With threats from the third dimensions directed against armoured vehicles constantly increasing, creating a bubble capable to neutralise such incoming projectiles of various types has become a must. Missiles launched from combat helicopters or from UAVs, loitering munitions, first person view (FPV) drones, are a constant threat on today transparent battlefield, systems able to counter them allowing to improve armoured formations freedom of movement and action
It was therefore not a surprise to see numerous short range air defence (SHORAD) and counter-UAS (C-UAS) systems exhibited at the International Armoured Vehicles Conference organised by Defence iQ in late January at Farnborough, as frontal arc and lateral protection is no more sufficient. The interest for such systems could be seen both in the exhibition area as well as in conference rooms, where this topic was the subject of many presentations.
Two offers were visible, answering the British Army’s requirement for a Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) short-range air defence (SHORAD) system as well as for a counter-UAS (C-UAS) one. Both involved Moog’s Reconfigurable Integrated-weapons Platform, RIwP in short; Seen at DVD 2024 installed on a British Army Ridgback 4×4, at IAV it was installed on two more platforms. This modular turret allows easy integration of different weapon systems, and in the case of the Moog UK proposal the RIwP was armed with two four-missile pods, one on each side, containing Thales Starstreak High Velocity and/or Lightweight Multirole missiles (HVM/LMM), and with a Northrop Grumman M230 low recoil 30×113 mm chain gun. While missiles would ensure neutralisation of high-value aerial targets at a 6+ km range, the automatic gun can destroy small targets such as UAVs at a shorter distance, using the XM1211 high explosive round fitted with a proximity fuse.
The RIwP could be seen installed on a KNDS Deutschland Dingo 3 4×4 in a pick-up configuration, which is a prototype first seen at IAV, the turret (which lacked the gun) being installed on the flatbed. This is the latest iteration of the Dingo, based on a Unimog chassis with a 240 hp engine and has a GVW of 14,500 kg, with a 3,000 kg payload capacity. The front protected cabin can host a tree-man crew, protection level remaining undisclosed, the turret mass being around 1.5 tonnes, which should leave some spare payload capacity for carrying extra missiles and ammunition. Production of the Dingo 3 has just started, the German Bundeswehr having ordered around 100 vehicles in the Patrol and Security version. KNDS is proposing its 4×4 Dingo 3 in 4-5 different variants to the British Army for its Land Mobility Programme (LMP), one of those variants being the SHORAD seen at IAV. A 6×6 version of the Dingo 3, with a 20,000 kg GVW and increased payload is also part of the KNDS catalogue.
The RIwP turret with its full armament could also be seen on the Supacat 6×6 HMT Mk3 Closed Cab version, which shares the same chassis and automotive system with the Jackal and Coyote (more precisely with the Jackal 3), both in service with the British Army. The cabin can host up to four military, with sizes ranging from 5% female to 95% male percentile, the usual crew being driver, commander and two system operators. To ensure easy integration of future systems and subsystems, the HMT Mk3 is GVA-compliant. With a 12,000 kg GVW, it has a 3,500 payload and beside the SHORAD version it is offered to the British Army in Battle Group Organic Anti-Armour, Ambulance, Recovery Vehicle and Troop Carrier versions.
EDR On-Line understood that in both cases the chassis-turret integration was purely mechanical, to show the potential of the proposed solutions, a full integration leading to firing trials being expected only if the customer will show solid interest.
Airburst munitions are key to give guns a C-UAS capacity. CTAI, which is producing the CT40 gun adopted on the Ajax, which fires 40×255 mm telescoped-case ammunition, exhibited the whole family of ammunition, some rounds being already in service while some still are in development. The company has three different types of airburst ammunition; the one in the final stage of qualification is the ABM HE ( Air Burst Munition High Explosive) which was designed mostly as an anti-personnel round, therefore it is not optimised for the C-UAS mission. Under a contract from the French General Directorate for Armaments (DGA) the A3B round is being developed, also known as KE-AB (Kinetic Energy Air Burst); while all the other projectiles of the 40 mm family have a mass of 980 grams, this has a 1,400 grams mass, hence different ballistic tables must be used. Its 200 tungsten cylinders are deployed in front of the target thanks to the time fuse set by the fire control system, up to a maximum range of 4,000 metres. CTAI is also developing with its own funds a second round of that type, known as GP-AB-T (General Purpose Air Burst Tracer); this has the same mass of other standard projectiles, hence it uses the same ballistic tables. Tungsten cylinders are smaller, the payload being half that of the KE-AB, effective range being 2,500 metres, the round being specifically designed for the C-UAS mission. According to company sources the GP-AB-T should be available in two years.
Another C-UAS effector seen at IAV was the Viper Interceptor by SpearUAV of Israel; EDR On-Line readers can find all details in the dedicated article.
During the C-UAS roundtable, EuroTrophy underlined how the Trophy active protection system is evolving to also cover some of the drone threats; this issue was discussed in previous editions of IAV, but some new elements were made available. The Trophy has proved itself against RPG threats coming from high elevation, such as those shot from a high building towards the armoured target. The company is now working on the latest types of threat that appeared on the battlefield, the FPVs. A movie of a jet powered fixed wing FPV was shown being neutralised by the Trophy, the speaker underlining that several tests were conducted, the company having now many radar recordings. Company experts are analysing the differences occurring between a typical RPG or ATGM threat and an FPV, further developing the system software to allow it to cope with those new threats. EDR On-Line understood that to counter FPVs only software upgrade will be required, and some user nations might already have received the new software release. Further improvements are underway, the speaker ensuring that more will be unveiled at IAV 2026.
In terms of C-UAS systems Rafael has more than the Trophy, with systems capable to detect, identify and intercept approaching projectiles with different effectors. The Samson remotely controlled weapon station (RCWS) is an example, the turret including an automatic weapon and missiles. However, the Haifa-based company is now ready to provide customers with its family of lasers, which ranges from the 100 kW-class Iron Beam 450 to the 50 kW-class Iron Beam M 250, to the 10 kW-class Lite Beam 250, the numbers showing the lens diameter. These systems were developed following the requirements of the Israeli Defence Forces and of the MAFAT (the Israeli acronym for the Directorate of Defense, Research and Development). Rafael demonstrated that the system works and that it is ready for becoming operational. Low cost, around 5 US$ per shot, and endless magazine, providing sufficient energy is available, are the main advantages of a laser-based C-UAS effector; asked about the “rate of fire” the speaker did not provide a precise answer but mentioned “a few seconds”, depending on the type of threat and of the range, which should allow countering swarms of incoming drones.
Rafael started from the bigger system, with a 150 kW power, which exploited the Coherent Beam Combining (CBC) technique, in which many single-mode laser beams are combined into a larger beam, as well as adaptive lenses. It took four years to bring the system to successfully undergo a real test, in March 2022, in which the laser managed to destroy over 10 UAVs as well as some incoming rockets. From this system comes the Iron Beam 450, with its 100 kW output. However, to provide effective protection to military forces Rafael scaled it down its.
The Iron Beam M is a mobile tactical laser system hosted in a 20-foot container that can be transported on a high-mobility 8×8 truck. It is designed to be deployed at brigade level ensuring mobile defence for military sites and for strategic assets. The beam director head includes a laser rangefinder, a sensor in the visible spectrum with a zoom lens providing wide to narrow field of view, a thermal tracker, a laser illuminator, adaptive optics, and the High Energy Laser aperture. It is capable to neutralise Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3 UAVs, no range being provided. The system is ready and available, Rafael speakers said.
The smaller system is the Lite Beam, designed to counter Group 1 and Group 2 UAVs, which has a range of around 3 km. It can be easily installed onto a 4×4 light armoured vehicle. The beam director includes the same elements of the Iron Beam M, minus adaptive lenses. EDR On-Line understood that the Lite Beam should become available in 2026.
Photos by P. Valpolini