M3R AESA technology for extended air defence

This focuses on the M3R Active Electronically Steered Antenna (AESA) System and will describe how this AESA is a step toward a fully digitized antenna with a receiver and an A/D-converter behind every antenna element and a full digital beam forming without using analogue sub arrays. First, it will be explained why Extended Air Defence (that is Air and Missile Defence) requires a multi-function, multi-beam radar technology: then M3R radar will be described and the M3R innovative antenna concept implemented in the M3R programme to the Thales Building Block Product Policy. The final part shows how M3R antenna architecture is a step towards fully digital radar and multi-static operating mode.