Spanish defense technology company Indra Sistemas has assembled an industrial consortium to develop a next-generation counter-battery radar based on active electronically scanned array (AESA) technology for the Spanish Army. The project follows a contract worth 30 million euros (about $35 million) awarded in December, with completion expected by November 2028.
Several Spanish firms are involved in the initiative known as the Radar for Locating the Origin of Indirect Fire program. Partners include GMV, Nord Motorreductores, and small and medium-sized companies such as Niasa, Teyde 2010, and AC Precisión. The new radar will replace the Army’s long-serving AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder weapon-locating radar, which has been operational since 1989. The system will be fully designed and produced in Spain, with more than 80 percent of the work carried out by domestic companies.
Indra will oversee the project while development activities are distributed across multiple regions of Spain. Engineering and system integration will be conducted in Madrid, while advanced sensors and Gallium Nitride-based technologies will be developed in Vigo. The program will also help establish a radar-focused industrial hub in Córdoba in cooperation with the local university, while mechanical and electromechanical subassemblies will be manufactured in the Basque Country, Aragón, and Catalonia.
The AESA radar will incorporate Gallium Nitride semiconductor technology and software-defined radio communications to provide improved detection range, higher accuracy in locating indirect fire, and greater resistance to electronic interference. Compared with older materials such as Gallium Arsenide, Gallium Nitride can operate at significantly higher power densities, boosting radar efficiency, output, and reliability.
Lessons from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War have highlighted the importance of rapid detection and counter-fire capability. The new radar is designed to support automated operations, reduce operator workload, and integrate seamlessly with modern command-and-control networks. In addition to counter-battery roles, the system will also support ground surveillance, protection of forward operating bases, and coastal monitoring missions.
