The Canadian Army has chosen the portable and powerful medium range radar (MRR) to identify smaller weapons that are difficult to detect.
Developed by Israel-based manufacturer Elta and acquired from prime contractor Rheinmetall Canada, MRR is a transportable system that can help quickly detect and identify sources of indirect fire.
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It can identify rocket-propelled grenades, mortars, rockets and other munitions fired without a direct sightline to the target.
The radar can be easily set up and dismantled within 20 minutes and controlled remotely by troops from a distance of up to 100m.
MRR project team member major Raymond Dupuis said: “You always want to set up and tear down as quickly as possible so that if there’s a threat we can move out of that location and move on to another one.
“That’s why we’ll use these in pairs so that as one’s transmitting, the other’s ready to move.”
The MRR helps track airborne threats and generates a tactical display that can be shared with other Canadian units and allied forces.
Dupuis added: “We’re going to have the ability to give early warning to our troops of air threats.
“We don’t have the ability to fire on aircraft right now but we do have a project and will eventually purchase an air defence weapon.”
Currently, the Canadian Army is purchasing a total of ten MRR systems, the majority of which will be deployed in New Brunswick with 4th Artillery Regiment (General Support), Royal Canadian Artillery.
Earlier this year, a successful round of field tests was carried out at the regiment.
The MRR project is part of the larger Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) programme, which was first announced in 2003.
