Thales to supply GM400a surveillance radars to Malaysia

Thales will supply two GM400α long-range air surveillance radars (pictured) to the Royal Malaysian Air Force. (Thales)

Thales has secured a contract to supply two long-range air surveillance radars to the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).

The RMAF is procuring two Ground Master 400 Alpha (GM400α) radars from Thales, the company announced at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) Exhibition 2025 in Malaysia in May.

GM400α is a mobile, easily upgradeable radar that can provide early detection of different threats, facilitating timely response from forces, Thales said.

Thales has previously supplied a GM400α radar to the RMAF under a contract secured in December 2023. Following announcement of the contract, a Thales spokesperson told Janes that this radar will be installed in the coastal town of Bintulu, located in the central state of Sarawak.

According to Thales, the GM400α is an S-band 3D radar with a range of 515 km and five times more processing power than its previous versions. The GM400α radar has an update rate of 6 s and an elevation coverage of up to 40°.

The GM400α consists of gallium nitride (GaN)-based transmit/receive modules (TRMs) and uses artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to simultaneously detect and track high-, medium-, and low-altitude targets including aircraft, missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) hiding in the clutter near the radar. It is also equipped with a Mode 5 identification friend-or-foe (IFF) system to classify detected targets and avoid fratricide.

Thales said it will partner with Malaysia's Weststar Group to deploy the radars in line with the operational requirements of the RMAF. The company will also provide knowledge transfer and training to the RMAF to enhance efficiency of maintenance operations for the radars, Thales added.