Spain extends Swedish Saab Arthur radar fleet under $57 Million NATO modernization contract
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Spain will modernize its Arthur artillery locating radars under a $57 million contract managed by NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency. The Saab-led upgrade boosts range, precision, and survivability, reinforcing Spain’s counter-battery capabilities within NATO’s integrated defense network.
The Swedish defense company Saab announced on October 20, 2025, that the Spanish Army will extend the service life of its Arthur artillery locating radars under a $57 million contract placed through NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency. Saab says the modernization brings “high operational mobility and precise counter-battery operation,” with more targets detected at longer ranges and a reduced electronic signature. The firm notes it is the first time one of its radar orders has been routed via NSPA, underscoring a shift to pooled European purchasing for time-critical capabilities. The Arthur system provides early warning of incoming fire and enables rapid counter-battery missions, a mission set that has only grown more urgent in recent conflicts.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The Saab Arthur radar provides mobile, high-precision detection of enemy artillery, rockets, and mortars. Operating in the C-band with an electronically scanned array, it locates firing positions up to 50 km away, enabling rapid counter-battery response and enhanced battlefield survivability for frontline units (Picture source: Saab).
Arthur is a mobile weapon locating radar built around a passive electronically scanned array operating in the C-band, designed to calculate the origin and impact points of hostile guns, mortars, and rockets from a handful of trajectory plots. In typical configurations, the radar electronically scans a wide sector in azimuth and elevation, tracking up to about 100 rounds per minute, then pushes firing data to command systems for immediate tasking. Depending on variant, Arthur has documented detection envelopes reaching roughly 31 km for tube artillery and beyond 50 km for heavy rockets, with accuracy measured in fractions of a percent of range.
While Saab did not list component-level changes, the company frames the Spanish package as a life-time extension that folds in modern processing, improved precision, and lower emissions management. That combination typically translates into faster track initiation, better performance against low-signature mortar rounds, and more resilient operation in contested electromagnetic environments. Crucially, Saab emphasizes that the upgrade raises the number of targets that can be located at greater ranges while shrinking the radar’s own signature, a trade that helps survivability against counter-radar threats.
For Spain’s artillery, the operational payoff is immediate. Refreshed Arthur sensors tighten the sensor-to-shooter loop, giving fire direction centers near-real-time origin grids to prosecute enemy batteries before they displace. Early warning allows dispersed units to take cover or reposition, and the system’s mobility supports shoot-and-scoot radar tactics that complicate hostile electronic surveillance. Because Arthur categorizes the threat type from trajectory and velocity, Spanish commanders can tailor counter-fire, pairing precision munitions against high-value rocket launchers while conserving stocks for lower-priority mortar teams. Integration through NATO networks further widens the kill-chain options by cueing allied fires when Spanish guns are masked or out of range.
The contract also clarifies Saab’s role: prime integrator and original equipment manufacturer delivering the life-extension kit, software and hardware refresh, and associated support, contracted via NSPA on behalf of Spain’s procurement authorities. Saab’s positioning here mirrors broader European demand for counter-battery and multi-mission sensors, with the company simultaneously fielding newer Arthur Mod D systems to allies such as the United Kingdom, where the radar entered service in 2024 under the name Taipan. That trajectory, paired with Spain’s decision to modernize rather than replace, suggests a pragmatic path to preserve a proven capability while Europe ramps industry output for higher-end multi-function arrays.
The move fits a European rearmament cycle driven by the battlefield primacy of artillery in Ukraine and the premium on counter-battery survivability. NSPA-mediated buys compress timelines and spread risk, enabling allies to harden ground forces against saturation rocket fire and precision-guided shells without waiting for clean-sheet sensors. Spain’s upgrade keeps it aligned with NATO’s emphasis on resilient C4ISR and deep-fires integration, while signaling continued investment in land-domain deterrence on the Alliance’s southern flank.
Written by Evan Lerouvillois, Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group.
Evan studied International Relations, and quickly specialized in defense and security. He is particularly interested in the influence of the defense sector on global geopolitics, and analyzes how technological innovations in defense, arms export contracts, and military strategies influence the international geopolitical scene.
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Spain will modernize its Arthur artillery locating radars under a $57 million contract managed by NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency. The Saab-led upgrade boosts range, precision, and survivability, reinforcing Spain’s counter-battery capabilities within NATO’s integrated defense network.
The Swedish defense company Saab announced on October 20, 2025, that the Spanish Army will extend the service life of its Arthur artillery locating radars under a $57 million contract placed through NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency. Saab says the modernization brings “high operational mobility and precise counter-battery operation,” with more targets detected at longer ranges and a reduced electronic signature. The firm notes it is the first time one of its radar orders has been routed via NSPA, underscoring a shift to pooled European purchasing for time-critical capabilities. The Arthur system provides early warning of incoming fire and enables rapid counter-battery missions, a mission set that has only grown more urgent in recent conflicts.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The Saab Arthur radar provides mobile, high-precision detection of enemy artillery, rockets, and mortars. Operating in the C-band with an electronically scanned array, it locates firing positions up to 50 km away, enabling rapid counter-battery response and enhanced battlefield survivability for frontline units (Picture source: Saab).
Arthur is a mobile weapon locating radar built around a passive electronically scanned array operating in the C-band, designed to calculate the origin and impact points of hostile guns, mortars, and rockets from a handful of trajectory plots. In typical configurations, the radar electronically scans a wide sector in azimuth and elevation, tracking up to about 100 rounds per minute, then pushes firing data to command systems for immediate tasking. Depending on variant, Arthur has documented detection envelopes reaching roughly 31 km for tube artillery and beyond 50 km for heavy rockets, with accuracy measured in fractions of a percent of range.
While Saab did not list component-level changes, the company frames the Spanish package as a life-time extension that folds in modern processing, improved precision, and lower emissions management. That combination typically translates into faster track initiation, better performance against low-signature mortar rounds, and more resilient operation in contested electromagnetic environments. Crucially, Saab emphasizes that the upgrade raises the number of targets that can be located at greater ranges while shrinking the radar’s own signature, a trade that helps survivability against counter-radar threats.
For Spain’s artillery, the operational payoff is immediate. Refreshed Arthur sensors tighten the sensor-to-shooter loop, giving fire direction centers near-real-time origin grids to prosecute enemy batteries before they displace. Early warning allows dispersed units to take cover or reposition, and the system’s mobility supports shoot-and-scoot radar tactics that complicate hostile electronic surveillance. Because Arthur categorizes the threat type from trajectory and velocity, Spanish commanders can tailor counter-fire, pairing precision munitions against high-value rocket launchers while conserving stocks for lower-priority mortar teams. Integration through NATO networks further widens the kill-chain options by cueing allied fires when Spanish guns are masked or out of range.
The contract also clarifies Saab’s role: prime integrator and original equipment manufacturer delivering the life-extension kit, software and hardware refresh, and associated support, contracted via NSPA on behalf of Spain’s procurement authorities. Saab’s positioning here mirrors broader European demand for counter-battery and multi-mission sensors, with the company simultaneously fielding newer Arthur Mod D systems to allies such as the United Kingdom, where the radar entered service in 2024 under the name Taipan. That trajectory, paired with Spain’s decision to modernize rather than replace, suggests a pragmatic path to preserve a proven capability while Europe ramps industry output for higher-end multi-function arrays.
The move fits a European rearmament cycle driven by the battlefield primacy of artillery in Ukraine and the premium on counter-battery survivability. NSPA-mediated buys compress timelines and spread risk, enabling allies to harden ground forces against saturation rocket fire and precision-guided shells without waiting for clean-sheet sensors. Spain’s upgrade keeps it aligned with NATO’s emphasis on resilient C4ISR and deep-fires integration, while signaling continued investment in land-domain deterrence on the Alliance’s southern flank.
Written by Evan Lerouvillois, Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group.
Evan studied International Relations, and quickly specialized in defense and security. He is particularly interested in the influence of the defense sector on global geopolitics, and analyzes how technological innovations in defense, arms export contracts, and military strategies influence the international geopolitical scene.
