The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation has signed a new in-service support contract with Hensoldt for the counter-battery radar (COBRA) system on behalf of France and Germany.
The three-year agreement, running from 2026 to 2028, is being concluded before the current contract expires on December 31, 2025, ensuring seamless delivery of core engineering services to both countries.
“As the system design authority, Hensoldt will continue to be responsible for the following core services: configuration management, technical incident management, technical support, on-site maintenance, logistical documentation, IT security management, quality assurance and safety, with a particular focus on obsolescence management and remediation,” according to Hensoldt.
COBRA Radar
The COBRA weapon-locating radar was jointly developed in the 1990s by Thales, Airbus Defence and Space, and Lockheed Martin for the French, British, and German armed forces.
Deliveries began in 2005 and were completed in 2007. An initial in-service support contract with ESG was signed in 2013 and renewed in 2022. ESG was subsequently acquired by Hensoldt in 2024.
Features
Considered one of the world’s most advanced land-based weapon-locating systems, COBRA features a high-performance radar, advanced processing capabilities, and an integrated, flexible command, control, and communications suite.
It provides rapid and precise location of enemy guns, rocket launchers, and mortars, and can also support the adjustment of friendly artillery fire.
COBRA can locate and classify up to 40 batteries within two minutes, while an enhancement package extends its detection range to up to 100 kilometers (62 miles), adds a second-layer search fence, and introduces automatic sandstorm filtering to improve performance in harsh environments.
