Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has announced that hundreds of British-made air defence missiles are being shipped to Ukraine to protect civilians and infrastructure from drones and bombing.
It is understood that the package of around 200 air defence missiles will re-supply UK-developed air defence systems provided to Ukraine in late 2022, topping up Ukraine’s crucial air defence capabilities.
The missiles are mounted on a Supacat HMT truck to provide a mobile air-defence platform.
According to an update from the Ministry of Defence:
“Delivery of a new package of sophisticated air defence missiles for Ukraine has commenced, rounding off a landmark year for the UK’s support for Ukraine – having been the first country to provide modern Western tanks, as well as long-range precision strike capability. The delivery comes as Russia continues its assault on Ukraine, with hundreds of drones and missiles believed to have been launched overnight on cities including Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa.
The new package of support comes amid the most significant year for the UK’s military aid to Ukraine so far. Following announcements by the Prime Minister at the start of the year, the UK has now supplied a squadron of battle-ready Challenger 2 tanks, three batteries of self-propelled AS90 guns, hundreds of armoured and protected vehicles, as well as long-range precision strike capability in the form of Storm Shadow cruise missiles and long-range attack drones.”
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:
“Putin’s latest wave of murderous airstrikes are a desperate and futile attempt to regain momentum after the catastrophic loss of hundreds of thousands of conscripts and ahead of the humiliation of his three-day war entering a third calendar year. We continue to stand by Ukraine’s defence, which is why today we are sending hundreds of air defence missiles to restock British gifted air defence systems capable of striking down Russian drones and missiles with incredible accuracy.
Putin is testing Ukraine’s defences and the West’s resolve, hoping that he can clutch victory from the jaws of defeat. But he is wrong. Ukraine’s degradation of the Russian Black Sea fleet has proven it is still in this fight to win. And today’s air defence package sends an undeniable message, in the face of Russian barbarity that the UK remains absolutely committed to supporting Ukraine. Now is the time for the free world to come together and redouble our efforts to get Ukraine what they need to win.”
What missiles are involved?
According to the statement
“These air defence missiles (Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missiles – ASRAAM) are manufactured in the UK by defence contractor MBDA and are designed to be launched from aircraft including the UK’s Typhoon and F-35 fighter jets. In summer 2022, a joint MoD-MBDA team developed air defence systems to fire ASRAAM from the ground for the first time. Within four months of initiating the surface launched ASRAAM project, these air defence systems were developed, manufactured, trialled and Ukrainian crews trained on their usage, on UK soil, before being transferred into Ukrainian hands.
The surface launched ASRAAM project has demonstrated the best of British engineering ingenuity and the agility of MOD and British industry to rapidly deliver very effective yet low-cost solutions to the frontline to meet urgent requirements. The systems have proven highly effective – with a successful hit rate reported as high as 90% against some Russian air targets. Ukrainian operators have become adapt at their usage and have asked for more missiles to protect their country.”
It’s amazing what can be done when the need arises. It’s why it is so vitally important to maintain a manufacturing base and skills. Good stuff.
Might just inform our own needs too.
We have the 8th largest manufacturing sector in the world. But less of a Defence Industry than we had.
It pains me that the modern and efficient tank factories in Newcastle and Leeds no longer make AFVs – in fact the Leeds factory does not even exist now…and that the last fast jet fighter to be designed and completely made in the UK was the Harrier.
Still naval shipbuilding is quite strong, mainly as a result of the naval shipbuilding strategy work of many years ago.
👍
Harrier being the last jet fighter designed fully in the UK is a bit of a non issue. Typhoon is a jet based off a British aircraft, with an engine based off a British engine, with a radar based off a British radar, with a British manufactured BVR missile. It is just cheaper to involve other countries and results in a better overall aircraft. Of the 3 companies involved, only one is heavily involved in 2 5th gen jets and another 4th gen jet. The defence industry isn’t looking too bad. Medium and large calibre cannon production is the major… Read more »
Do you mean NSBS (revised) ? The problem is that other than the Naval ships we have to put them out to tender and we just can’t compete. Go to any RN base and you see all the New Serco tugs buzzing about, they were all built by Damen in Romania. Last Northern Lights or Trinity house ships were built in Poland and the latest order for Ferry’s for CalMac are being built in Turkey. But Northern Fisheries have ordered a new fisheries vessel and it’s being built in Whitby. So there is hope ! Then again the local District… Read more »
Serco were given a free hand to buy from were they wanted from. Prior to that the RMAS mostly purchased from UK ship yards. trouble is a lot of the fleet needed to be replaced and it cost a fortune, partly why it was all offloaded with Serco winning the job.
I find it slightly galling that France and even the very much smaller Sweden can design and completely build fast jets, but fair point about the Typhoon having very high British content. I guess if Typhoon or a similar aircraft were all-British and didn’t get any overseas orders, we would look rather silly and unit price for the RAF offtake would be high. Not sure the land equipment side is that classically British – fewer B Vehs are both British designed and made. On the artillery side, we are getting Archer from Sweden (albeit BAE bought Bofors) and many talk… Read more »
Just because Typhoon was a collaboration does not mean Britain cannot design and completely build a fighter jet. That’s like saying the USA would’ve been incapable to design and manufacture F35 without the UK. In terms of actual workshare, Britain is always cheated in European projects. Fortunately, if GCAP is 40/40/20 I think it will reflect Britains value to the programme well as although Japan is spending at least double, BAE, RR and Leonardo UK bring by far the most to the programme. Your second paragraph suggests that Archer being made by a British owned company is irrelevant and it’s… Read more »
Thanks Louis. Britain could possibly/probably design and build a cruise ship – but hasn’t done so since the QE2 was launched in 1967. Britain could probably design and build a mass-market car but instead foreign companies make them in the UK. I see decline in our defence industry whereas it seems that you see that our defence industry has modernised and become internationalised. Fair enough. But it seems that there are far too many problems with many of the current projects, some of which may be laid at the door of this revised Industry construct – including many serious equipment… Read more »
Britain couldn’t build a Cruise ship unless there is a major new innovation in the market that opens it up. Comparing that to Typhoon isn’t a very good comparison, especially considering Tempest was effectively a British only programme until Japan joined. If you compare UK industry as a whole and then the defence industry, there are very few things the defence industry can’t do now that it could do 50 years ago or other countries can do. UK industry as a whole can’t do that other countries can or we could 50 years ago. All militaries have procurement issues. Look… Read more »
The Typhoon was very much a U.K. led design, from tip to toe its virtually pure BAe (Hawker). If the Germans had there way it would have been single engined and to be honest I would choose the French over them in any project. At least you know what to expect !
They cancelled orders which jacked the price up, dithered about everything and now block exports to Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Which is great for France but devastating for the German Aircraft industry.
Perhaps you are to harsh on the French – we did build Jaguar, Puma, Concorde aircraft – and the Channel Tunnel – together!
Yes the Harrier but we also built the Eurofighter prototype the EAP.
Another generous donation, as we will not have the aircraft to use these.
Only the Americans can provide UKR with what they will need from existing war stock, Europe and the UK have not been able to adopt a war time economy, the Russians have. Despite only being economically equivalent to Italy they have numbers and that is what will count.
Keep your fingers crossed that the American politicians sort themselves out.
It’s a bout time the U.K. actually started building stuff for Ukraine. We should be sending 200 updated CVRTs or equivalent a month. Something with a cannon and troop carrying ability. Artillery, Trucks, off-road cars, etc. if the U.K. doesn’t want to do it in country fund some cheaper country with an active production line to build something similar. Ammunition is being produced but again it’s not enough. It’s embarrassing that the U.K. gave more aid to the Soviet Union in WW2 than it has to Ukraine. Still the MOD surplus websites get new stock in! The Ukrainians don’t need… Read more »
BAE has done a deal to set up local manufacturing in Ukraine. Light gun and CV90 mentioned in one press report.
‘If the collective supporting countries of Ukraine gave them everything they needed this conflict could have ended already.’
A war on ‘Europe’s’ doorstep and what have they done? Relied on the U.S.A. So much for ‘Europe’.
I can’t help but think Europe decided many a year ago that if it disarmed then Russia wouldn’t see a threat and we have peace for ever more. About as disolusionary as if it had been written on a piece of paper. To not even have the capacity to build up capacity is beyond belief. Just read how the local city council in Germany has refused permission for their biggest ammunition producer to expand their factory. Even now our Govt is doing little to change our potential to produce what we need. A Ukranian source has said Russia has double… Read more »
Mr Barry will be soon come along to correct your thinking. You are exactly right. Since 1945 the U.S. tax payers have financed Europe’s recovery and its defence. This has created a spirit of comforting dependence muffled inside a deliberate policy of failing to recognise this fact in public; all the current and past Eurocrats know this but as long as they pretend, it isn’t real; they can preen themselves on someone else’s wallet. Blighty has to get a grip. We’ve lost too many years believing a similar myth. What Professor Michael Clarke calls a clique of international ‘dictators and… Read more »
Generalisations and counter factuals, do you listen to yourself talking to the mirror? And believe everything you hear?
Have you met senior politicians from Central Europe, their officers, heavens, even a resident defence attaché in London and heard their thoughts? Go on. Surprise me.
I’m not sure the ‘international clique of dictators’ have a plan as such. They are war Lords seeking to divide up the world in their anticipated New World Order. For the most part what we have been seeing are the results of liberal democracy, which values individual freedom of choice. Hence we see examples of fragmentation proliferate: Brexit, SNP, Tory party internal wars, German pacificism, Trump, US Republican splits and intransigence wrt climate and funding Ukraine. The list goes on. All the autocratic regime leaders have to do is keep the pressure up and watch the West self destruct. Of… Read more »
Insightful as ever. ‘One of the best minds of the 12th century’.
Barry, the USA is a superpower, so of course they will ‘pony up’ the most kit for UKR. I think ‘Europe’ has done well though.
European countries continue to provide aid packages, such as this one, so Ukraine Contact Group and governments working together. Despite the Orban issue Europe has been making progress especially in Germany. The cluster-f#ck that are MAGA Republicans are a big corrupt stupid problem. Their bogus Impeachment of Biden (so corrupt but no we don’t have any specifics) is another pointless distraction to get attention. Like Senator Tuberville’s objections to DoD appointments, who didn’t serve rather was a football coach! The District Court and Supreme Court of Colorado were unanimous in finding #45 an Insurrectionist based on the evidence. So did… Read more »
Many thanks for the interesting post. I am glad that the UK’s process for finding the next Head of State is simpler, quicker and more effective – and produces someone who is already trained and experienced and is very unlikely to break the law!
You’re welcome. A huge irony that the Republic exists to avoid the tyrant of monarchy yet is currently endangered by a commoner with delusions of his own exceptional right to be King. I would never accept #45 as having any dedication to public service or the wisdom that are so apparent in His Majesty King Charles III. I must correct one point: “The 14th Amendment Section 3 states that Insurrectionists are ineligible for public office. Each Secretary of State has a duty to uphold the Constitution of the United States so to exclude him from further election attempts.” The 14th… Read more »
Thanks. Your last line brings me to another concern of the US ‘system’ – politicised judges.
Would a conservative/Republican-leaning judge rule against Trump, especially one who was appointed by Trump?
Good point. The Founders seem to believe that election rather than appointment on the basis of qualifications and experience is preferable. So are professional standards of jurisprudence more important than political alliance as you suggest? IDK
One member of the Supreme Court has a conflict of interest since his wife was a supporter of the Insurrection. So he should excuse himself from the case.
Apparently there’s nothing to make him do that!
I understand that there are 9 US Superme Court Justices (one Chief and 8 Associate), an odd number to ensure there is no even split. One Justice withdrawing would make it an even number of Justices.
Let’s hope they are smart enough to give the Chief the casting vote or have a pair agreed to maintain the odd number.
Section 3 states that Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove the prohibition of insurrectionists in individual cases, so Congress has its override. Why would it need one if it had been granted sole prosecutary power, presumably by simple majority?
We will see what the justices decide.
Thanks, that’s reasonable.
Since all officers of State have sworn the oath to uphold the Constitution I think it’s logical for the elected Secretary of State to pay attention to the 14th section 3 and a burden of proof On The Balance of Probability.
Let’s see what SCOTUS decide..
The influential Federalist society favours the Original perspective i.e. what was meant when it was written. So minimum interpretation.
Lol… Wouldn’t the UK itself like 200 “upgraded” CRVTs! 😁
No would we ? The replacements are versions of Ajax and already being built.
They are Argus (51 on order), Apollo (50 on order), Ares (59 on order), Atlas (38 on order).
OK that’s 2 short but hey the Army is smaller these days.😉
Sorry ABC, you’re technically right. What I broadly meant was wouldn’t (some of us anyway) like some 200+ upgraded Warriors…at least… Lol 😁
An ideal opportunity to echo a much earlier quip from Karl Kraus; adapted to current political resolve by CSIS the other day:-
The situation in Ukraine is serious, but not hopeless. In the West….it’s ‘Hopeless’ – but not ‘Serious’.
And I’ll keep my fingers crossed that European politicians start taking responsibility for the defense of Europe. US war stock is needed for the Pacific.
Or the Mexican border if a trump gets in.
The District Court and Supreme Court of Colorado were unanimous in finding #45 an Insurrectionist based on the evidence.
So did the investigation of Maine.
The 14th Amendment Section 3 states that Insurrectionists are ineligible for public office.
Each Secretary of State has a duty to uphold the Constitution of the United States so to exclude him from further election attempts.
He belongs in Fulton County Jail where he will be accountable for his actions.
Not above the law 🇺🇲
#StandWithUkraine 🇺🇲🇬🇧🇨🇦🇦🇺🇮🇹🇩🇪🇵🇱🇪🇪🇨🇿🇱🇻🇱🇹🇫🇮🇩🇰🇳🇴🇸🇪🇳🇱🇪🇸🇫🇷💙💛
You will never uncross those fingers again ..
The delusion goes well beyond politicians mind, despite all the ample news coverage the average person in the street still seems lamentally ignorant of the dangers. Worrying about taxation on passing on your riches to your children seems rather short sighted if things develop as many are warning. A combination of Trump or similar in the White House and Russia feeling it has won events in Ukraine is a very scary mix indeed and potentially a year or so away.
Supacat/ASRAAM combo is interesting. Hope it is effective. When will we get some to augment our own SAM systems?
The Ukrainians seem to like it?
It is very effective for certain events…..so I am told.
I would guess, given the quantities, that this is simply old stock in excess of replenishment levels.
A few hundred isn’t much to protect themselves with.
I hope the policy is to give them a good lump when the F16’s go active so they can do a multi domain sledgehammer is some location. Starting with all the local S300/400’s.
I think like many, your ‘superweapon’ F16 is another bout of wishful thinking. The F16 is a 40 year old redundant platform no better than the aircraft Ukraine already has. All it brings to the game is numbers.
If it gets anywhere within the very long range of Russian S400 etc anti aircraft systems, it will be shot out of the sky just as easily as Russian aircraft are getting shot down.
I beg to differ.
It all depends on the electronics fit and mods that they are fitted with.
There are plenty of old generations of EW that can be given without compromising NATO tech.
The thing they will be amazing with is laser guided munitions launched from very high level. These kind of glide can be given to Ukraine in relatively large numbers as dumb bombs, which there are plenty of, can be muddies with a kit.
So no I don’t share your pessimism.
Actually yes I had forgotten the potential of that offensive fit, glide bombs will be far easier to use than the present mash up job on their Soviet Aircraft as I suspect will anti radiation missiles. Will they get AMRAAMS, if so that will equalise air to air confrontation considerably if not better their adversaries, it’s foolish to claim they won’t improve on their present Soviet aircraft and may well cause problems for Russian Aircraft over the Black Sea, especially as air defence batteries on Crimea have been successfully targeted already to reduce risk and radar signature likely rather smaller… Read more »
The main improvements I think will be the ability to programme HARMs in-flight…
Not as simple as that… the F16s will have better radars then the current Soviet era Ukraine fighters. This in combination with AMRAAM will enable them to level the playing Field in BVR. It will also give then access to any NATO weapon. The F16 can also shoot anri-radar missiles to tackle Russian SAMs.
The F16 will help gain space over the frontline line to help progress Ukraine’s ground offensives.
The F16 will not be a wonder weapon but it will help.
In addition AFU have already shown they can build strike packages to overwhelm the S-400s and enable a Storm Shadow to give RF Navy the good news about Ukrainian freedom.
They are sleeping with the fishes now (c100 orcs).
No reason to believe that they won’t integrate the F-16 for similar results.
Kaboom!💥💙💛
Well yes and no, those two S24Ms that delivered Storm Shadow to great effect last week had to fly pretty close to the contact line and despite Russian claims survived perfectly well so the Ukranians are pretty good at keeping Russian anti aircraft assets at distance when they need to. One has to admire their prowess in deception. Personally I think F16s will mostly be used against incoming Russian missiles and drones and thus mostly away from remaining S-300 and S-400 unless the Russians can learn from them in terms of deception. They will also be able to use a… Read more »
I think I read, about a year ago? maybe 2, that the US ANG had experimented launching basic JASSM, from early lot F-16C. That combo would be very useful to Ukraine.
An add on booster could help with range. CAAM production should have been increased dramatically to help out.
Was the CAMM partially developed a
from the ASRAAM?
Yes. Also developments of CAMM were ported back to ASRAAM.
Yes, and good morning Graham, some of these for the UK please and restock the UK while giving stuff away.
And even a naval version of this launcher might be useful too.
We have this system already on ships- it is called sea ceptor
Hello Mr Bell, I was making the point of more a naval launcher of the actual ASRAAM not the current vertical CAMM/Sea Ceptor in its 🍄 silo. More a bit like the French Twin Mistral launcher so it can go on big and much smaller ships alike maybe with less hardware needed than CAMM. ASRAAM has more range than Starstreak, but maybe less or same as CAMM.
I agree, imagine what they could do with this with a little more dedicated work on the SuperCat launcher and radar and adapted for emergency sea use. CAMM will always be in short supply. Be nice to see a similar development with Meteor, it’s been talked about, but can’t see that happening for reasons of cost and I guess longer range CAMM developments will cover that capability at less cost.
Cough, cough, Rivers.
Absolutely spot on. Sending a quiet political message to despots is well and good. Being able to defend against said despots counter message before getting out of dodge is something else.
Yes cough, cough, my… cough… thoughts too. 😄
Carriers too, cough, cough…. I need some water… Lol 😁
Isn’t there one spare self defence spot on QE/PoW? I think they meant to put a 30mm there, but never got round to it. A twin Asraam launcher there, would be even better.
I’m kind of curious how many loads the supply vehicle has and if a crane is needed to reload and or 2-3 strong chaps required? Aren’t these ASRAAMs100kg+?
About 90kg. Normally a 3 person lift to load on to an aircraft like Typhoon.
I would guess the next evolution would be to double up on the number of launchers the Supacat carries, i.e. from 2 to 4. Thereby giving the vehicle more combat resilience. Moving on from there, linking ASRAAM to a ground based radar should be the next step. To keep things a bit Heath Robinson. You could salvage the radar from an old F16 or F18. As both of these aircraft have been integrated with ASRAAM. You would have to include the mission computer. As this converts the radar target data into information the ASRAAM can understand. But it would give… Read more »
So a Sea Sparrow-esque CAMM or ASRAAM launcher is feasible? Would be a useful way of defending carriers and OPVs that don’t have internal volume available for CAMM.
Given both missiles’ terminal maneuvering capacity, the missile defence aspect would certainly be useful. Would there be less of a FOD risk given cold launch or StarStreak/Lmm style mini boost?
Depends on whether this mashup is cold or hot launch. I’m not sure about Mistral, but RAM has to be carefully placed to avoid back blast issues. I doubt it has more range than CAMM, as cold launch is a great range advantage at low level at least.
Hi SB, so many navies uses SeaRam it’s a shame SeaStreak never got going. Just imagine if the UK got in that market.
I think a British multi-platform SHORAD system would certainly have many takers amongst those who still hold out against the US ecosystem (like iPhones for fighting). If it came from the pedigree of StarStreak (but maybe with a larger, more maneuverable penetrator and radar guidance), we could use it on all sorts of things, from Boxer/ Ajax to River replacements and frigates. Defending an armoured convoy is not that different from defending a warship or an airfield.
RAM has longer range than Mistral. But CAMM is around double that of RAM’s.
Then what’s the point of Mistral? It seems to have no exceptional maneuverability or speed, is outranged by guns and the silly twin mount could probably carry at least 6 StarStreak style tubes.
There is just much we can learn from this conflict. Funnily enough my biggest lesson would be that having a large basically trained reserve is money in the bank. They don’t need to be 100% as well trained as the regulars, but well drilled, motivated and willing to learn on the job. Secondly is that you don’t always need the biggest, the most expensive or technically sophisticated weapon. You can quite happily spoil someone’s day without a 2 million £ missile. Sometimes simple is best, ASRAAM mounted on a Supacat seems to work nicely for the Ukrainians. So why not… Read more »
LIMAWS(R) and (G) cancelled in 2007 due to funding issues. I have no experience with Army kit but it looks the DB’s
For the reserve force, we are all in. France is raising numbers to 80 000. Reagarding factories, it seems everything is now starting to work properly, with some kind of spécialisation in EU. Germany and Poland are investing heavily on Tanks and IFV. Sweeden is on IFV’s and cannon, Hungary on Tanks, Norway on antiship missiles, Italy on Fleet, Spain on fleet, Romania on ground forces, France on AirPower and Artillery Netherland and Belgium on naval warfare and so much we don’t know. The défense of tomorow is in the making. One thing is sure, it will be big, way… Read more »
About time the UK get into gear 😕 🇬🇧
UK is about the fleet, the Tempest, the backbone for Northern Europe, Cam missiles. I am definitly not worried about UK involvement 😉
A lot has to be done, but I think we are on a good track. It seem’s that there is coordination, an informal one. A feeling of a common interest… and It looks right to me.
Long over due that’s for sure
I agree. The Army Reserve is only about 28,000 strong against an Established figure of 30,000 – should be much larger.
Options for Change set the post-Cold War strength of the TA at 63,000!
The thing is it isn’t just foot soldiers or sailors you need nowadays it’s kids that operate Drones, support IT or carry out Cyber defence. The MOD budget can’t afford to attract the best nor get enough of them so how do you get them. I actually listened to some of the things BW was saying about cross over into Civilian roles being part of a regulars career path. Made sense to me but it needed to be a 2 way option. I’d actually look at using working life Pensions as an option for service and reserve personnel. If done… Read more »
Thanks mate. Good comments. Sounds like you are an engineer like me (well, I used to be one!). Perhaps the army recruiting ads need to show the more modern, tech side of the army. Navy and Air Force ads seem to show this, but not the army ones.
Happy New Year to you too. 🙂
I am, unlike most other commenters on this site (I would assume) what news headlines like to call a “Young Person”, so I may be able to offer the potential recruit’s perspective on these ads. Navy ads are quite convincing. They have really got across the variety of roles that are available and the potential excitement. My only note is that they are very much aimed at ratings; in my opinion, not enough thought is given to potential officers, who would otherwise be going into the City or engineering. A few months ago, an Army ad did the rounds (“The… Read more »
Thanks SB. I am 67 so I am in the ‘old git’ category. Army ads have varied over the years – I quite liked the old ‘Frank ads back in the day showing a young man skiiing, enjoying a pint, getting the girls and putting some rounds down the range. I digress – there were many aimed at Equality & Diversity and many read those as ‘woke’. I like the RM Cdo ads – guys neck deep in water, cammed face looking out for the enemy in a jungle. RAF ads showing a female flying an F-35 etc are pretty… Read more »
I think the point should be what you can do rather than who you are. If we need policy to make sure that happens, we should have it, but well-meaning balance can, unfortunately, tilt the other way. The emphasis should be on the sense of community, respect and professionalism the forces bring; every veteran I know has the ability to silence a room by looking at them ( my CCF commander is terrifying)
There was a Supacat with a mounted 105mm (with a trick low recoil system) designed to shoot & scoot.
Also the US Ascod Griffin fire support light tank with 105mm. An option on Boxer too with Cockerill 105mm, and the Ascod based Sabra light tank the Phillipines recently got.
An Ajax/Ascod with the Italian Hitfact 120/45 turret interests me.
Well it’s the poor man’s LandCeptor really. But considering how few of those we have it’s nice to know that we still have the capacity for improvisation, we may need it.
Looks like a great option to support rapid deployment expeditionary missions.
ASRAAM is in a word. Deadly. When first introduced onto service on the Tornado F3 back in 2001. It transformed that platforms close in combat capability. And today’s blk 6 varient entered service in 2022 on Typhoon. And will enter service on F35B in 2024.
Hardly close in? It was the first of the new “short” range class to complement BVR missiles that actually outranged many of the older missiles. I think it would probably be near the limit if what Tornadoes, especially early marks, could actually aim and guide.
That’s is true. ASRAAM has range of around 16nm. Its true range will be classified. ASRAAM could start tracking targets at BVR ranges to follow up after AMRAAM shots. Which allowed the F3 to make quick shots if AMRAAM had been unsuccessful. And ASRAAM could track and engaging targets at high off boresight angles from the launch aircraft even without a helmet mounted display.
Sounds about right, I think they are quoting about 11 from ground launch I believe.
The speed of a firing fast jet can put a considerable amount of energy into the missile. Considerably extending the maximum range and energy to maneuver in the terminal phase. 👍
ASRAAM was quoted by Janes as doing 60km in air launched mode. The RAAF demonstrated an over the shoulder capability with the F18.
The new version has a UK built high resolution seeker that is better them the one on the AIM-9x that was first used on ASRAAM. The seeker is imaging so ‘sees’ its target making it very hard to decoy. ASRAM was going to be replaced by air launched CAMM. But instead components of CAMM were integrated into the latest ASRAAM.
👍🇬🇧 Cheers Rob.
The hopefully soon to be thrashed out deal with Japan is a possible way forward until industrial capacity finally gets up to speed.
Japan sends us 155mm ammo and we make room for it by sending Ukraine our existing 155mm ammo.
It is encouraging that the quality control of the North Korean artillery shells supplied to the Russians seems to be very poor.
True though if the figure of 1 million is correct that allows a lot of room for error, esp as so far Europe has supplied a bit less than half of the million they promised by Spring and accepted the timescale is not attainable. So accuracy will be vital to balance up the odds.
I haven’t seen the Supacat systems reported as being sent in 2022 before.
The first I heard reported as being sent were in August 2022 to deal with Russian helicopters with new longer range air to ground missiles.
I think the Supacat launched Brimstone are also in Ukraine. It’s proving itself a very versatile platform.
Good news, but…. more please. We should be churning out anti-air missiles, ASRAAM or CAMM, by the bucketload. Certainly by the thousands. Please let’s use Ukraine as an excuse to arm in quantity. Let’s use it as an excuse to funnel cash into UK manfacturing. Let’s use it as an excuse to circuvent the PM’s absurd “when finances permit” defunding of mainstrean Defence.
No chance of building lots of new missiles. Defence (UKRs and GBRs) is at the bottom of a long list, Health Care, Education and Tax Cuts are all more important when it comes to the next election, not that it will make any difference to the fortunes of the current comic collection.
The lines already exist.
BW announced they were being upgraded and new staff hired to increase production.
The question is getting all the various bits faster and moving away from a just-in-time mindset.
Just-in-time for armaments, yeah what could possibly go wrong.
K-car air defence lol. I love this thing. Just the amount of things you can adapt this into. There was a rocket artillery variant that was explored but didn’t happen. Cheap and cheerful, unless you are on the receiving of it. Also, are those pylons from RAF Tornados? Supacat vehicles could have variants for cheap rapid deployments.
That’s exactly what it looks like. No mechanisation, no turntable just a welded, fixed mounting ramp with a hand wheel with 2 up cycled Aircraft launch rails attached.
I like it, I like it a lot it’s the very definition of the KISS design philosophy.
HMT LWR could make a cheap alternative for IRIS-T or have a few CAMMs on the back. HMT LWR can also fit in an ISO container. I was also thinking about how they could do what they did with their US marine vehicle they converted to carry an anti-ship missile platform, but do it for coyote or jackal, and make the vehicle remote-operated. The company could make some interesting concepts. Although, shame about LIMAWS(R) Lightweight Mobile Artillery Weapon System. Looking at the wheelbase of this vehicle, it might be long enough, but just about for a CAMM. No idea what… Read more »
(Con) It might be a bit much.
CAMM doesn’t medically need a radar.
Target location and vector information is all it needs – it runs in passive with that and then goes active.
So a launcher can be just that.
I would have thought it needed a high-definition radar to target and track like the Giraffe AMB.
CAMM is radar agnostic. Which means any 3D/4D radar can be used. One critical issue is the combat management system (CMS), must be capable of interpreting the radar information and then feeding that to the missile. So long as the CMS can work out a target track and interception point. It can then send the missile on its way, giving it navigation updates via data-link. Then telling it to go active when it gets close enough.
HMT LWR, jackal and Coyote are all just versions of the HMT 600. And as for sticking NSM on them it’s already been done. But the preferred option is to use a heavier duty Truck like a MANN.
Yeah, it’s the chassis. I have been reading that the Supacat chassis can be extended with modules with the jackal and Coyote. I know Supacat is pretty much modular anyway, but still.
When you have a choice between this which will hit the target or Russian junk….
I suspect you just had a bit of word soup. So I’ll answer what I think you meant 🤔 I’d pick ASRAAM or CAMM everyday of the week and twice on Sunday ! I love the way this is just cobbled together, it’s what happens when someone gives you a simple spec and then buggers off to let you get on with it. Portable, cheap, lightweight, easy to fix and all it has to do is be able to point in the right direction. Oh and use the bits on the shelf. As for Russian crap, yep they have a… Read more »
Simple and works effectively 90% of the time is the solution set the Ukrainians need.
Very effective missile, creative platform, ongoing commitment. 👍
The Germans have donated IRIS-T which is also good I think. Europe needs to ramp up industrial military capacity in all areas.
200 missiles… Only 200 missiles. What a joke! they will be gone in a flash.
If the Ukrainians keep launching expensive missiles at cheap suicide drones that will always be the reality.
It’s much of the issue with Ukrainian support. It’s easy to complain about not having enough missiles when you get them for free.
In 1940 we had to decide to defend airbases at the expense of cities.
It’s a s**t call to have to make but missiles are for attacking higher value targets.
If you use them against cheap drones you will always loose.
Need to tighten up then.
If all you have is a missile to take the threat out, do you not bother just because it’s expensive? Ukraine needs more anti-air guns, no idea why we can’t and aren’t supplying pickups with M2 .50 cal machine guns or HMT 600 with 20-30mm cannon for air defence.
Another solution would be Rapier, the fact that they have not been officially mentioned is odd, unless they have all been De-milled and disposed of very quickly.
They actually destroyed or disposed of all of the remaining Rapier I think. It’s mental. I can’t remember what or where the source for that info was but I was digging for ages to find why we hadn’t given Rapier.
‘Within four months of initiating the surface launched ASRAAM project, these air defence systems were developed, manufactured, trialled and Ukrainian crews trained on their usage, on UK soil, before being transferred into Ukrainian hands.’
Well done!
So these systems are essential a poor mans land ceptor? I’m assuming so as they use the common air frame missile system shared between CAMM, Sea Ceptor, Land Ceptor and ASRAAM
Good stuff. But we too desperately need SAM protection for the UK.
Healey wrote a column for the Times a few days ago in which he specifically mentioned the UK lack of GBAD on a strategic level. This may have been a slip of the tongue but given the context I’d say that this is something Labour are genuinely considering. Pity we have to trade it for the Indo-Pacific Tilt and potentially one of the CVs, though.
Just what are the “Long Range Drones” we have supplied mentioned in the Article ?
This has been up for debate since the PM announced it last May. WarZone had claimed before that (in February) that QinetiQ were engaged by the DE&S Future Capabilities Group to produce a range of drones for selection to send to Ukraine, presumably because QinetiQ already produced the relatively cheap Banshees. Within a few weeks they showed several manufactured designs, including a 3D printed suicide drone. Presumably the drones that the PM referred to were the outcome of this QinetiQ programme. However, in September we had an aticle in the UKDJ asking where were these drones? If these are long… Read more »
Thanks, That’s pretty much how I understand it too. All very Vague.
The AFU Army of Drones, local operations should not be underestimated.
Don’t forget the Aussie cardboard plane drones capable of ripping the bear a new orifice…
They don’t like it up ’em!
There is clearly an information war going on. The Russians have no interest in telling us which drones are effective – or which are not. Putin’s FSB propaganda chappies have taken control of the Russian millbloggers and OSINT space. Western media make speculations on a great deal of military equipment – such as which is successful and which is not and under what set of circumstances – but actual performance will be highly classified. The important take on this announcement is that the UK has again stepped up and provided military support to UkR in their hour of need. If… Read more »
I was trying to figure, why ASRAAM, why not CAMM? And the obvious answer is that we had old ASRAAM in stock. We have to stop thinking of this as Ukraine’s hour of need. The war has gone on nearly two years and is likely to go on for a long time to come. Rather than providing UK stocks of whatever and then trying to backfill with newer versions over the coming years, we need to turn the manufacturing taps on and regularly build x missiles a month for both the UK and for Ukraine. I think Putin would be… Read more »
Putin should be worried, BAE have put on extra shifts at their Washington (UK) 155mm shell manufacturing facility.
Also BAE will significantly increase production of 30mm medium-calibre rounds and 5.56mm small-arms ammunition in South Wales
Hopefully NLAW production is up too!
A contract was signed about six months ago for this if I recall. .
Wizz Bang Turret flip.
Yes, another example of the MAGA delusion and attention seeking.
#45 increased the USA national debt by $1 Trillion but is a really great businessman (convicted fraudster and rapist) who will
Make
Aggression
Great
Again
so long as that benefits him.
Would be interesting to know how effective these are as they are very short range (not designed for ground launch).
If effective then the MOD should be considering some platforms for the UK, once it places an order to replace the stocks donated.
Ukraine breakthrough forces have to bunch up when going through narrow cleared paths in Russian minefields. Having mobile air defence with you, that has greater range than manpads, is useful against Russian attack helicopters using stand off LMURS missiles (14 km range).
In theory yeah for sure, just not seen much evidence of their effectiveness, when the dust settles we will see. Its like the air defences in tbe Falklands when full information was available they got no kills.
Its not just kills. You also get a result, if you scare the Russian attack helicopters to stay further away.
Effective strikes against the KA-52 bases have both destroyed many and made the few that remain run to Rostov-on-Don (RF) bases so out of the frontline fight.
Kaboom! 💥 Slava Ukraine!🇺🇦
Let’s put it like this. NASAMs can fire Sidewinder. The Block 4 ASRAAM which is the likely version being given to Ukraine, uses a similar seeker to Sidewinder X. However, ASRAAM is 1.5 inches wider in diameter. As such it holds a lot more propellent. Thereby giving it significantly better range and a much higher terminal velocity. Yet Ukrainian NASAMs have being using Sidewinder successfully.
A pint to note, ASRAAM and CAMM both use the same rocket motor. The only difference is that CAMM has the additional reaction jets in the slightly longer tail section.
CAMM is based on ASRAAM, ASRAAM is not really that short range, overlaps significantly into medium range
16km when air launched is pretty short ranged. I assume less than half that when ground launched. I guess longer if they are using a similar soft launcher to CAMM, since getting something moving takes a lot of energy, the physics 101 of static friction exceeds moving friction and inertia
I HOPE WE DONT GIVE ALL OF OUR DEFENCE SYSTEMS AWAY AND NOT REPLACE THEM ,AS THIS MOST LIKELY WHAT PUTIN WANTS US TO GIVE EVERY THING AWAY AND THEN HE WILL START SENDING MISSILES AT US AND WE WOULDN’T HAVE ENY DEFENCE SYSTEMS LEFT TO DEFEND OURSELVES
This is an FSB misinformation trope with no basis in fact.
SHOUTING doesn’t make it more credible.
Only MAGA Republicans are stupid enough to believe it
This sounds very similar to the Project Wolfram concept. Is it the same thing? It seems like a great way of getting a lot of anti-air platforms out there quickly, as it fits on a HMT truck. Both Jackal and Coyote are types of these and we have an abundance of those.
Wonder if it’s why up to 240 are on order, in order to use some for this purpose.
I agree with Ionpfrb. The UK is not giving away all of the army’s Supacat/ASRAAM…because the British Army doesn’t have any of this system. Neither is the British Army giving away all of our Land Ceptor AD systems (or even any of them) – this is brand new kit which the army has been waiting years for – there are none surplus. On a wider point, the kit that has come from the MoD inventory and gifted to Ukraine, does not in any way represent all of our systems or even most of our systems, eg we gave UKR little… Read more »
I honestly wish Caps Lock meant that missiles will lock onto whoever comments in full caps.
“…with a successful hit rate reported as high as 90% against some Russian air targets.”
A very vague statement. I have not read any details on how these are being used. What targets they are being used against.