MBDA is proposing a choice of two Ground-Based Air Defence (GBAD) systems to Malaysia. The requirement is published but not yet funded. The country’s army currently fields only short-range Starstreak and ageing Rapier missile systems.
The Malaysian Navy has bought Vertical Launch (VL) Mica missiles for its new (but much delayed) Littoral Combat Ships (LCS). The country may therefore favour the Mica VL NG (new generation) weapon that will become available in two years’ time. This includes new passive IR or active RF seekers, the latter using an AESA. MBDA claims that Mica NG is the only missile in the world equipped with two interoperable, state-of-the-art seekers. It also has more propellant and a dual-pulse motor that doubles the missile’s range to about 40km. The existing Mica is in service worldwide. It fires from a four-round launcher, in which missiles with alternative IR or RF seeker heads can be mixed, for optimum engagements.
The alternative would be MBDA’s Enhanced Modular Air Defence Solutions (EMADS) system. This uses the company’s Common Anti-air Modular Missile (CAMM) in either standard range (23km) or extended range (40+km) versions. They are soft-launched from an eight-round launcher, have 360-degree coverage, and an AESA seeker for all-weather operation. These missiles provide protection against the spectrum of air targets including low-level terrain-following or high-altitude threats. A secure two-way datalink can provide target updates inflight, thereby further improving CAMM capability against manoeuvring threats.
In other respects, EMADS is a mix-and-match system, allowing integration with alternative 3D radars, C2 systems and vehicles, per customer choice.
by Chris Pocock
