The Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation (OCCAR) has awarded Hensoldt a new in-service support contract for the COBRA counter-battery radar system, acting on behalf of France and Germany. The three-year deal covers the 2026–2028 period and is being finalized ahead of the current agreement’s expiry on 31 December 2025. This ensures both countries will continue to receive uninterrupted engineering and sustainment services for the critical battlefield surveillance asset.
Under the renewed contract, Hensoldt will retain its role as the system design authority and oversee a wide range of key support activities. These include configuration and technical incident management, on-site maintenance, quality assurance, safety oversight, IT security, and logistical documentation. The company highlighted that obsolescence management and remediation will receive particular focus to maintain performance and readiness as system components age.
COBRA—originally co-developed in the 1990s by Thales, Airbus Defence and Space, and Lockheed Martin—remains one of the most advanced land-based weapon-locating radars in service. Initially delivered between 2005 and 2007, it has undergone multiple support agreements, including one with ESG in 2013, which was renewed in 2022. ESG became part of Hensoldt following its acquisition in 2024, consolidating expertise under a single defense technology provider.
Equipped with high-performance radar capabilities, sophisticated data processing, and a fully integrated C3 suite, COBRA is designed to rapidly detect, track, and classify hostile artillery systems. It can pinpoint up to 40 enemy batteries within two minutes and assist with friendly artillery adjustments. An available enhancement package boosts its detection range to 100 kilometers, adds a secondary search layer, and includes automatic sandstorm filtering, enabling reliable performance in harsh operational environments.
