OVERVIEW
Modern naval forces must operate in increasingly congested and contested maritime environments, where new aerial and missile threats evolve rapidly, including highly maneuverable anti-ship missiles, tactical ballistic missiles, UAV swarms, and stealthy low radar cross-section (RCS) platforms. Navies need a combat-proven, multi-function radar that provides both persistent situational awareness and direct weapon support, scalable across ship classes from corvettes to large surface combatants, ensuring vessels are protected against coordinated, high-speed, multi-domain attacks.
Advanced Multi-Function Radar
IAI ELTA’s MF-STAR (ELM-2248) is a digital AESA multi-function radar designed to meet these challenges. The radar employs four scalable S-band active phased array faces, providing 360° coverage with high precision and responsiveness. By combining multi-beam operation, pulse Doppler techniques, and advanced ECCM, MF-STAR can reliably detect and track low-RCS targets even in complex electromagnetic and cluttered environments.
HIGHLIGHTS
- 4 scalable S-band AESA faces
- Configurable for corvettes, frigates, and aircraft carriers
- Instantaneous multi-beam and pulse Doppler processing
- Fast threat alert response time
- Very high tracking update rate and accuracy for priority targets
- Short search frame and Track-While-Scan revisit times
- Mid-course guidance for active and semi-active air defence missiles
- Pre-integrated with Barak air defence missile system
- Illuminator support for semi-active missile engagements
- Automatic splash detection and gunnery support
- Advanced ECCM for operation in dense, jamming environments
- Software-defined radar modes, adaptable to evolving threats
- Combat-proven system, already operational in Israeli Navy vessels
Values & Benefits
Each transmit/receive (T/R) module delivers digital outputs that enable software-only adaptive beamforming and operational mode variations, effectively making MF-STAR a software-defined radar. Its modular design allows configurations for corvettes, frigates, and larger ships, with scalable panel sizes. The system seamlessly integrates with combat management systems, IFF solutions, and weapon systems, while offering built-in support for missile guidance, illumination, and gunnery control.
By providing a fast and highly accurate situational awareness picture, as well as reliable support to shipborne weapon systems, MF-STAR ensures that naval forces stay ahead in modern combat. Its rapid update rates and multi-function design allow commanders to detect, classify, and respond to simultaneous air and surface threats within seconds.
Combat-proven and operational on Israel Navy flagship vessels and those of foreign navies, MF-STAR demonstrates reliable performance in real-world conditions. Pre-integrated with the IAI Barak missile system, its scalable architecture, software-defined versatility, and high system reliability provide navies with a future-proof radar solution capable of handling today’s and tomorrow’s most complex maritime threats.
