France to Restore Nostradamus Radar Capable of Scanning as Far as Ural Mountains

France has announced a major modernization of the Nostradamus radar, located in the Eure-et-Loir department.

The Defense Romania reported on this, citing the French Ministry of Armed Forces.

This unique over-the-horizon radar, the only one of its kind in Europe, is capable of detecting threats over thousands of kilometers – from the North Sea to the Ural Mountains – without the need for mechanical rotation of its antennas.

The system, developed in the 1990s by the French Aerospace Lab ONERA, had been in long-term preservation.

Now, in light of the threats from Russia and Iran, the French Ministry of Armed Forces has decided to return it to operation, investing over €50 million in its modernization.

The radar operates on the principle of reflecting high-frequency radio waves off the ionosphere, allowing it to ‘see’ beyond the horizon. Its antennas, located across an area of 12 hectares in a star-shaped formation, cover a volume of several million cubic kilometers – from the ground up to an altitude of 250 km.

The French Nostradamus radar can detect aircraft, nuclear, and hypersonic missiles at long distances – even beyond the horizon.

In addition to traditional targets, the system can also identify unusual objects, including high-altitude balloons, such as a Chinese balloon that entered U.S. airspace in 2023.

The modernization aims to enhance accuracy, reliability, and integration into the European air defense system.

France and Germany have already agreed to establish a joint initiative, Jewel, officially known as the European Early Warning and Information System (EWS), to unify ground-based radars and share data between partners.

It is expected that by mid-2028, the Nostradamus radar will be integrated into the European Air Transport Command.

This will allow Europe to reduce its dependence on American early warning systems and strengthen its own strategic autonomy.