SERPENS: The Radar That Finds the Guns Before They Fire Again

Overview

If the conflict in Ukraine has taught Defence planners anything, it is that artillery remains the primary killer on the modern battlefield. Locating hostile guns, mortars and rocket launchers — and directing counter-battery fire onto them before they can displace and fire again — is not a theoretical requirement. It is the difference between surviving and being destroyed. SERPENS is the British Army’s programme to deliver that capability, replacing ageing legacy systems with a next-generation weapon locating radar that also contributes to the air surveillance picture.

SERPENS — Surveillance & Extended Range Persistent Electromagnetic & Navigation Sensor — delivers weapon locating radar capability to replace the legacy Artillery Sound Ranging systems. The programme has selected the Thales GM200 Multi-Mission Radar, which provides simultaneous weapon location and air surveillance using active electronically scanned array (AESA) technology. The GM200 detects, tracks and locates hostile artillery, mortars and rockets whilst simultaneously contributing to the air picture. Its AESA technology enables rapid beam steering and multi-target tracking, allowing the radar to perform both missions concurrently without compromise.

The radars are mounted on MAN truck platforms for tactical mobility, enabling them to operate within the manoeuvre area, detect hostile fire, calculate the origin of that fire and pass targeting data to counter-battery systems for rapid response. The programme is valued at approximately £400 million and is currently in delivery, with initial operating capability expected in the late 2020s.

Strategic Purpose and Objectives

Finding the Enemy’s Guns and Protecting the Airspace

Counter-battery capability is fundamental to land operations. Hostile artillery is the primary casualty producer on the modern battlefield, and the ability to locate and neutralise enemy fires is essential for freedom of manoeuvre. SERPENS addresses the key requirements of rapid location of hostile fire origins, integration with fires command and control systems for quick counter-battery response, air surveillance contribution to the wider air picture, and tactical mobility for survivability. The radar’s ability to perform weapon location and air surveillance simultaneously is a significant capability upgrade, giving commanders both a ground fires picture and an air picture from a single sensor.

The programme addresses a critical capability gap created by the retirement of legacy Artillery Sound Ranging systems. Ukraine has demonstrated starkly what happens when counter-battery capability is inadequate: artillery duels become attritional, forces suffer disproportionate casualties and freedom of manoeuvre is constrained. SERPENS ensures that the British Army has the weapon locating capability it needs for high-intensity conflict against a peer adversary.

SERPENS also supports the Deep Fires modernisation programme and the broader sensor-to-shooter network that the Army is building. By integrating with fires command and control systems, the GM200 radar feeds targeting data directly into the kill chain, reducing the time between detecting a hostile firing position and delivering counter-battery fire onto it. In an artillery contest, speed of response is everything, and SERPENS is designed to deliver it.

Budget and Financial Structure

Programme Value

The programme value is approximately £400 million, covering radar systems, vehicles, integration, training and initial support. Through-life sustainment represents additional investment beyond the initial procurement. The scale of this investment reflects both the sophistication of the GM200 radar and the breadth of the programme, which encompasses not just radar hardware but vehicle integration, communications interfaces, training systems and initial in-service support.

Budget Division and Holder

The British Army and Royal Artillery are the capability sponsors. DE&S manages contract administration. Defence Digital manages integration with command and control systems. Army Command holds the budget, with DE&S managing the contract with Thales for the GM200 radar systems.

Procurement and Acquisition

Acquisition Pipeline

The SERPENS contract has been awarded and delivery is in progress. Initial operating capability is expected in the late 2020s. The programme is integrated with the Deep Fires modernisation effort and the wider sensor-to-shooter network architecture.

Tender Information

Thales was selected for the SERPENS programme with the GM200 Multi-Mission Radar following a competitive procurement process. Contract details are available through the MOD Defence Sourcing Portal and Thales announcements.

Why It Matters

SERPENS matters because the artillery threat is real, current and growing. Ukraine has demonstrated that in high-intensity land warfare, artillery is the dominant weapon system. The ability to locate hostile guns and rockets, and to direct counter-battery fire onto them rapidly, is not a legacy Cold War requirement — it is the most urgent operational need facing land forces today. Without effective weapon location, an army in contact with a peer adversary suffers disproportionate casualties, loses freedom of manoeuvre and cedes the initiative.

The GM200’s dual-role capability — providing both weapon location and air surveillance from a single platform — also addresses the growing complexity of the modern battlespace. The air threat from drones, cruise missiles and tactical aircraft means that air surveillance is no longer the exclusive concern of dedicated air defence units. By contributing to the air picture whilst performing its primary weapon location mission, SERPENS gives commanders a richer, more complete understanding of the battlespace from a single sensor system.

For industry, SERPENS represents a £400 million programme with significant supply chain opportunities in radar systems, AESA technology, vehicle integration, command and control interfaces, communications systems, training and simulation, and through-life support. Thales’s position as prime contractor creates opportunities for UK-based suppliers across the radar, electronics and defence vehicle sectors. The programme’s integration with the wider Deep Fires and sensor-to-shooter ecosystem also creates demand for systems integration, data link and software capabilities.

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