European AESA T/R Module Supply Chain
The hidden semiconductor stack behind Europe’s next generation of naval and ground radars
Europe’s radar recapitalisation is entering a phase in which the decisive constraint is no longer confined to platforms, antenna design or prime-contractor integration. The critical layer sits deeper in the architecture: the transmit/receive modules that convert semiconductor performance, RF design, thermal management, packaging and digital control into operational AESA radar capability. As naval, ground-based air-defence, counter-UAS and ballistic-defence radars move towards higher power, wider bandwidth, multi-function operation and greater production volumes, the transition from GaAs to GaN is becoming a sovereignty issue. The central question is whether Europe can scale a resilient and sufficiently controlled T/R module ecosystem by 2030, or whether its next generation of sovereign radar systems will continue to depend on partially externalised microelectronic layers.
This report examines the T/R module stack as an industrial control point in European radar sovereignty. It first explains why T/R modules are central to AESA performance and why GaN cannot be treated as a simple one-for-one replacement for GaAs. It then maps the European ecosystem across research, compound semiconductors, MMICs, module integration and radar primes, with specific attention to IMEC, Fraunhofer IAF, UMS, MACOM’s European semiconductor assets, HENSOLDT, Thales, Leonardo and Saab. The report also compares the European position with the US benchmark, analyses the role of EDF, EDIP, the Chips Act and dual-use export controls, and assesses demand-side pressure from naval, ground and multi-domain radar programmes. It concludes by identifying the bottlenecks that will determine whether Europe can turn T/R modules from a hidden vulnerability into a controlled strategic capability.