Polish Armed Forces Procure Battlefield Surveillance Radars

The procurement is not a surprise. The PGSR-3i radars were selected for the Polish Armed Forces in January 2020. Two months later, a procurement contract on the acquisition of 93 examples was signed, with the right of option for another 11. The radars also came with a training and logistics package. The order was worth PLN 39 million, plus PLN 4.5 million for the optional extras. It was expected that deliveries of the procured batch would end in 2022. The optionally procured assets were to be delivered in 2023.

The newly procured equipment was to have a value of PLN 13 million, while the deliveries would be finalized by the end of this year.

PGSR-3i Beagle is a stealthy portable radar system weighing around 30 kilograms, designed to detect and track low-flying and land assets. The radar emits X-band wave continuously over 32 frequencies and it also offers an automatic frequency change option. PGSR-3i allows for the discrimination and classification of tracked objects, with that differentiation being based on the size and movement profiles.

The radar allows the user to detect a walking person at a distance of 8 kilometers. Vehicles, meanwhile, can be tracked at distances of up to 24 kilometers, with an accuracy of 3 meters per 3 kilometers. It could be used autonomously or as a part of a larger, networked system. PGSR-3i Beagle may be controlled via an operator's panel or from the command center directly. The radar's software makes it possible to utilize a broad range of map formats. Furthermore, the radar may also be integrated within complex multi-sensor systems, thus allowing for data recording and analysis, and placing the tracked objects on a digital map.

Ground surveillance radars make it possible to monitor the given area to secure and protect points where own forces gather or to guard military infrastructure. Radars as such are also useful as a reconnaissance support asset for the recce elements in a combat setting. The radar weighing 30 kilograms may be carried in backpacks by teams of two. It may also be installed on the vehicles or in set up in field conditions. PGSR-3i Beagle has been made out of durable materials, it can be operated within a temperature range between -32 and +50 degrees centigrade. It is reliable and stealthy. A single battery set makes it possible for the user to continuously operate the radar for 10 to 12 hours.

US-made AN/PPS-5C MSTAR have been used in certain quantities by the Polish Armed Forces so far. Other systems, also available in minor quantities, have been integrated on vehicles - here we are referring to the SR Hawk radars integrated on the BWR vehicles (similar systems will be supplied for Rosomak Artillery Reconnaisance Vehicles) and Pro Patria radars on the Rosomak WSRiD (Multi-sensor Reconnaissance and Command System) recce platforms.