France unveils the DeepFinder radar station series, specifically designed to detect “Iskander” without US reliance. The mobile variant will be integrated into the SAMP/T NG air defense system, which Ukraine will receive, and it’s no longer just a mockup.
French defense giant Thales presented its new family of ultra-high-frequency early warning radar stations, DeepFinder, at the international arms exhibition Eurosatory 2026 in Paris.
The DeepFinder family is represented by three variants: the stationary DeepFinder Strategic for early detection, the stationary DeepFinder Space for detecting satellites and other targets in low Earth orbit, and the mobile DeepFinder Tactical. This is reported by Force Operations Blog.
The most powerful variant presented is DeepFinder Strategic, capable of detecting targets in a 360-degree field, including medium-range ballistic missiles like Russia’s “Iskander,” at ranges up to 5000 km. This radar will be a significant step in reducing Europe’s dependence on the United States, as the US currently provides most of Europe’s early warning capabilities.
For successful interception of MRBMs, it is crucial not only to detect them on approach but also to track them from the moment of launch, as there are only a few minutes from launch to impact. Another equally interesting and important radar in this family is the mobile DeepFinder Tactical, which actually consists of three separate mobile antennas. Thanks to algorithms, these combine into a single virtual station.
They can be deployed within 30 minutes. Each covers 120 degrees and can detect targets up to 1500 km away, collectively providing simultaneous 360-degree coverage. According to the company, this is the first time it has been possible to digitally combine three such powerful, separate mobile radars to achieve continuous, simultaneous radio coverage.
Typically, such radars are based only on specially calibrated sites, let alone combining three separate mobile stations, which represents a significant technological advancement. It is planned that DeepFinder Tactical will enhance the sensor suite of the SAMP/T NG air defense system.
The SAMP/T NG is declared to have the capability to intercept certain MRBMs, so this radar will bolster the system’s inherent capabilities in countering such threats. Importantly, Ukraine plans to order 8 batteries of this very air defense system, and its older version, SAMP/T, already protects Ukrainian airspace.
The last member of the DeepFinder family, DeepFinder Space, as mentioned earlier, is designed for detecting and tracking satellites and other objects in space and in low Earth orbit. In France, this DeepFinder Space is also known as AURORE.
Although DeepFinder is still in the development stage, it exists in forms beyond just a mockup. France already has a 20-meter stationary test demonstrator, DRTLP, on which the technology has been refined over several years since 2018.