MBDA’s First Sea Ceptor firings are a double success

04/07/2014
© FMV Vidsel Test Range
© FMV Vidsel Test Range

MBDA carried out two successful guided firings by the Sea Ceptor air defence system on 29th May and 5th June at the land-based Vidsel range facilities in Sweden. These firings were the first seeker guided firings for the Common Anti-air Modular Missile (CAMM), including using its two-way data link to communicate with the Sea Ceptor system.

The trial demonstrated the functionality of Sea Ceptor’s Command and Control (C2) system and its ability to process data from a third party radar and then command an engagement by a CAMM missile.

The CAMMs both performed as expected, with their active Radio Frequency (RF) seeker acquiring the targets shortly after launch and staying in track until they intercepted their respective targets.

CAMM is to be used by the Royal Navy and Royal New Zealand Navy in the Sea Ceptor system and the British Army with the Future Local Area Air Defence System (FLAADS) Land system.

Dave Armstrong, Group Director for Short & Medium Range Missiles welcomed the results saying, “The success of these two firings is a major step forward for the Sea Ceptor programme and the CAMM missile, and directly benefits the associated FLAADS Land equivalent. It is also instrumental in proving that the UK MOD’s Portfolio Management Agreement with MBDA can develop complex weapons through the use of commonality and modularity, and do so in an affordable manner.”

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