At the Farnborough International Airshow General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) and MBDA signed a memorandum of understanding that outlined an agreement to work together to ensure the MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft and Gambit 6 collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) can carry and use the air-launched Surface Attack Weapon, SPEAR.
GA-ASI has completed weapons testing for the Royal Air Force’s Protector RG Mk1 Remotely Piloted Aircraft, qualifying both the Paveway IV laser-guided bomb and the MBDA Brimstone 3 air-to-surface missile for launch from the MQ-9B. Testing was completed on 18 June at GA-ASI’s facilities in Southern California. MBDA told AI that it is focusing on integrating its range of weapons with other legacy uncrewed medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
At Farnborough, MBDA UK also unveiled a Raven 5 surface-to-air missile (SAM) system fitted with two missiles from the prospective Italian Fulgur MANPADS. Integration comes amid the growing prominence of UAS on the battlefield and the need for an effective means of countering them.
The Raven fire MBDA UK produced ASRAAM anti-air missiles, and the system was originally developed at the start of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine in response to a Ukrainian request for more NATO-standard weapons. The system was developed in just four months at the initiative of the RAF’s Air and Space Warfare Centre, which proposed mounting short-range ASRAAM air-to-air missiles on the readily available Supercat HMT-600 platform to create a ground-based air defence (GBAD) system. By 2025, 13 units had been delivered to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and its ASRAAM missiles had achieved a reported success rate of 70% across 400 launches. The latest variant Raven 5 is equipped with four launch rails on a 360° rotating mount developed by Moog. MBDA UK is also exploring the integration of ASRAAM missiles onto other platforms and legacy launchers, and potential future platforms could include the Rapier SAM system and other containerised launcher configurations.
MBDA also displayed SL-ASRAAM, an agile, low-cost, and immediate solution for a Mobile Short Range Air Defence (SHORAD) system. SL-ASRAAM has the necessary interfaces to integrate seamlessly into wider battlefield networks, provide a true integrated air and missile defence capability.
by David Oliver
