State-owned electronics and radar systems developer China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) is showcasing its latest S-band phased array SLC-2E weapon locating radar (WLR) system at Thailand Defence & Security 2022.
The SLC-2E is developed by CETC’s Nanjing Research Institute of Electronics Technology (NRIET) business unit and is described by the company as a long-range multifunction WLR system.
In contrast to the earlier SLC-2 system, the 2E variant is not only designed to support counter-battery missions against hostile artillery, rockets, and surface-to-surface missile systems, but also detect airborne threats with a dedicated air defence mode. The company added: “[It] is applicable for various battlefield environments such as desert, mountain, plain, and in all weather conditions.”
The SLC-2E is equipped with a 2D digital phase scanning array antenna, and the company asserted that its solid-state transmitter and active phase array technology ensures “flexible control, quick response, and excellent ECCM [electronic counter-countermeasures] capability”.
A complete SLC-2E system is understood to comprise a control cabin with associated processing equipment, on-board power supply, and the radar transmitter. Designed for highly distributed operations, the system can be set up within eight minutes by a three-person crew and made road-mobile within five minutes.
In counter-battery mode, the SLC-2E system adopts a fixed position facing the direction of the threat with the antenna mechanically elevated from 0° to 90°. The radar is capable of electronically scanning a space that is +/- 45° in azimuth and 35° in elevation. The company claims that up to 10 targets can be located and tracked simultaneously.
As well as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the earlier SLC-2 WLR radar system is believed to be in service with the with the Royal Thai Army and the Bangladesh Army.
by Jr Ng
