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Modern air-defense systems must monitor an increasingly crowded sky, where small drones, cruise missiles, rockets and aircraft can approach from different directions and at different speeds. Detecting these threats early is essential, but tracking several targets simultaneously while providing accurate information to interception systems presents an additional challenge.
A new 360-degree air-defense radar called cxMHR aims to address that problem by combining long-range surveillance, AI-assisted target tracking and a transportable design.
Developed by Leonardo DRS, the C-Band Extended Multi-Mission Hemispheric Radar has entered initial production and is designed for integration into military air and missile defense networks.
The system uses four active electronically scanned array (AESA) panels to provide continuous coverage in every direction.
Unlike traditional radar systems that physically rotate an antenna to scan their surroundings, AESA technology electronically steers radar beams. This allows the radar to rapidly scan different areas and repeatedly update the positions of multiple moving targets.
According to Interesting Engineering, the radar can detect unmanned aircraft and loitering munitions at distances exceeding 90 kilometers, while its detection range against larger transport aircraft exceeds 330 kilometers.
These figures apply to different target categories, with detection performance depending on the type of aircraft being monitored.
The radar is also designed to track cruise missiles, rockets and tactical ballistic missiles.
Its AI-enabled tracking and classification software helps process incoming radar information and distinguish between different aerial threats. The system is intended to generate fire-control-quality tracking data, providing sufficiently precise and timely information to support weapons responsible for interception.
However, the radar itself is a detection and tracking system rather than a weapon.
Another important feature is its containerized configuration. The four radar panels, identification friend-or-foe equipment, command-and-control components and supporting hardware are integrated into a standard ISO container.
This allows the complete system to be transported by land, sea or air and deployed using a single vehicle.
For military forces, such mobility could help establish radar coverage in new operating areas without requiring permanent installations.
The radar also uses a modular open architecture, supporting integration with existing air-defense command networks and equipment from different manufacturers.
This enables targeting information to be shared across connected systems, allowing multiple sensors and interceptors to contribute to a coordinated defensive response.
The technology could be particularly relevant to protecting military installations, deployed forces and critical infrastructure against simultaneous aerial threats.
The company has begun initial production, although customer orders, production quantities and deployment schedules have not yet been disclosed.
By combining long-range detection, continuous 360-degree surveillance and networked target tracking in a mobile package, the radar is designed to give air-defense operators earlier warning and more accurate information when several threats approach at once.
