SOSTAR (stand-off surveillance and target acquisition radar)

SOSTAR is the NATO acronym for stand-off surveillance and target acquisition radar. It appears in AAP-15, the Glossary of NATO Acronyms and Abbreviations, which NATO maintains so that allied nations use the same short forms for the same terms. The entry is published in the 2013 edition of the NATO glossary.

The term names a radar used for two linked tasks: surveillance and target acquisition. The words "stand-off" mean those tasks are carried out from a distance. NATO lists the term in the singular, as one radar capability, and the glossary is the authoritative record of what the acronym stands for.

The NATO glossary entry for SOSTAR

AAP-15 is a bilingual document, and each entry carries English and French wording. For SOSTAR, the English expansion is "stand-off surveillance and target acquisition radar." The French equivalent is radar de surveillance et d'acquisition d'objectif à distance de sécurité.

Both forms matter to Canadian readers because federal solicitations are issued in English and French. A bid team preparing a response that touches this terminology can use the NATO wording in both official languages and keep the two versions aligned.

What the entry covers and what it leaves out

The glossary establishes the acronym and its expansion. It is not a technical specification, so it does not set out the radar's architecture, range, host platform or operating bands. It also does not define a numbered SOSTAR variant or a separate NATO standard for the radar.

For that reason, the acronym should not be linked to other NATO publications or programs on the strength of the name alone. A supplier who needs technical detail must take it from the requirements document in the solicitation itself.

Where Canadian defence opportunities are published

Canadian suppliers find federal opportunities through CanadaBuys, the Government of Canada's platform for doing business with federal departments and the broader public sector. Its tender opportunities page lists current federal notices, including those from the Department of National Defence.

CanadaBuys also carries notices from NATO. Its guidance on finding tender opportunities explains that the platform covers PSPC, federal departments and agencies, Crown corporations, broader public-sector organizations and NATO. It identifies the NATO Support and Procurement Agency as the body that buys goods and services on behalf of NATO nations.

Contract history is available too. The procurement and contracting data page gives access to tender and contract data, including contracts awarded by PSPC on behalf of federal departments and agencies.

What SOSTAR means for a supplier bidding on Canadian public contracts

SOSTAR is a NATO glossary term. It is not a Canadian procurement category, a mandatory clause or a supplier obligation, and the glossary entry places no requirement on a bidder.

A supplier working on radar, surveillance or target acquisition capabilities should do three things:

• Read the wording of each solicitation closely, since the buyer's own definitions and requirements govern the bid.
• Register as a supplier, as the Department of National Defence directs on its information for companies page, so that procurement notices and requests for information reach you and you can submit bids.
• Use the NATO English and French wording when a document refers to SOSTAR, so that terminology stays consistent across a bilingual bid.