Location of weapon systems, registration and adjustment of friendly firings, creation of battlefield data and communication with battle forces - COBRA is a sigularly effective force on the battlefield, performing rapidly and accurately.

COBRA (COunter Battery RAdar) is a cooperative long-range battlefield radar programme between Germany and France. COBRA radar systems are in service since 2005 and deliveries were completed in 2007. An In-Service Support contract with ESG, initiated in 2013 and renewed at the end of 2022, covers all COBRA ISS related activities until the end of 2025. Furthermore, a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the NATO Support and Procurement Organisation (NSPO) for a range of logistic support services is in place. The OCCAR-EA COBRA Programme Division manages the In-Service Support Phase. Further system improvements including obsolescence rectifications (Mid-Life Update) started in 2019 to extend the life cycle of the systems.

COBRA is considered the world's most advanced land based weapon locating system, comprising a high performance radar, advanced processing and an integrated, flexible command, control and communication system. The design includes state-of-the-art digital processing and an advanced active, solid-state phased array antenna comprising several thousand transmit/receive modules.

The COBRA mission is to locate mortars, rocket launchers and artillery batteries and to provide information for countering their effectiveness. With a detection range up to 100 km COBRA is capable of locating and classifying up to 40 batteries in two minutes. It will also be able to monitor breaches of cease-fire when deployed in a peace-keeping role.

Figure 2: DE COBRA System during military exercise (©Bundeswehr/Maximilian Schulz)

Figure 3: DE COBRA System during military exercise (©Bundeswehr/Maximilian Schulz)

COBRA Participating States