CSG unveils Trident layered air defence at Eurosatory

The European defence group CSG has presented Trident, a new modular air defence system designed to shield military formations, strategic sites and larger areas against a broad range of aerial threats, the company has said.

The system is built to counter aircraft, helicopters, guided missiles, drones and other targets, and is designed as a layered short-, medium- and long-range solution whose configuration can be tailored to a customer’s needs. Alongside surface-to-air missiles, Trident can integrate gun-based weapons, dedicated counter-drone systems and electronic warfare or jamming elements, allowing a buyer to assemble the mix of effectors that suits their threat picture.

Trident is the product of international cooperation, drawing together several companies from within CSG Group alongside a Turkish partner. Excalibur International is the architect and main integrator, the Czech firm Retia manufactures the radars and supplies the command and control system, Tatra Trucks provides the Tatra Force chassis on which the elements are mounted, and Tatra Defence develops the armoured cabins, superstructures and launcher systems. The strategic partner, Roketsan of Turkey, supplies the short-, medium- and long-range surface-to-air missiles and their launch structures, combining Czech strengths in vehicles, radar and integration with Turkish missile technology.

Viktor Loužil, chief sales officer at Excalibur International, said the presentation of Trident was “proof of the continued development of our capabilities in the field of air defence”. CSG Group, he said, had long shown it could execute complex international projects, integrate cutting-edge technologies from its own companies and foreign partners, and offer customers tailor-made solutions including financing, logistics and long-term support.

In its standard configuration the system uses surface-to-air missiles covering ranges of up to 100 kilometres, using imaging infrared and active radar-frequency seekers, while a Trident battery comprises several specialised vehicles on Tatra platforms. These include a fire control centre based on the modular ReCUBE platform, a missile launching vehicle, a missile reloading vehicle, a maintenance support vehicle and mobile 3D AESA radars, with the larger ReSAURION RSB41 offering a range of 470 kilometres. In an expanded configuration the system can be reinforced with counter-drone elements, including a dedicated radar, gun-based weapons firing airburst ammunition, and miniature interceptor missiles designed to kill enemy drones kinetically and so conserve the battery’s larger and more expensive surface-to-air missiles.

The command element, the ReCUBE platform developed by Retia, is a mobile command, control and communication centre providing integrated real-time control of the system’s radars, electro-optical sensors and launchers through optical, radio and ground data links. The platform supports both standard and classified operating modes, meets strict electromagnetic compatibility requirements and offers protection against weapons of mass destruction, and its architecture allows it to be used not only within Trident but at other levels of air defence command.

Trident builds on Excalibur International’s recent run of success in air defence, particularly in Southeast Asia, where the company announced contracts in April worth nearly $2.5 billion for several batteries of multi-layered air defence systems on Tatra chassis, including logistics support, training, spare parts and export financing. CSG, a Dutch-registered group with its top management in Prague, describes itself as a leading European defence industrial group, employing more than 14,000 people and reporting revenues of 6.7 billion euros in 2025.