Coastal defense radars introduce different type of systems, which are uniquely capable of detecting small boats and floating objects even at rough sea. These systems include the EL/M-2226 ACSR which is deployed along the Israeli coastline. The system has recently been connected into a coastal defense network where additional radars are planned for installation on the top of the chimneys of five power stations, located along the Israeli coastline. This network is also integrated with maritime surveillance radars (EL/M-2022A) employed on aircraft and helicopters. These radars are employing special inverse SAR algorithms to detect and classify surface vessels, automatically identifying hostile targets even in a dense maritime traffic. The Israeli Navy utilized this unique capability in its tracking of the Palestinian weapons ship Kareen A, before its interception in the Red sea in January 2002.

Elta EL/M 2226 ACSR integrated with an
electro-optical payload, to perform as a
coastal surveillance post. (picture: IAI/Elta)