France Thales Group
Ground Master 400 (GM400)
Fully digital AESA long-range 3D air-defense radar operating in S-band, providing detection out to roughly 470 to 515 km depending on variant.
In service since 2007
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
French export-licensed
CIEEMG inter-ministerial approval; broadly export-oriented.
Channel: DGA / direct commercial
Fielded & proven
Operator data not public
In service since 2007. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Competitive field
43 comparable systems from 25 other manufacturers
Counted in the WeaponSpecs database: systems in its class built by another manufacturer. A count of what this catalog holds, not a survey of the whole market. See the alternatives →
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
| Engagement range Maximum distance at which an air-defense system can intercept targets. Higher covers more airspace. | 470 km |
|---|---|
| Engagement altitude Maximum target altitude the system can reach. | 30,500 m |
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity. | 4 |
|---|
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
| Radar Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art. | Digital 3D AESA, S-band |
|---|
Specifications compiled from public Thales Group and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-04.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
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Boeing E-3 Sentry (AWACS) Frequently asked questions
What is the engagement range of the Thales Group Ground Master 400 (GM400)? +
The Thales Group Ground Master 400 (GM400) has a maximum engagement range of 470 km.
How many crew does the Thales Group Ground Master 400 (GM400) require? +
The Thales Group Ground Master 400 (GM400) requires a crew of 4.
