Jointly produced by state-owned enterprise (SOE) National Radio and Telecommunications Corporation (NRTC) and Blue Surge, a private sector company, the AM-350S was first publicly revealed at the 2024 International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS 2024).
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According to NRTC and Blue Surge, the AM-350S is a Gallium-Nitride (GaN)-based active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar with digital beamforming capabilities. Development of the AM-350S began sometime in 2020 or 2021, and the radar is now undergoing trials.
NRTC and Blue Surge state that the AM-350S is currently the longest-ranged radar to have been locally developed in Pakistan. It may also be among the most high-profile partnerships between a SOE and the private sector in the history of Pakistan’s defence industry.
Interestingly, NRTC/Blue Surge are not the only domestic vendors engaging in radar development work.
Pakistan’s National Aerospace Science and Technology Park (NASTP) also showcased its SR-3D radar, which was originally revealed during the 2024 National Day Parade. Global Industrial Defence Solutions (GIDS) also showcased several radar projects in its future product roadmap, suggesting that at least one other Pakistani SOE besides NRTC and NASTP is involved.
AM-350S Specifications
Radar Specifications
- Frequency Band: S-Band
- Maximum Range: 350 km
- Range for Fighter-Sized Targets (2m2 RCS): 200 km
- Range for Drone-Sized Targets (0.1m2 RCS): 80 km
- Azimuth Coverage: 360°
- Elevation Coverage: -6° to +20°
- Height Coverage: <60,000 feet
- Rotation Speed: 6 RPM (10-second refresh rate)
- Antenna Count: 64
- TRM Peak Power: >400 watts
IFF Specifications
- Range: Up to 450 km
- Frequency Bands: 1030 MHz (interrogation) and 1090 MHz (response)
- Modes of Operation: Modes 1, 2, 3/A, C, S, ADS-B
- Compliance: ICAO-compliant
Report: Pakistan’s Air Defence Systems
Comprehensive review of the short-range, medium-range, and long-range air defence systems used by the Pakistan Army, Navy, and Air Force. See how the Pakistani military is pursuing homegrown programs while also looking towards anti-ballistic missile (ABM) and counter-drone systems.
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Key Capabilities of the AM-350S
High-Performance Range and Coverage
NRTC and Blue Surge state that the AM-350S provides a surveillance range of 350 km. It has a 360° field-of-view and flexible elevation features, enabling it to monitor altitudes of up to 60,000 feet.
Resilient to Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) Jamming
The AM-350S also provides resilient anti-jamming capabilities with frequency hopping, vector control, and side-lobe suppression. Being an AESA-based system, the AM-350 can leverage its multiple TRMs to emit in different or unique frequencies in one pulse, making it more difficult for an enemy ECM system to single out a particular frequency for jamming.
Mobile and Rapidly Deployable
The AM-350S radar can be mounted to a truck for rapid mobilization and field operations. It also includes an onboard power supply system with battery backup. The radar can be deployed and unfolded within 30 minutes. NRTC and Blue Surge displayed an AM-350S radar mounted to an 8×8 truck at IDEAS 2024.
Effective Maintainability
The AM-350S leverages a built-in self-test (BIST) system for real-time fault detection and diagnosis. This automated system also provides real-time alerts and error logging. In addition, the AM-350S is a modular system whereby the end-user can replace components on-site, reducing downtime. The vendor also says that the AM-350 has a high mean-time between failure (MTBF), but this was not quantified.
News Updates, Comments, and Analysis
From an industry perspective, the AM-350S (and other ‘Pakistani’ radars) are a reflection of the country’s growing original design and custom integration capabilities. As Pakistan is not an industrialized country, it is not clear how many of the core inputs are being sourced domestically…
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However, even though some of the key inputs are imported, the Pakistani industry is becoming adept at bringing these inputs together as well as developing the software, communications, and other connective stacks together. Strategically, Pakistan will gain radars that cannot easily be compromised as they would involve multiple suppliers and proprietary in-house design and integration work.
Based on local media/news channel interviews with Awais Raoof, the Director of Blue Surge, at IDEAS 2024, the AM-350S entered development in 2020 or 2021.
The AM-350S was developed to support the Pakistani military’s work to build a comprehensive air defence system while also maintaining pace with a continuously evolving threat and technology environment.
Currently, the AM-350S is undergoing trials. It is not known which of the tri-services would be testing the AM-350S, but it could be any one of the Army, Navy, or Air Force as each one may require large numbers of land-based air surveillance radars. This includes the Navy as it is responsible for maintaining Pakistan’s coastal integrity and, as such, manages land-based short-range air defence systems (SHORAD).
Mr. Raoof emphasized that the AM-350S is or will be built in Pakistan, using domestically sourced inputs. It is not known what these inputs would entail, however it is unlikely that the GaN TRMs are among them as Pakistan lacks a semiconductor fabrication facility. NRTC could be sourcing the GaN TRMs from China and/or Western Europe. However, the integration
NRTC and Blue Surge are aiming to promote the AM-350S for export as well, particularly to countries in the Middle East and wider developing world. There are also plans to develop air defence radars that can be paired with surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems.
