A recently released video from Thales Nederland shows the Royal Netherlands Army testing an important new military capability. During an exercise, a PULS rocket artillery system fires a rocket, while a mobile ground radar tracks the projectile in flight. The aim of this test is not operational, but analytical: to investigate how quickly and accurately a radar can detect a rocket launch and trace it back to the launch position.
This is explicitly a test and exercise situation. Systems, procedures and cooperation are still being tried out. Yet the demonstration clearly shows which direction the army is taking in developing modern sensor and fire support chains.
Determining the enemy’s location.
As soon as the rocket is fired, the radar picks up the object almost immediately. By following the rocket’s trajectory, the system can calculate back where the launch took place. This method is known as weapon locating and forms the basis of so-called counter-battery operations.
In a real combat situation, this information would be used to quickly locate and then take out enemy artillery or rocket systems. Modern conflicts show that artillery units may only be visible briefly: whoever stays in the same place too long risks being hit within minutes by counter-fire or precision weapons.
That the Royal Netherlands Army is now actively testing this capability with its own systems underlines how important speed and information have become on today’s battlefield.
The radar: GM200 MM/C
In the Netherlands we now have several companies that can supply radars. Robin Radar supplies systems for short range, and Thales for long to very long ranges.
The radar used in the video is Thales’s GM200 MM/C (Multi Mission / Compact). This is a modern, mobile 4D AESA radar specially developed for tactical use by land forces. The system can detect and track different types of threats at the same time, including aircraft, helicopters, drones, but also rockets, artillery shells and mortars.
For the Royal Netherlands Army, the GM200 MM/C is intended as a versatile sensor that supports both air defence and artillery and fire support. The radar is mounted on a truck, quick to deploy and designed to function in environments where electronic warfare and GPS jamming play a role.
The Netherlands has ordered a total of 26 GM200 MM/C radars. These are being introduced in phases and replace older systems, while adding new capabilities at the same time. The radars can share information within national command networks and with NATO partners, making them an important part of the broader defensive infrastructure.
What can the GM200 MM/C do?
The strength of the GM200 MM/C lies in its versatility. The radar provides short- to medium-range air surveillance, detects small and fast targets such as drones and can also track ballistic objects in flight. This makes it usable for both air defence (V/SHORAD and MRAD) and weapon locating tasks in support of artillery and rocket artillery.
Image: Dutch Ministry of Defence
The PULS rocket artillery system
The PULS system (Precise & Universal Launching System) is the new rocket artillery system of the Royal Netherlands Army. It is a modular and mobile launch system developed to fire different types of rockets, with a range of reaches and levels of precision. With it, the Netherlands once again has its own rocket artillery capability after many years.
The Netherlands has ordered 20 PULS launch systems. These will be divided among operational units and training capacity and fully introduced over the coming years. The system is designed for rapid deployment: after firing, a PULS unit can move quickly, which is essential in an environment where opponents have advanced sensors.
For PULS, the Netherlands has ordered or planned several types of rockets, including:
- Accular 122 mm rockets for precision fire at short to medium range
- Accular 160 mm rockets with greater range and high accuracy
- EXTRA 306 mm rockets with a range of up to about 150 kilometres, intended for precision strikes at greater distance
The system is also technically suitable for even heavier missiles, such as the Predator Hawk with a range of up to about 300 kilometres; the Netherlands has ordered a few of these for training purposes. Its modular design makes PULS flexible and future-proof.
In the exercise with the GM200 MM/C, the PULS system serves mainly as a reference point for the sensor analysis. Not to show what it can destroy, but to gain insight into how visible a rocket launch is to modern radars.
A transparent battlefield
The exercise highlights an important reality of today’s warfare: the battlefield is becoming ever more transparent. Every rocket launch leaves a clear trace, and sensors such as the GM200 MM/C considerably shorten the time between firing and counter-reaction.
For the Royal Netherlands Army, this means investments in firepower must go hand in hand with investments in sensors, networks and fast decision-making. The Thales video shows that the Netherlands is actively testing and further developing this coherence.
Although this is still an exercise, the demonstration makes clear what future combat operations may look like: a close interplay of sensors and weapons, in which speed, mobility and information are decisive.
