The UK has signed a contract with the Polish Government supporting the early introduction of Poland’s future short-range air defence system, ‘Narew’.
According to the UK Government here, CEO of the Polish Armaments Group Sebastian Chwałek and MBDA Sales Director Poland Adrian Monks signed the interim capability contract in Warsaw today, which is the first of two stages to deliver the Common Anti Air Modular Missile (CAMM), a surface to air missile in use by the UK and other nations.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:
“Poland and the United Kingdom maintain a wide-ranging and important defence partnership and this move will benefit both countries, as well as the wider NATO alliance.This missile is at the forefront of threat detection and deterrence, with Poland’s Short-Range Air Defence system seeing even greater alignment between our Armed Forces.”
According to a press release
“The UK’s Sky Sabre and Poland’s NAREW GBAD systems will both use the same CAMM missiles and launcher, but with Polish designed components for the radar, C2, and vehicles. The British Army is currently deploying their CAMM-based GBAD system, known as Sky Sabre, to Poland to help protect Polish air space. There are also plans to share these pioneering technologies for production of further ground-based air defence (GBAD) systems in Poland, which will develop and sustain critical skills and jobs across the respective missile sectors.”
Chris Allam, Managing Director of MBDA UK, was quoted as saying:
“MBDA is proud to be part of such an important programme for the protection of Polish skies together with our Polish partners from the Polish Armaments Group. This rapid initial Narew project demonstrates MBDA’s agility to respond to urgent needs and develop sovereign system solutions in rapid timescales. We are already working to deliver the first systems to Poland as well as addressing the wider Narew programme of technology transfer and Polish manufacture.”
The Ministry of Defence website says:
“CAMM is the latest generation of air defence missile used by both the British Army and the Royal Navy and made in Bolton, with MBDA UK based in Stevenage and employing 4,000 people across the country.”
No doubt having access to the F-35 helped us develop this system.
A very useful bit of kit to have! I wonder if we might see a fixed land-based ER version in the future to protect our cities and military installations against attack?
“The missiles developed by the UK are said to be able to detect 5th generation fighters effectively.
Notably, London has emphasized its readiness to hunt down Russian fighter jets.
Sky Sabre, a state-of-the-art air defence system, replaces Rapier, propelling the British Army to the forefront of ground-based air defence missile technology.”
https://www.defenceview.in/moscow-received-bad-news-su-57-su-75-in-sight-the-hunt-for-russian-aircraft-began/
I have to say Nigel, that’s a rubbish article you linked to;
” Avia.Pro reports that a British copy of the S-400 missile has been deployed to hunt down Russian fighter jets.”
British copy?
Likely more someone with a poor grasp of the English language rather than it being an insinuation that the UK has reverse engineered an S-400. Copy probably should be equivalent
Probably so.
Exactly my thought.
Sky Sabre: Designed To Shoot Down Russian Stealth Fighters and Hypersonic Missiles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruKC-Ixdj7U
I don’t think I have ever seen MBDA claim that the system could shoot down a hypersonic missile.
“No doubt having access to the F-35 helped us develop this system.”
What?
Asraam’s lineage goes back over 50 years to Taildog/SRAAM. The Asraam programme started years before JSF, it’s use as a naval SAM also predates JSF (the NM21 requirement).
Why on earth would anyone think having F-35 helped?
“No doubt having access to the F-35 helped us develop this system.”
What?
Tracking Stealth Technology, sorry, I thought you might have worked that out for yourself.
Even with the mobile system, I do believe it is definitely feasible. Looking at the MAN trucks and the CAMM pallet. There is plenty of room for the extended length CAMM-ER tubes. Being slightly wider in diameter, the pallet may only hold 8 rather than the 12. Though they could add another row of 4 to push the total back to 12, if the pallet mechanism could take the weight.
Still needs a better radar though!
Giraffe AMB is very, very good. What radar do you think would be more appropriate?
Yes, I know Giraffe AMB is pretty good, but Sky Sabre could have better. For starters, it is a mechanical scanned multibeam pulse doppler radar in the same category as the Searchwater 2000. I would bypass passive electronically scanned arrays (PESAs) and go for an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. Saab have several AESA radars, but their 1X is too short ranged and their 4A is too big and heavy for the Giraffe lift. Leonardo have their Kronos Land AESA radar, that operates in the same band as Giraffe (C-band) and uses a telescopic lift. It has a similar… Read more »
We had Giraffe in Basra, was very good at picking up small mortars and rockets…however seems to be getting long in the tooth now!
Rubbish. CAMM-ER has an identical diameter over its fins and its storage/launch container has an identical cross section. What pallet? Each Sky Sabre launcher has capacity for 8 missiles be they CAMM or CAMM-ER.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DndyWJ1WwAEJBD4?format=jpg&name=orig
You think MBDA and its constituant companies knew nothing about stealth until the F-35 appeared? Ridiculous.
At least use a CAMM missile in the picture!
I hope that as this comes out, we’ll see more of a contingency force emerge for UK air defence.
Conr wrote:
From the MBDA website:
Ah cool! CAMM ER looks rather different, it’s not just the size!
CAMM-ER has a booster for more range and altitude .
Has a larger booster and fins along its length as can be seen in the photo.
lol
If the UK and Poland are going in on the same GBAD then it would make a lot of sense for Ukraine to look at it as an medium-long term option. Hopefully we can generate some economies of scale and get more systems ourselves.
Should the Head Shed aka Treasury pay any heedance to the fabled ‘economies of scale’ we would have had 12 T45, more wedgetail, more T26, Astutes… ad infinitum.
Colour me cynical.
Cynical but sadly true….
Not sure what colour cynical actually might be, but you’re right.
Economies of scale are more likely to come from exports rather than a handful more for the UK. The UK over the years has not ‘productised’ our defence supply chain very well with too much bespoke stuff. Nimrod was classic example,, Hawk another example instead of reinvesting profits from 1000 airframes BAe relied on governments to pay for the next iteration. We’re finally seeing some common sense with T31.
👍
I think Ukraine is going to need gifts for a while yet. Even when the war is over the reconstruction bill will be massive.
Some joint projects with Ukraine in the future could be great. They develop good kit at good prices. Partnering with the U.K. on say artillery could have Ukraine doing the manufacturing and the U.K. installing some tech. Would hopefully make it cheaper all round.
Could the UK train the Ukrainians how to use this system, lend lease or sell them it, a combat proven system will always sell well through out the world, the British army claims this is a good system and I have no doubt it is, the Ukrainians need more Air defence capability so this could be a win win for all.
With all the recent arms deals going to Poland (Type 31 now this) will there be any reciprocal deals coming back (New helicopters or SP artillery)?
We will have to wait and see. Poland is great defence partner to have. Joint projects can really benefit both sides.
And now Brimstone
If love to see a UK / Polish IFV to replace the Ajax clusterfxxk
So the question is, how long would it take to train Ukrainians to use Sky Sabre? 🤔
The number of S300 and S400 systems in NATO hands that can be donated to Ukraine will be limited, and barring a coup in Russia it looks like this war could drag on and on…
If the R.A. can be taught, anyone can! 😁
It would make far more sense to send every ex-Soviet system to Ukraine in NATO, scour the world for more (and pay a premium if necessary), then supply any surplus i-Hawk systems, then go to Patriot or NASAM’s than Sky Sabre. Why? Because its new and available in incredibly limited numbers…and that includes the missiles. The other systems are far more established and with experience in their use and operation.
If you read my post I was referring to what happens when there are no more ex-Soviet systems to send, this war could last months, even years if China stars supplying Russia. No better way to see how effective Sky Sabre is against Russia’s latest, and justify increased production.
The only S-400s in NATO’s hands is Turkey’s and they are holding onto them.
From Janes 19/04/22: Poland orders SHORAD with CAMM effectors The Polish Ministry of National Defence (MND) signed a contract with the PGZ-Narew consortium on 14 April for a ground-based short-range air-defence system (SHORAD) based on the MBDA Common Anti-Air Modular Missile (CAMM) system. The Polish army will receive two firing units with three MBDA CAMM iLaunchers each integrated into a Polish Jelcz 8×8 truck chassis, transporter and loader vehicles, and deployable Soła 3D radars. The first unit is expected to be delivered in September and the second one in the end of 2022 or in the beginning of 2023. Under… Read more »
If makes me wonder why sky saber took so long to build, if Poland can get their first unit so fast. The missile tech was already developed and we used off shelf radar etc, so why so many years.
I really hope we are training the Ukranians in Poland to use Sky Sabre. Once trained it can help defend Odesa and free up the Ukrainians to move their assets further east. We’ll need to manufacture more systems though to compensate.
Can’t see skysabre being introduced into Ukraine even if there were sufficient systems though I can imagine there is temptation on the part of some to show what it can do.
Very interesting news article from the US: U.S. intel helped Ukraine protect air defenses, shoot down Russian plane carrying hundreds of troops As Russia launched its invasion, the U.S. gave Ukrainian forces detailed intelligence about exactly when and where Russian missiles and bombs were intended to strike, prompting Ukraine to move air defenses and aircraft out of harm’s way, current and former U.S. officials told NBC News. That near real-time intelligence-sharing also paved the way for Ukraine to shoot down a Russian transport plane carrying hundreds of troops in the early days of the war, the officials say, helping repel… Read more »
So the II76 shoot down story was true. No wreckage IDd on Twitter yet though.
Clearly good news, as more customers the more likely upgrades will be made faster.
However I am curious if the MOD actually gets anything from these orders. Foreign countries seem to buy more per capita than we do, which makes me wonder if we pay for all the r&d and testing, but don’t keep the IP and so it’s just the weapons company that profits from it
You would be qute incorrect in pretty much everything you’ve wondered here.
Yes, the MoD keeps ownership of the IP. No, the MoD doesn’t get the benefit of any fees for its use, they go to the Treasury and, in many cases, the IP royalties are waived.