On Wednesday, July 9, 2025, the Polish State Treasury – Armament Agency and the Polish-Israeli consortium KenBIT and ELTA Systems signed a contract worth approximately 430 million PLN gross for the delivery of 18 sets of 3D coastal radars for surface and low-flying target surveillance, based on the ELM-2238X STAR-X radar. Deliveries are scheduled for the years 2027–2030.
Photos: Armaments Agency
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated:
“Today, we signed a contract for a radar system that will be deployed along the Polish coast to provide situational awareness of activity at sea and in the air. With Sweden and Finland joining NATO, the Baltic Sea has effectively become an internal sea of the Alliance. The actions of the Russian Federation—violations of airspace, severing undersea cables, GPS jamming—all underscore the need to secure Poland’s coastline thoroughly and to safeguard communication and transport routes, as well as critical infrastructure.”
“Thanks to the outstanding efforts of our soldiers and staff, we were able to sign this contract for 18 radar stations, which will secure the entire Polish coast. This system will also integrate with the ‘Eastern Shield’ and cover areas along the border with the Kaliningrad Oblast, thus reinforcing our broader plan to build Poland’s national security at the highest level. I want to thank everyone who contributed to this success, including our partners at ELTA Systems and KenBIT. This is also an investment in Polish technological innovation,” he emphasized.
Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Defence, Paweł Bejda, added:
“Today marks a significant step forward in strengthening the defense of Polish airspace and our coastline. (…) We are well aware that the Baltic Sea region is currently at the center of the Russian Federation’s hybrid warfare activities. Therefore, every effort to bolster our coastal defenses and the security of the Baltic is also a contribution to the NATO alliance, of which we are a proud member. I believe this is a meaningful way to fulfill our commitments. As the Republic of Poland, we are a full and reliable participant in NATO—an alliance of peace and defense—and we continue to meet our obligations in an exemplary manner.”
The newly acquired 3D coastal radars for surface and low-flying target surveillance will enable simultaneous detection, identification, and tracking of multiple objects in the coastal zone.
The purchase of 18 radars will provide full coverage of the Polish coastline, enabling precise localization of multiple surface vessels in the southern part of the Baltic Sea, as well as the direction, bearing, and altitude of low-flying helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, aircraft, and missiles operating within the radar’s range.
On July 2 of this year, the Armament Agency announced the selection of the most advantageous bid as part of a restricted tender procedure launched on June 6, 2024.
The contracting authority selected the offer submitted by a consortium consisting of the Polish company KenBIT, based in Warsaw, and the Israeli company ELTA Systems, based in Ashdod and part of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The offer received a total of 100 points, 70 points for price and 30 points for warranty period. It was the only bid that met the tender requirements and was not subject to rejection.
According to the contracting authority, the radar systems must be capable of:
- providing data in NMEA 0183 format via RS-232 interface and over Ethernet,
- providing data in ASTERIX and AWCIES formats over Ethernet,
- integrating with an Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system compliant with Mark XIIA with Mode S standard.
The new radars are expected to be deployed by the Polish Navy, which currently operates fixed radar observation posts equipped with NUR-23 early warning radars and BridgeMaster navigation radars. The Navy has also supported the Automated Radar Surveillance System (ZSRN) for Poland’s maritime areas, launched in 2014. The ZSRN is currently composed of Terma Scanter 2001FD radars, used by the Polish Border Guard.
Image: ELTA Systems
Description
According to ELTA Systems, the ELM-2238X STAR-X radars are compact systems originally designed for offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) and smaller naval platforms. They operate in the X-band and utilize AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) antenna technology based on gallium nitride (GaN), enabling simultaneous 3D scanning of airspace and the sea surface.
The radar is designed to detect and track aerial targets (such as aircraft, helicopters, drones, and low-RCS missiles) as well as surface targets, supporting missions including counter-terrorism, anti-smuggling, anti-piracy, search and rescue, and combat operations in open seas.
The maximum instrumental range is 150 km, with the capability to detect low-flying targets (e.g., missiles) at distances exceeding 25 km, as well as aircraft flying at altitudes above 60 km. The system offers high-resolution tracking of more than 1,000 targets simultaneously, supporting air defense systems. It employs advanced algorithms to distinguish targets in challenging electromagnetic environments and under jamming conditions.
The radar’s antenna weighs less than 350 kg and features electronic stabilization for shipborne applications, compensating for vessel motion of up to 20° in pitch and roll. It supports various antenna rotation speeds (6, 15, 30, 60 rpm), and can be easily integrated with Combat Management Systems (CMS) and air defense systems, offering three fire-control channels to support artillery operations.
‼️@AgencjaUzbr podpisała dziś umowę z Konsorcjum: KenBIT Sp. z o.o. i ELTA SYSTEMS LTD. na dostawę 18 brzegowych radarów obserwacji nawodnej i celów niskolecących! 🇵🇱 Izraelskie radary ELM-2238X STAR-X znacząco wzmocnią nasze zdolności obronne. 🚀 @MON_GOV_PL @Polska_Zbrojna pic.twitter.com/lUXIhDmxKy
— Paweł Bejda (@pawelbejda) July 9, 2025
Wzmacniamy bezpieczeństwo na niebie i na Morzu Bałtyckim
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9 lipca 2025 r., w @AgencjaUzbr, w obecności wicepremiera W. @KosiniakKamysz i sekretarza stanu w MON @pawelbejda została podpisana umowa na dostawę brzegowych radarów obserwacji nawodnej i celów niskolecących.— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) July 9, 2025
Umowa na zakup 18 brzegowych radarów obserwacji nawodnej dla #WojskoPolskie podpisana. Monitorując działania Federacji Rosyjskiej w przestrzeni powietrznej i na Bałtyku musimy korzystać ze wszystkich dostępnych narzędzi, dzięki którym będziemy mogli im zapobiegać. Inwestujemy w… pic.twitter.com/1M9KikXs7W
— Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (@KosiniakKamysz) July 9, 2025