The first Thales Sea Fire radar for the French Navy’s FTI future medium-size frigates programme is now in production. The Sea Fire is fully solid-state multifunction radar with a four-panel phased array antenna. It is designed for roles ranging from ship self-defence to extended air defence, providing protection from conventional, asymmetric and emerging air and surface threats.

The French defence procurement agency (DGA) awarded the FTI contract to develop and build five 4000 tons frigates to Naval Group in April 2017. The first of these five vessels will be delivered in 2023 and will enter active service in 2025.

First radar will be installed for qualification testing at the DGA facilities in Saint-Mandrier in 2019. Thales will deliver the 4 panels of the first Sea Fire radar to Naval Group shipyard in Lorient in 2020 for the FTI program

(Sea Fire radar, Thales).