Meteksan Defence Successfully Completed Delivery of Retinar FAR-AD Drone Detection Radars to Turkish Armed Forces

Fixed and rotary wing mini / micro drones, or drone systems, have become an important threat to our security forces in recent years, especially as they can be easily supplied and used by terrorist organizations. Although various jammer systems have been found as a precaution against drone threats, the drone must be detected first in order to disable drone systems. Visual detection of drones can be difficult due to the fact that the dimensions of the threat are very small and sometimes seems are not possible due to weather conditions. On the other hand, due to the very short visibility distance of the drones, it is too late to prevent the danger. For this reason, radar systems stand out as the most critical system for detection of mini/micro UAVs in long range.

One of the largest defence companies in Turkey, Meteksan Defense Industry Inc., has completed the Retinar FAR-AD Drone Detection Radar in a short period of 8 months within the scope of the "Mini/Micro UAV Detection Radar System Contract" signed with the Presidency of Defence Industries, Turkey in 2019. The delivery of the Retinar FAR-AD Systems, which successfully completed many different tests such as distinguishing drones from birds, identifying and tracking different drones such as DJI Phantom, TALON, has been realized. 

The Retinar FAR-AD Drone Detection Radar, developed by Meteksan Defense, is a radar system against mini/micro unmanned aerial vehicles and threats from land. The Retinar FAR-AD will automatically scan large areas and serve as the primary sensor of the security forces against drones.

The system, powered by low RF output power in the Ku frequency band, has high-tech solid-state radio frequency design and digital-based radar architecture. Using a customized pulse-compression pulse doppler waveform, the system offers efficient modes of use that can be selected with different wave shapes and different angular rotational speeds by the help of digital radar architecture. The Retinar FAR-AD is not affected by the instant maneuvers of threats thanks to its high rotation speed of 30 rpm and monitors threats successfully.

The Retinar FAR-AD can detect and track threats with its 40° elevation angle up to 7 km for land targets and mini/micro UAV’s up to 3 km. The Radar gives information on direction, speed, distance (up to 9 km) and orientation of targets through "User Interface Software" to its operator. The system, which can automatically classify the tracking information in tracking mode while scanning, increases classification performance with detailed algorithms in the Target Analysis Mode (Spectrogram Analysis) to resolve resulting uncertainties and improve classification reliability.

Meteksan Defense is the manufacturer of well-known high technology Retinar Perimeter Surveillance Radar Family used for border security and security of critical infrastructures. Retinar Perimeter Surveillance Radars are currently operational in Turkey by Land Forces Command, Gendarmerie General Command, State Airports Administration and also in two more countries, one of which located in Asia and the other in Europe.

The company, which operates in 6 main fields including radar systems, perimeter surveillance systems, laser and electro-optical systems, communication systems, underwater acoustics systems and platform simulators, is involved several main platform projects of Turkey, such as corvette, helicopter, UAV, anti-tank and air defense missile systems, underwater weapon and communication systems.