Sachsen, De Zeven Provinciën, Horizon, and Daring-class ships share a recognizable radar lineage. The British S1850M is a member of the SMART-L family developed by Thales in the Netherlands. It provides the long-range L-band search picture while another radar handles target acquisition and engagement. Its view is limited by the curvature of the Earth, but its performance helps explain why the Royal Navy retained it. The same S1850M appears on the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers, paired there with the Type 997 Artisan 3D radar. One suggested procurement explanation is that the carrier sets took advantage of an existing radar order, with additional frigate radars ordered alongside them.
Notable Point · 22:56-25:49
S1850M gives European air-defense ships their distant view
The Type 45's S1850M belongs to the Smart-L family used across European air-defense ships and supplies the long-range search picture behind the fleet-defense mission.