LIMOURS, France –
Ukraine’s defense minister said on Wednesday that Ukrainian lives would be saved by a sophisticated air defense radar that France is providing and powerful enough to detect incoming missiles and detonate drones. driving in the sky over the capital of Ukraine and its surroundings.
Minister Oleksii Reznikov was so excited about what he called Ukraine’s new “electronic eyes” that he quickly nicknamed the Ground Master 200 radar – “Grand Master”.
Speaking through an interpreter at the radar handover ceremony with his French counterpart, Reznikov described the French-made GM200 as a “very effective” improvement to Ukraine’s network of about 300 different types of air defense radars.
Thales, the manufacturer, says the radar detects and tracks missiles, shells and mortars, missiles, aircraft, drones and other threats.
“Thanks to your support, Ukrainian lives will be saved,” the minister said at the ceremony in Limours, where Thales manufactures the equipment.
“This radar will be the cherry on the cake,” he added. “That’s why it will be called ‘Grand Master.”‘
France’s Defense Minister, Sebastien Lecornu, said the GM200’s 250 km (155 mi) range would allow it to observe the skies above Kiev and the area around the Ukrainian capital, though it’s unclear if that’s where the force is. Ukraine intends to deploy it or not. .
Radar can be transported on a truck. Thales says it can be deployed in 15 minutes and moved to another location in 10 minutes, making it a harder target to hit.
The minister was presented with a small radar model at the ceremony and brandished it with a grin on his head.
