritime surveillance, ground surveillance, tactical air support |
| Platforms | Atlantique 2, Falcon, Dash-8, small turboprops, MALE UAS, aerostats |
| Key programme | French Navy Atlantique 2 (ATL2) upgrade (DGA selection) |
Mission Profile and Significance
Searchmaster’s value lies in its versatility: a single radar supports five different mission types. The same system can track surface ships one day and be used for anti-submarine warfare or ground surveillance the next. The French defence-procurement agency DGA selected the radar for the French Navy’s upgraded Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft. The latest-generation Searchmaster is also equipped with AI capabilities to speed up detection and classification.
Competitors and Türkiye
Searchmaster’s rivals include Leonardo’s Seaspray series, Saab’s airborne surveillance radars and the maritime patrol radars of U.S. manufacturers. For Türkiye, this field is localising through ASELSAN’s work on maritime patrol and surveillance radars (for instance systems developed within MELTEM and new-generation maritime patrol aircraft projects). Türkiye’s indigenous maritime patrol aircraft efforts are increasingly bringing the domestic production of such radars to the fore.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does Searchmaster do? It is an AESA surveillance radar that gives maritime patrol aircraft the ability to detect ships, submarines and other targets over a wide area.
- What platforms use it? The Atlantique 2, Falcon, Dash-8, small turboprops and MALE UAVs.
- How many mission types does it support? Five: anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, maritime surveillance, ground surveillance and tactical air support.
- What band does it use? X-band.
- What is its weight? Under 80 kilograms, making it suitable for light platforms.
