Pakistan opts for Kelvin Hughes SharpEye radar for Agosta 90B

The Pakistan Navy selected Kelvin Hughes’ SharpEye I-band pulse-Doppler radar for use on the upgraded Khalid-class Agosta 90B submarine.

As per Kelvin Hughes’ press release, the SharpEye benefits from a low probability-of-intercept (LPI), which positions it as an effective radar for tracking targets, especially at long-range.

Carrying improvements in sub-clutter visibility (of 30 dB), the SharpEye can also track low radar cross-section (RCS) targets of up to 0.5m2.

Kelvin Hughes adds that the SharpEye, with its “high reliability, low maintenance, solid-state technology, the SharpEye transceiver can be located within the pressure hull, making use of the existing bulkhead infrastructure, antenna rotational drive and waveguide connections.”

Besides the Agosta 90B, Kelvin Hughes was also selected to supply the SharpEye I and E/F-band radar for the Pakistan Navy’s new 17,000-ton fleet tanker, which was launched from Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KSEW) in August 2016.

Notes & Comments:

In June 2016, Pakistan awarded Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik A.Ş. (STM) a contract to upgrade its Khalid-class Agosta 90B submarines. The cumulative value of the deal (for all three submarines) is US $350 million and is to be implemented at KSEW. The first was scheduled for delivery within 45 months of the contract signing in June, with the remaining two to follow within 12 months of one another.

STM is the main contractor responsible for managing the program. In 2016, STM awarded contracts to Airbus Defence and Space, Aselsan and Havelsan for periscope and optronic masts, electronic support measures (ESM) systems, and command and control suites, respectively. The U.K-based Kelvin Hughes joins these subsystem vendors in supporting the Agosta 90B upgrade program.

The SharpEye will be replacing the Thales I-band navigation radar onboard the Agosta 90Bs. Kelvin Hughes states that the SharpEye can be used for more than just navigation, but with target tracking, it can provide the Agosta 90B with enhanced situational awareness.