Indonesian Sea and Coast Guard orders Terma’s Scanter radar

Danish defense contractor Terma announced on Tuesday that the Indonesian Sea and Coast Guard Kesatuan Penjaga Laut dan Pantai (KPLP) has ordered the company’s Scanter 6000 radars for navigation, surveillance, and helicopter control.

The radars are being integrated with the Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine Vision Master automatic radar plotting aid (ARPA) display system.

According to Terma, five patrol vessels will be equipped with the radar including the KN. Trisula (P111), KN. Kalimasadha (P115), KN. Kalawai (P117), KN. Chundamani (P116) and KN. Gandiwa (P118). The ships are based at various locations around the country and will be upgraded at their respective homeports.

“The Scanter 6000 series will enable the Indonesian patrol boats to detect and track small targets – from the horizon up to the ship itself –on the surface and in low-level air space and in all conditions,” explained Jesper Tolstrup, director, radar applications for Terma in Lystrup, Denmark.

“Although these patrol vessels do not have facilities for embarked aircraft, the radar provides the capability for directing helicopters for search and rescue, fisheries patrol, pollution monitoring, or other enforcement missions. The radar is also optimal for detecting or controlling unmanned aircraft,” Tolstrup said.

Indonesia is a maritime nation that sits astride the busy sea lanes that connect the Indian and Pacific Oceans. With more than 17,000-plus islands, it is the largest archipelago in the world, stretching 2,500 miles, the distance of New York to San Francisco. Indonesia has several different maritime entities, to include the Navy, Coast Guard (Baklama), and the Sea and Coast Guard (KPLP).

“In our challenging operating environment, we require a radar with very good detection ranges and high resolution target discrimination. When it comes to search and rescue, being able to find a small lifeboat or a man in the water at great distances, in darkness or in bad weather, the radar is a lifesaving tool,” said Commanding Officer KN. Gandiwa (P118), Joseph J.H. Rengga.

The Scanter 6000 is a coherent X-band 2D solid state radar specifically designed as an affordable all-weather sensor solution to plug the gap between standard marine navigation radars and more expensive military surveillance radar systems.

The Scanter 6000 will also be installed on Royal Navy’s new Type-26 Global Combat Ships while it already is in service on French Navy’s Charles De Gaulle aircraft carrier and L’Adroit vessel, U.S. Navy’s Stiletto high speed experimental vessel and on the Danish Navy’s Frigate Iver Huitfeldt. It is also supplied to the navies of Germany and UAE and for new OPV programs as well as update programs.