A new low-cost surface-to-air missile being developed with European allies will initially be fielded with a minimum deployable capability before being upgraded through successive improvements, according to a written parliamentary answer from Defence Minister Luke Pollard.
Responding to Conservative MP James Cartlidge, Pollard said the project is progressing under the Low-cost Air Defence Effector programme within the NATO-aligned LEAP initiative announced in February.
“The new weapon system will be introduced through the spiral acquisition model, delivering a Minimum Deployable Capability followed by iterative enhancements,” Pollard said.
The programme is currently moving into the industrial selection stage, where proposals from industry will be assessed. “The low-cost air defence effector project under the LEAP initiative… is now entering the international industrial selection phase,” he said.
Pollard also confirmed that the system has not yet been given an official name. “No project name has yet been allocated and the name of the weapon system will depend on which proposal is taken forward into production,” he said.
The concept demonstration phase is now beginning, and the final designation will only be decided once a specific design has been selected for production.
The project is intended to deliver a new generation of lower-cost air defence weapons designed to counter large numbers of airborne threats, including drones and missiles, while easing pressure on more expensive interceptor systems currently used by NATO forces.
I could see a role for an IR seeker missile to complement CAMM very much in the same way Ukraine has been firing ASRAAM from the ground. However it’s still likely to be expensive.
It seems much better to have drones hunting drones and missiles hunting missiles and aircraft.
The US Coyote missile seems to be the best example so far deployed.
Are we buying some in 2031, just like the rest of everthing that will be ready by then. We can talk about it, window shop, give it a fancy project name and do nothing else, state normal. Its fine every thing will be ready, and in service by 2031 the Government love that date as its after the next election, not thier problem.