First French-Made GM 403 Long-Range Radar Enters Service With Iraqi Army (Video)

Screen grab from footage released by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense.

On September 11, the Iraqi military activated the first of several Ground Master 403 radars it recently purchased from France.

The GM 403 is a fully digital active electronically scanned array long-range air defense 3D radar, that offers detection from very high to very low altitudes. It tracks a wide range of targets from highly maneuverable tactical aircraft flying at low altitudes to the unconventional small radar-cross-section devices, such as drones or cruise missiles.

The Iraqi military’s first GM 403 was deployed in Ayn Al Asad Airbase in the province of al-Anbar. From there, the advanced radar, which has a maximum range of more than 450 kilometers, will cover most of the country’s western region.

The radar was activated during a ceremony that was attended by Chief of the General Staff of the Iraqi Armed Forces General Abdel Emir Rashid Yarallah and French Ambassador to Iraq Éric Chevalier.

In 2020, French sources reported that Iraq purchased four GM 403 radar systems from France’s defense giant Thales. However, a year later Iraqi military officials revealed that six such systems were bought.

Iraq has been working to strengthen its air defense for a few years now. Currently, the country’s air defense network is mainly made up of short-range systems, like the Russian-made Pantsir-S and the US-made TWQ-1 Avenger.

With a strong and an independent air defense network, Iraq will rely less on the protection of the US. The Iraqi airspace has been under the de-facto control of the US and its NATO allies since the beginning of the anti-ISIS campaign in 2014. The terrorist group was defeated years ago, but the campaign is yet to end.

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