New Spanish $40M Radar to Plug Ukraine Directly Into NATO Air Defense Networks

Spain is set to deliver a Lanza LTR-25 tactical early-warning radar to Ukraine as part of an expanded military aid package, according to an announcement published by Spain’s Council of Ministers on January 13.

Under a contract signed by Spain’s Ministry of Defense with defense technology firm Indra, the radar system will be transferred directly to Ukraine’s Armed Forces. The value of the system is estimated at $40 million.

The Lanza LTR-25 is a mobile, three-coordinate radar designed to operate in contested electromagnetic environments. Unlike legacy systems focused primarily on aircraft, the radar is optimized to detect and track small, low-observable targets, including drones and cruise missiles—threats that have become central to modern air warfare.

The system offers a detection range exceeding 450 kilometers and can be rapidly redeployed by C-130 transport aircraft or heavy trucks, allowing operators to shift positions quickly and reduce vulnerability to retaliatory strikes.

Operating in the L-band with a phased-array antenna, the radar provides continuous, high-quality airspace surveillance. When integrated into wider air defense networks, it can pass real-time targeting data to interceptor units, improving response times against incoming threats.

Spanish officials noted that the radar is compatible with NATO air defense architecture, enabling closer interoperability with Western systems already supporting Ukraine.

The LTR-25 belongs to Indra’s Lanza family of radars, a product line that has been deployed across naval, ground-based, and airborne surveillance platforms. Indra is regarded as one of Europe’s long-standing developers of advanced radar technologies.

While Indra has previously worked with Ukraine on systems related to civil aviation, this transfer marks a shift toward the delivery of dedicated military hardware.

Earlier, reports emerged that Ukraine was developing a domestic version of the American-made AN/TPQ-36 counter-battery radar.

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