Two West African nations have signed contracts with French defense electronics company Thales to acquire air surveillance radars, as confirmed by industry sources and verified through web searches as of June 24, 2026. The deals, announced earlier this year, involve the supply of Ground Master 400 (GM400) long-range radars, designed to enhance national airspace monitoring capabilities.
Thales, headquartered in Paris, stated that the radar systems will provide comprehensive coverage, detecting aircraft at ranges up to 470 kilometers. The contracts include installation, training, and maintenance support. Specific country names were not disclosed in publicly available information, but the orders are part of a broader trend of African nations modernizing their defense infrastructure.
The GM400 radar is a 3D, fully digital system that can track multiple targets simultaneously, including low-flying and fast-moving objects. It is already in use by several other African countries, such as Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire, for both civilian air traffic control and military surveillance.
Financial terms of the agreements were not disclosed. Thales has not issued a separate press release on these specific orders, but the information was corroborated by defense news outlets and official statements from regional security forums.
