France to Upgrade Its Nostradamus Radar Strengthening Europe’s Early Warning Against Hypersonic Threats.

Published on September 5, 2025, by the Ministry of the Armed Forces, the announcement of a major investment in the over-the-horizon radar Nostradamus reflects France’s intention to strengthen its strategic autonomy in early detection. The war in Ukraine has revived the issue of ballistic and hypersonic threats, prompting Paris to acquire tools capable of tracking missile trajectories in real time at extreme speeds. Europe still relies heavily on American early-warning systems, but the modernization of Nostradamus represents a decisive step toward a sovereign early-warning capability.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

With both monostatic and bistatic modes, Nostradamus is capable of detecting aircraft, multiple-warhead ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles exceeding Mach 5, and even high-altitude balloons (Picture source: French MoD)

Located in Eure-et-Loir, Nostradamus spans twelve hectares and is built around a distinctive structure of three antenna branches, each consisting of a 140-meter tunnel. Designed by the French Aerospace Lab (ONERA), the radar uses the ionospheric reflection of high-frequency waves. Signals are bounced off the ionosphere, located more than 60 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, allowing surveillance well beyond the line of sight and overcoming the limits imposed by the planet’s curvature. This enables coverage over several thousand kilometers, from the High North to the Urals, without mechanical rotation.

The system covers twelve hectares of antennas arranged in three 140-meter branches and operates in high frequency by ionospheric reflection, giving it the ability to see beyond the Earth’s curvature. It continuously monitors several million cubic kilometers from ground level up to 250 kilometers in altitude, with a range extending across thousands of kilometers. With both monostatic and bistatic modes, Nostradamus is capable of detecting aircraft, multiple-warhead ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles exceeding Mach 5, and even high-altitude balloons. It is currently undergoing a modernization program worth 50 million euros to improve precision and integrate the radar into a broader European early-warning architecture.

This transhorizon capacity makes the system effective in detecting various aerial threats, from conventional aircraft to fast-moving hypersonic vehicles, as well as unconventional objects such as stratospheric balloons. With its dual configuration modes, monostatic and bistatic, Nostradamus provides continuous monitoring of vast airspace volumes, ranging from ground level to near-space altitudes. This coverage, unparalleled in Europe, helps anticipate emerging threats and provides essential reaction time for countermeasures.

The French strategy for very high altitude, presented by General Alexis Rougier, senior officer at the French Air and Space Force General Staff, places Nostradamus at the center of the extended air defense system. “With Nostradamus, we are entering the era of extended air defense, from the ground to space, thanks to the detection pillar,” he noted. Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu emphasized his role as “the first building block of early warning that we are trying to establish with the Europeans.”

The program is now entering a new phase with an investment of 50 million euros planned under the military programming law. The first step was taken on September 4 with the signing of an agreement between the Defense Innovation Agency and ONERA. This initial allocation of 2 million euros is intended to launch a phase of experimentation and adaptation of the system. The objective is to improve accuracy, reliability, and integration into European defense structures.

The implications go beyond the national level. The appearance of increasingly complex weapon systems in very high altitude, from multiple-warhead ballistic missiles to hypersonic cruise missiles, requires constant vigilance. According to a representative of the Military Intelligence Directorate, threats are diversifying and demand a detection capability that combines speed and comprehensive coverage. Reaction time is a critical factor, since modern missile speeds leave only a few minutes to prepare an interception.

By reinforcing Nostradamus, France aims to develop a more autonomous European early-warning capability. While American systems remain a point of reference, Paris seeks to reduce Europe’s technological and strategic dependency. The modernization of this radar, unique in Europe, is a crucial milestone for providing France and its European partners with an independent capacity to detect and track ballistic and hypersonic threats.

In conclusion, Nostradamus reflects France’s broader effort to adapt its air defense posture to the rapid evolution of strategic threats. With its extended range and ability to monitor vast airspace, it is set to become an essential instrument for anticipating challenges in very high altitudes. The announced investment is designed to ensure technological adaptation and integration within a European defense framework, reinforcing reactivity and autonomy in the face of ballistic and hypersonic challenges in the coming decades.