Categories: Defense Technology

Elta Ashdod Radar Expands Global Defense Footprint

Elta Ashdod Radar Expands Global Defense Footprint

A New Era in Air Defense

In a security climate shaped by regional tensions and evolving warfare, high-end air-surveillance radars are no longer luxuries but strategic necessities. Israel’s Elta, based in Ashdod and part of the IAI group, has built a system that has both transformed its home market and sparked global interest: the 250-phased array radar. Leveraging active electronically scanned array (AESA) technology, the radar can generate more than a thousand beams across multiple angles, enabling simultaneous detection, tracking, and guidance for a wide spectrum of aerial threats—from ballistic missiles and cruise missiles to drones, projectiles, and mortar shrapnel after interception.

Capabilities and Market Momentum

Advanced scanning, broad coverage

Designed for versatile deployment, the Ashdod radar supports a 360-degree field of regard and is compact enough to be integrated into a range of air platforms without the cost and complexity of traditional, large, cabin-based radars. In operation, it has demonstrated the ability to track thousands of targets at once and maintain reliable detection ranges up to hundreds of kilometers, with a resistance to jamming thanks to its electronic beam-steering and multi-beam management.

Pricing and sales trajectory

Industry pricing for this class of system typically sits around the $20 million mark per unit, inclusive of essential maintenance contracts. Elta has publicly outlined an ambitious goal of selling around 500 radars, translating to roughly $10 billion in cumulative revenue. The calculation reflects not only unit sales but the long-term service and upgrade agreements that accompany complex defense systems.

From Ashdod to the Skies: Radars in Aircraft

Historically, airborne early warning radars in Israel and elsewhere were installed on larger, multi-crew platforms such as aging passenger jets converted into control aircraft. These configurations incurred high acquisition and operating costs, particularly for missions requiring long endurance. Elta pioneered a more economical approach to airborne radar by integrating the AESA system into a compact business-jet-size airframe, splitting the radar into discrete modules mounted at the nose, sides, and tail of the aircraft. The result is 360-degree coverage on a lighter, more cost-effective platform, enabling longer flight hours and greater mission flexibility for airborne early warning and command-and-control roles.

Specifically, the system has demonstrated the capacity to monitor a wide airspace while providing precise target tracking and threat characterization. The 450-kilometer class range cited in independent reviews underscores its potential to extend the reach of air defense networks without sacrificing responsiveness or reliability.

Global Deals: Korea Joins Italy and Singapore

In a notable turnover of defense procurement, reports indicate that the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Defense selected L3Harris’ Phoenix as its new airborne surveillance platform. This decision involves a Bombardier Global 6500 airframe, configured with a radar system produced by Elta and assembled at the Ashdod facility. The deal is valued at around $2.2 billion for four aircraft, with a significant portion of the program expected to flow to Israel Aerospace Industries’ defense arm for engineering and production upgrades. Delivery is planned through 2032, marking a major milestone in the international expansion of Elta’s airborne radar technology.

South Korea joins earlier customers such as Italy and Singapore that have acquired Elta’s airborne warning capabilities, signaling a growing demand for cost-efficient, reliable AESA radars with broad mission applicability. These international deployments validate Elta’s approach to integrating high-performance radar into flexible airframes, expanding the reach of modern defense networks.

Implications for Global Air Defense

The push to modernize air-defense architectures is moving in parallel with the rise of low-signature, unmanned, and long-range threats. The Ashdod-made radar system sits at the intersection of this trend, enabling robust situational awareness, rapid cueing of interceptors, and more resilient defense in contested airspace. The influx of orders suggests not only a healthy demand for advanced AESA radar technology but also a shift toward multi-domain, platform-agnostic solutions that can be adapted to new threats as they emerge.

Looking Ahead

As nations reassess their deterrence and response options, Elta’s Ashdod radar program illustrates how compact, high-performance systems can scale to meet the needs of modern air-defense networks. With ongoing overseas deployments and continued collaboration with global partners, the radar from Ashdod is poised to keep shaping the landscape of strategic defense well into the next decade.