The South African Government has deployed a Thutlwa radar system ESR 220 at Juba Airport to provide radar coverage for the South African Air Force (SAAF).

The system, built by Reutech Radar Systems (RRS), will provide radar coverage for the airfield and the necessary airspace control for the SAAF.

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) Air Defence Artillery Formation deployment formed part of South Africa’s military contingent to South Sudan.

The ESR 220 system, which was declared operational the same day, is a highly mobile solid state L-band 2D surveillance radar designed to provide early warning to mechanised troops in the battlefield.

A fully autonomous armoured system with self-contained power plant packaged on a single vehicle, the system provides a combined air picture derived from primary radar and identification friend or foe (IFF), and a command and control system for effective air defence control operation.