The S-boats of class 148 ("Tiger"-class, La Combattante II) were equipped with the  air and surfacecontrol radar of the French company Thomson CSF. The radars operated in X-band (NATO: I-band).

Mast of a S-Boat Class 148 until the early 90es - Picture: Archives K. Scheuch

Urged by the German Navy the TRITON radar was developed further to TRITON G and made more ECM-resistant. It could detect targets at a range of 19 nm automatically and was able to track up to 32 tracks simultaneously. The tracks were displayed on the multipurpose display console (Mehrzweck-Darstellungskonsole, MDK). They could be used for engagements with the missiles MM 38 Exocet. The radar was installed together with the CASTOR firecontrol radar in the early 90es.

POLLUX-Firecontrol Radar

At their commissioning the boats of class 148 were equipped with the firecontrol POLLUX of company Thomson CSF. It operated in X-band (NATO: I-band). It served to control both guns. Since it not was jamresistant against enemy ECM-measures it was exchanged in the early 90es by the firecontrol radar of company Thomson CSF CASTOR.

CASTOR-Firecontriol Radar

The firecontrol radar CASTOR developed by company Thomson CSF which relieved the POLLUX firecontrol radar in the early 90es was clearly less jamable by ECM-measures and could detect and track fighters at a range of 25 nm automatically. An integrated TV-camera enhanced target-detection and -tracking. The radar operated in X-band (NATO: I-band) and could also be used for tracking of surface targets. 

Mast of a S-Boat Class 148 after Retrofitting - Piture: Archives K. Scheuch

Navigation Radar SMA 3 TRM 20

The navigation radar of the Italian company Signalamento Maritimo ed Aereo (SMA) was replaced in the course of the TRITON G retrofit from the mast to a to-leg supporting beam in the forefront of the bridgehouse in order to render space for the ECM-pot of the OCTOPUS-system. It operated in the X-band (NATO: I-band). It had a slot-antenna and permitted detection of targets up to a hight-angle of 26 degrees.

Antenna Navigation-Radar SMA 3 RM 20 - Picture: Radartutorial

Opws-Room of a S-Boat Class 148 - Picture: Martin Rode

In the middle of the Ops-room the multipurpose display console (Mehrzweck-Darstellungskonsole, MDK) - in the above picture with the orange display - was situated, on which the data from the TRITON G, the left hand biger display, and the tracks received from Link 11 were displayed. The guns could be directed from the artillery-command-system (Artillerie-Kommando-Gerät, AKG), the right hand smaller display.

WM-27

The boats of classes 143 and 143 A were equipped with the firecontrol system WM-27 of the Netherlands  company Hollandse Signaalapparaten (HSA), which as the WM-20 combined a search- and a firecontrol radar  in a antennasystem (Combined Antenna System, CAS) and the IFF-system in an eggshaped radom. The radars operated in the X-band (NATO: I-band). .

On the boats of class 143 it was used for firecontrol of surface-to-surface missiles MM 38 Exocet, the two 76mm-guns OTO Melara, and the torpedoes DM 2 A 1 "Seal".

Cut through a Radom of a WM-27 - Picture: From Radartutorial

Radom and Mast of a S-Boat Class 143 - Picture: Archives K. Scheuch

Mast S64 "Sperber" after Retrofit with Octopus - Picture: Archives K. Scheuch

The targets tracked by the searchradar and the tracks received from Link 11 were displayed on the tactical display horizontal  (Taktischer Bildschirm Horizontal, TBH). The commanding officer or the weapon-control-officer could allocate the tracks for engagement by the artillery-command-console (Artillerie an das Artillerie-Kommandogerät, AKG), for engagement by the surface-to surface-missile system MM 38 Exocet by the missile control pannel (Flugkörperkommandogerät, FKKG), and for engagement with torpedoes DM 2 A 1 "Seal" by the torpedo-command-consoles (Torpedokommandogeräte, TKGs).

Test of AGIS 143 at KdoMFüSys - Picture: Bildstelle der Marine

Since the boats of class 143 A did not have torpedoes at their disposal, in the ops-room only the TBH, the AKG, and the TKKG were available. After retrofitting the boats with multi-sensor-platform (Multi-Sensor Plattform, MSP-500) of company Rheinmetell and the control-unit for the RAM-missiles (Missile Control Unit, MCU) were available.

Ops-Room of an S-Boat Class 143 - Picture: O. Rahardt

AKG, FKKG, and MSP-500 on S-71 "Gepard" - Picture: U. Skrzypski

Part of an Ops-Room S-Boat Class 143 A - Picture: U. Skrzypski

Mast, WM-27, MSP-500, and Fl 1800 II on a S-Boat Class 143 A - Picture: Archives K. Scheuch

Multi Sensor Plattform (MS-500)

The Multi-Sensor-Plattform MSP-500 of company Rheinmetall is a highly precise electro-optical system, which discovers, tracks and identifies surface- air-, and landtargets at long range during day and nigth also under difficult weatherconditions. It is stabilized and can track targets automatically and can be used for firecontrol of  guns.

The sensor package of MSP-500 consists of a thermal-picture camera, a daylight camera, a laser distancemeter, and a videotracker.

MSP-500 on the Roof of the Bridgehouse an a S-Boat Class 143 A - Picture: K. Scheuch

MSP-500 with opened Visor - Picture: Archives K. Scheuch

Identifikation Freund - Feind (IFF)

Identification Friend-Foe, IFF) is an electronic system which with interrrogation and transponder permits identification of a detected object. It is used to distinguish between friendly and hostile forces.

The system interrogates air and surface tracks with a NATO-identical code and receives the coded answer of the track. In case of a positive answer the track shows an indication on the PPI of the interrogating unit, which identifies the track as friendly.

In AGIS the target is thereupon marked as friendly by the operator and if the track is released for Link 11-transmission, all participating units (PUs) in the net are informed accordingly.