Thales Unveils New Long-range Radar for Civil, Military Air Traffic Control

Thales has introduced TRAC SIGMA, a new L-band primary surveillance radar designed to manage both civil and military air traffic in increasingly crowded airspace.

Capable of simultaneously conducting long-range approach and air surveillance missions, TRAC SIGMA is the only radar in its class that can distinguish small aircraft at distances up to 300 kilometers, ensuring minimum separation of three nautical miles (NM) across all airspace levels—not just on final approach.

Unveiled as part of the company's TRAC radar family, the TRAC SIGMA system integrates the latest digital technologies to meet rising global demand for accurate, multi-mission airspace monitoring.

As airspace gets more crowded, civilian and military flights need to keep safe distances at all times—not just near runways. TRAC SIGMA helps make that possible and supports joint operations.

With the rapid increase in aircraft traffic, particularly at lower altitudes, the need to maintain minimum horizontal separation has become more critical. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recommends a 3 NM separation standard to maintain safe distances between aircraft.

TRAC SIGMA addresses this requirement with features such as full 3D detection, high-resolution target discrimination, extended range coverage, and resistance to radar jamming and interference. It includes full redundancy and hot-swappable components to support system availability and complies with international aviation standards.

Its combined radar design is intended to reduce lifecycle costs by simplifying infrastructure and operations. TRAC SIGMA can be used for new installations or to upgrade existing radar systems in joint civil-military settings.