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The CAMM (Common Anti-Air Modular Missile) is a family of
surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-ai ...
s developed by
MBDA UK MBDA UK is the British Division (business), division of the pan-European missile systems company MBDA (itself a joint venture of Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo (company), Leonardo). Formed in 2001, the company has developed, both independently ...
for the United Kingdom. CAMM is derived from, and shares some common features and components with, the Advanced Short-Range
Air-to-Air Missile An air-to-air missile (AAM) is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft (including unmanned aircraft such as cruise missiles). AAMs are typically powered by one or more rocket motors, usually solid-fuel roc ...
(
ASRAAM The Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM), also known by its United States designation AIM-132, is an imaging infrared homing air-to-air missile, produced by MBDA UK, that is designed for close-range combat. It is in service in the ...
), but with updated electronics, a soft vertical launch system, and an
active radar homing Active radar homing (ARH) is a missile guidance method in which a missile contains a radar transceiver (in contrast to semi-active radar homing, which uses only a passive radar, receiver) and the electronics necessary for it to find and track it ...
seeker. The CAMM family is in use by or on order for the armed forces of several countries. In the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
, CAMM, the point and local area defence variant with a range of greater than , is part of the Sea Ceptor air defence system which replaced the Sea Wolf missiles on Type 23 frigates starting from 2018. It will also equip both the Type 26 and Type 31 frigates planned for 2028, and is intended to replace Aster 15 on the Type 45 destroyer. In the
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
, CAMM forms the interceptor component of the Sky Sabre/Land Ceptor air defence system, which replaced the
Rapier A rapier () is a type of sword originally used in Spain (known as ' -) and Italy (known as '' spada da lato a striscia''). The name designates a sword with a straight, slender and sharply pointed two-edged long blade wielded in one hand. It wa ...
missile from 2021. The development of CAMM is also contributing to the updating of ASRAAM in service with the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
. An extended-range version of the CAMM (CAMM-ER) was in the final stages of development by the UK and Italy . It is capable of reaching targets over away. Brazil announced in 2014 that it was independently to develop the similar + ranged MV-AMA (AVibras Medium Altitude Missile) for its Astros 2020 MLRS and naval platforms. A larger CAMM-MR (medium-range) missile with a range of over was being developed by the UK and Poland in 2022, to equip Polish ''Wicher''-class frigates and '' Wisła'' air defence systems.


Development

The Common Anti-Air Modular Missile has its roots in a Technology Demonstration Programme (TDP), jointly funded by
MBDA MBDA is a European multinational corporation specialized in the design, development and manufacturing of Missile, missiles and related systems.Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...
(MoD) as part of the United Kingdom's Future Local Area Air Defence System (FLAADS). FLAADS is part of a wider UK "Team Complex Weapons" (UK Industrial partnership of companies such as MBDA and Thales UK) programme to deliver a variety of weapons and maintain UK sovereign capability in this area. FLAADS is intended to deliver a common weapons platform, CAMM, to equip forces in the air, land and maritime environments. During the early stages of the FLAADS programme, requirements were identified for the new missile to meet both current and anticipated threats, namely "airborne targets which are typified by high speed, rapid evasive manoeuvres, low signatures and advanced countermeasure " Phase 1 of the TDP worked on technologies for soft vertical launch, the low-cost active radar seeker, a dual-band two-way data link and a programmable open systems architecture. Phase 2 began in 2008 and covered the manufacture of flight-worthy subsystems, mid-course guidance firings and captive airborne seeker trials on a
Qinetiq QinetiQ ( as in '' kinetic'') is a British defence technology company headquartered in Farnborough, Hampshire. It operates primarily in the defence, security and critical national infrastructure markets and run testing and evaluation capabili ...
Andover experimental aircraft. The Soft Vertical Launch was proven over a series of trials starting from 2003, culminating in a successful soft launch of a complete missile in May 2011. In January 2012 the MoD awarded MBDA a £483 million contract to develop FLAADS (Maritime) to replace Sea Wolf missiles on Type 23 frigates now known as Sea Ceptor."Sea Ceptor, MBDA's Next Generation Air Defence System Gets Go Ahead For Royal Navy Frigates"
31 January 2012, navyrecognition.com
In 2013, MBDA and Thales UK outlined in a press release the scale of their cooperation on the development of both CAMM and FLAADS. Manufacturing work valuing £1 million had been placed at Thales'
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site, including for elements such as internal thermal management modelling, structural analysis, and precision manufacturing of a number of missile components. MBDA and Thales were also exploring on other areas such as the provision of in-service support to CAMM users. Thales'
Basingstoke Basingstoke ( ) is a town in Hampshire, situated in south-central England across a valley at the source of the River Loddon on the western edge of the North Downs. It is the largest settlement in Hampshire without city status in the United King ...
site were also exploring two pilot programs covering missile safety and arming units and intelligent fuzes, in cooperation with MBDA. The Basingstoke site had already been contracted in 2012 to supply CAMM with laser proximity fuzes under an £11 million contract. Throughout this development,
ASRAAM The Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM), also known by its United States designation AIM-132, is an imaging infrared homing air-to-air missile, produced by MBDA UK, that is designed for close-range combat. It is in service in the ...
was used as the base design for the future missile but with new software, a turnover pack, folding fins, an RF seeker, and data-link added to facilitate the required capabilities. Other components beyond those directly from ASRAAM were reused from other programs such as the command and control software which reuses around 70% of that developed for the Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS) on board the Type 45 destroyers as well as some internal electronic components from the Sea Wolf Block 2 missiles. In return, some of the technologies and components developed for CAMM were used to upgrade ASRAAM as part of the Block 6 upgrade. Overall, development costs were reduced by a using modular design and minimised complexity. In January 2015, the MoD announced that it had signed a development and manufacturing deal with MBDA in late December 2014. In September 2017, the first successful Sea Ceptor (CAMM) firing occurred at sea from the Type 23 frigate, HMS ''Argyll''. On 24 June 2021, MBDA announced that CAMM-ER had completed its first successful live-firing in late 2020 from a range in Italy. On 13 March 2024, it was announced that MBDA was seeking to triple the monthly production rate of the CAMM family of missiles from 2022 to 2026. Furthermore, MBDA would double production capacity of its
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facility in the UK and create a second final assembly line for CAMM-ER in Italy.


Characteristics

The main variants of the CAMM family utilise a number of common features. The missiles' guidance system uses a combination of two-way
data link A data link is a means of telecommunications link, connecting one location to another for the purpose of transmitting and receiving digital information (data communication). It can also refer to a set of electronics assemblies, consisting of a t ...
for in-flight guidance and retargeting, and an active RF seeker, using
gallium nitride Gallium nitride () is a binary III/ V direct bandgap semiconductor commonly used in blue light-emitting diodes since the 1990s. The compound is a very hard material that has a Wurtzite crystal structure. Its wide band gap of 3.4  eV af ...
(GaN) solid-state
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technology, for terminal guidance ( lock-on after launch) providing high performance in all weather conditions. As missiles can receive guidance inputs over data link, targeting data through to the missile's terminal phase can be provided by the fire-control channel(s) present on modern 3D radar systems, removing any requirement for a ship or ground-based air-defence system (GBAD) to incorporate dedicated
fire-control A fire-control system (FCS) is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a Director (military), director and radar, which is designed to assist a ranged weapon system to target, track, and hit a target. It performs th ...
or radar illuminator systems, helping to reduce system cost, weight, and maintenance requirements. This also allows the use of targeting data from a much greater variety of sources, for instance, if a ship's combat management system or a GBAD's command post is compatible with wider battlefield data-link systems (e.g. NATO's Link 16) then connected assets including aircraft or other air defence systems can contribute targeting data. This guidance combination reportedly allows a high rate of fire against multiple simultaneous targets (
saturation attack A saturation attack or swarm attack is a military tactic in which the attacking side hopes to gain an advantage by swarming and overwhelming the defending side's technological, physical and mental ability to respond effectively. During the Cold W ...
s) and against a "wide target set" with missiles also described as having a "modest" surface-to-surface capability. However, there are concerns that the increased use of data link may make the system more vulnerable to electronic warfare measures. CAMM also incorporates a cold launch system referred to as Soft Vertical Launch (SVL). Unlike the more traditional hot launch method whereby a missile would use its own rocket motor to leave its launch cell, SVL uses a
gas generator A gas generator is a device for generating gas. A gas generator may create gas by a chemical reaction or from a solid or liquid source, when storing a pressurized gas is undesirable or impractical. The term often refers to a device that uses a ...
to pneumatically eject the missile from its canister while a turn-over pack on the missile body orients the missile directly towards the target before engaging its rocket motor and accelerating for interception. Whilst still providing 360° coverage around the launch system, the unique benefits of this launch method include: * Increased maximum interception range by saving all the rocket motor's energy to power the intercept. * Reduced minimum intercept range by reducing the turn-over arc required of the missile after launch which would otherwise bleed valuable energy (reportedly saving 30% of launch weight). * Reduced stress on launch platforms and the removal of most efflux management concerns which allows for both reduced launcher maintenance, lighter and more compact launcher options, and greater freedom of launching locations, for instance, the increased feasibility of firing the missiles from wooded or urban areas. * Reduced risks from missile malfunction as there is little risk of the missile being stuck in the launcher with a burning rocket motor and damage the launcher and surrounding missiles. * Reduced launch signature (visual / infrared) for better launch platform concealment (also potentially enables the physical camouflaging of the launcher) and reduced sensor obstruction post-firing. The CAMM family are described as having a maintenance-free design throughout the missile's shelf life of reportedly 10 or 20 years, with munitions remaining safely sealed in their launch canisters until firing. CAMM's software utilises open-systems architecture allowing for both easier integration with new sensors and combat management systems but also general upgrades throughout its service life. Additionally, all CAMM munitions are rated as
Insensitive munition 'Insensitivity' (sensi'tivitē) refers to a lack of sensitivity (human), sensitivity for other's feelings. It may also refer to: * Insensitive (song), "Insensitive" (song), a 1995 song by Canadian singer Jann Arden * Insensitive (House), ''Insensi ...
compliant for improved platform survivability in the event of damage. The missiles of the CAMM family can be used interchangeably by both naval and ground-based air defence systems allowing for common usage and shared munition stockpiles between
military branch Military branch (also service branch or armed service) is according to common standard a subdivision of the national armed forces of a sovereign nation or state. Types of branches Unified armed forces The Canadian Armed Forces is the unifie ...
es.


Ground-based air defence (Land Ceptor)

The land application of CAMM is marketed as the "Enhanced Modular Air Defence Solutions" (EMADS) package or "Land Ceptor". The system utilises MBDA's Intelligent Launcher (iLauncher), a scalable, palletised erector launcher for up to eight CAMM or CAMM-ER missiles and mounted to an 8x8 vehicle of choice. iLauncher provides the two-way data link for the missiles in-flight and can also optionally integrate an electro-optical targeting system for passive target acquisition within line of sight of the launcher. Additionally, iLauncher is capable of self-loading/unloading missile racks via a hook system or change individual missile canisters with the assistance of a crane (This reportedly allows for missiles to be loaded in half the time as required for Rapier). It is also fitted with its own power supply allowing it to be dismounted from the parent vehicle and operated remotely if necessary, as well as mounting onboard test-equipment for streamlined maintenance. iLauncher has evolved considerably from its initial concept in the early 2010s. The first iterations of the system were seen mounted on MAN 4x4 trucks, loaded with two racks of six missiles (12 missiles total), a small crane, an early version of the data link mast and considerably fewer auxiliary components compared to the final product. As part of EMADS, CAMM and iLauncher are designed to be integrated with a customer's choice of command and radar systems, as well as wider battlespace management systems such as
Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational Aerospace manufacturer, aerospace and Arms industry, defense company. With 97,000 employees and an annual revenue in excess of $40 billion, it is one of the world's largest Arms industry ...
's Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS). Additionally, by using data link, the various component systems of EMADS (launchers, sensors, command systems) do not required physical connectors such as cables to be established between them, allowing a battery or fire-group to deploy and redeploy more rapidly but also allowing for components to be spaced apart out to a reported distance of for improved survivability.


Naval-based air defence (Sea Ceptor)

The naval application of CAMM is marketed as "Sea Ceptor". CAMM can be integrated on vessels as small as such as in/offshore patrol vessels or on larger surface combatants (
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
s and
frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...
s), only requiring the internal installation of the necessary computing systems as well as above-deck aerials for the two-way data link for the missiles, and is designed to be easily integrated with a ship's combat management system. CAMM's soft vertical launch capability with the resultant removal of most efflux management concerns aboard ships enables the use of a variety of shipborne launching options. The low cost, low weight, option is CAMM's own vertical launch canisters (colloquially known as "mushroom farms" due to the appearance of the protective cover used to protect the protruding cells when not in combat) which use a lengthened and modified version of the vertical launch cells used on the Type 23 frigates. A more modular version of this launcher arrangement was later developed, utilising six-cell launch modules. Alternately, following integration with the Host Extensible Launching System (ExLS), CAMM, CAMM-ER and CAMM-MR can be packed into the larger multi-role Mark 41 or Mark 57 vertical launching systems, providing a launching system which is much more compact and with greater missile capacity (multiple missiles can be packed into each individual launch cell), though heavier and more expensive. The French Sylver vertical launching system can also be used. The ExLS product line also has a stand-alone three-cell launch module that can provide tactical-length launch capabilities comparable to the Mark 41, but in a lighter and smaller package, as a middle-ground launcher option for CAMM and CAMM-ER.


Variants


Main variants


CAMM

The point defence and local-area defence variant. CAMM weighs , is in length, and is in diameter. Incorporating the same rocket motor from ASRAAM, CAMM has a flight altitude of and reported minimum operational range of less than and a maximum range greater than , although
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reported that trials had shown the missile having a capability of traveling up to . These ranges are significantly greater than both the range of Sea Wolf and the range of
Rapier A rapier () is a type of sword originally used in Spain (known as ' -) and Italy (known as '' spada da lato a striscia''). The name designates a sword with a straight, slender and sharply pointed two-edged long blade wielded in one hand. It wa ...
that CAMM would replace. Can be quad-packed.


CAMM-ER (Extended-Range)

The extended-range point and local-area defence variant. Under development with MBDA and Avio for the Italian Ministry of Defence since 2013. CAMM-ER weighs , is in length, and is diameter. Other than the increased dimensions and alongside the addition of strakes and fins to the body as well as a slightly redesigned seeker radome, CAMM-ER utilises a new Avio rocket motor enabling a range in excess of , although these ranges are reported as conservative, and a flight altitude of . Can be quad-packed.


CAMM-MR (Medium-Range)

An area defence variant with a range in excess of being developed in partnership between MBDA UK and PGZ as of 2023 as part of the wider 2030 UK-Poland Strategic Partnership. The missile is being primarily developed for Polish requirements as a lower-cost, locally producible missile to complement the existing PAC-3 MSE within the ''Wisła'' system'','' as well as to have a single medium-range missile that can be used by both ground based air defence assets and the Polish Navy's ''Wicher''-class frigates. Whilst there is currently little information on the missile's overall characteristics aside range, official images of the munition shows two missiles loaded into a single Mark 41 cell making CAMM-MR the first munition of this range class capable of being dual-packed into the Mark 41 Vertical Launching System, enabling 16 missiles to be carried by a single Mk 41 eight-cell launch module.


Additional variants

The MV-AMA (AVibras Medium-Altitude Missile) is a Brazilian variant of CAMM under development since 2014 to meet the needs of the
Brazilian Army The Brazilian Army (; EB) is the branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces responsible, externally, for defending the country in eminently terrestrial operations and, internally, for guaranteeing law, order and the constitutional branches, subordina ...
's 'Strategic Anti-Aircraft Defence Program'. The missile is expected to have a range of , up to an altitude of and designed to be compatible with the Astros 2020
multiple rocket launcher A multiple rocket launcher (MRL) or multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) is a type of rocket artillery system that contains multiple rocket launcher, launchers which are fixed to a single weapons platform, platform, and shoots its rocket (weapon ...
as well as naval platforms. The program is expected to have 70% sovereign Brazilian industrial contribution.


Related developments

Technologies derived from both CAMM and Brimstone are also being used in the development of the Land Precision Strike Missile for the
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
, an ranged surface-to-surface missile designed to complement the GMLRS-ER for use against high-value and moving targets. Marketing material shows that missile is also expected to be compatible with iLauncher among other potential launch platforms.


Operational history


United Kingdom


Royal Navy

MBDA, as lead contractor, received an £851 million contract to integrate CAMM on the Type 23 frigates with a planned in-service date of November 2016. Sea Ceptor entered operational service in May 2018, with HMS ''Argyll'' being the first Type 23 frigate to deploy with the system. The Type 23 has de-risked the integration of Sea Ceptor (also referred to as GWS-35) by retaining a modified version of its existing 32-cell vertical launch system for Sea Wolf which is lengthened to accommodate the longer CAMM; this was opposed to MBDA's alternate proposal of introducing a new 12-cell ExLS complex for 48 quad-packed missiles. The Anti-Air-Warfare Officer of the Type 23 Frigate HMS ''Westminster'' said after test firings "''Westminster'' managed to explore the real potential of the system during her training and to say it is a real game changer is an understatement. Unlike its predecessor ea Wolf the system is capable of defending ships other than ''Westminster'' herself. Whether it's engaging multiple air threats or fast incoming attack craft, Sea Ceptor represents a massive capability upgrade for the Type 23 frigate." The Royal Navy's future Type 26 and Type 31 frigates (replacing the Type 23s) will be fitted with Sea Ceptor when they enter service in the late 2020s. A £128 million contract was signed with MBDA to integrate CAMM on to the Type 26 frigates with a planned completion date of December 2019. The Type 26 had previously been shown as having 2x24-cell mushroom farm launch complexes for CAMM located forward and amidships (four 6-cell modules each) for a total 48x Sea Ceptors; however, the Royal Navy's website now describes the Type 26 as being fitted with a 12-cell vertical launch system and 24 Mk41 launcher cells. The Type 31 has had a number of revisions to its vertical launch system. Initially the Arrowhead 140 design (which would later be selected for the Type 31) was depicted being fitted with a single bulk mushroom farm for 24 missiles. In 2020 this arrangement was revised for the modular mushroom farm launcher with two 6-cell modules for a total of 12 missiles, with the noticeable reduction of missiles possibly being a cost-saving measure. On 21 May 2023, First Sea Lord Sir Ben Key announced that Royal Navy intends to fit the Type 31s with their previously fitted-for-but-not-with 32-cell Mark 41 vertical launch systems to provide them additional firepower and will likely see ships hosting at least 32x missiles quad-packed into one of their four eight-cell launch modules. In July 2021, MBDA was awarded a contract to integrate Sea Ceptor onto the six Type 45 destroyers between 2026 and 2032. 24x CAMM cells (four 6-cell modules) are expected to be mounted forward of the existing 48-cell Sylver launcher to fulfil the short-range air defence role currently performed by Aster 15 missiles. This will allow a total of 48 long-ranged Aster 30s to be carried in their place and bring a 50% increase in the ship's overall missile capacity. CAMM saw its first official combat use with the Royal Navy on the morning of 9 March 2024 when destroyed two Houthi drones during the Red Sea crisis with an unspecified number of missiles.


British Army

The British Army's CAMM-based air defence system is known as Sky Sabre. Rafael, the lead contractor for the programme, was awarded a £618 million contract in 2016 for the delivery of the system with a planned in-service date of March 2020. Sky Sabre consists of three main components: MBDA iLaunchers loaded with CAMM, the Surface to Air Missile Centre (SAMOC) which runs on Rafael's Modular Integrated C4I Air & Missile Defence System (MIC4AD) as used on Israel's
Iron Dome Iron Dome () is an Israeli mobile all-weather air defense system, developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries. The system is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells fired f ...
, and Saab's Giraffe Agile Multi-Beam (GAMB) passive-electronically scanned array radar. GAMB operates in the C-band and provides Sky Sabre with 360° radar coverage at up to 70° elevation and out range. The radar itself is raised above its parent vehicle to give better detection of low level threats and greater freedom in system deployment by allowing the array to look over obstacles such as buildings or treelines. All of these components are mounted on
MAN A man is an adult male human. Before adulthood, a male child or adolescent is referred to as a boy. Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromosome from the f ...
HX77 8x8 heavy utility trucks and can all be dismounted from their parent vehicles if required. Reportedly a Sky Sabre battery consists of one SAMOC, one GAMB, and four to six iLaunchers. Sky Sabre is operated by 16th Regiment Royal Artillery under the command of the 7th Air Defence Group. Land Ceptor provides Sky Sabre and the British Army with over three times the range of the preceding Rapier system. Major Tim Oakes, Senior Training Officer for the Sky Sabre training programme is quoted as saying: "Sky Sabre is so accurate and agile that it is capable of hitting a tennis ball-sized object travelling at the speed of sound. In fact, it can control the flight of 24 missiles simultaneously whilst in flight, guiding them to intercept 24 separate targets. It is an amazing capability." On 1 July 2021, it was revealed that Sky Sabre had started acceptance trials and training with the
Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
and that it would be deployed to the
Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; ), commonly referred to as The Falklands, is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and from Cape Dub ...
would occur "late summer/early autumn
021 069 is: * in Brazil, the telephone area code for the city of Rio de Janeiro and surrounding cities (Greater Rio de Janeiro) * in China, the telephone area code for the city of Shanghai. * in Indonesia, the area code for the city of Jakarta and su ...
. Sky Sabre had its initial operating capability declared on 8 October 2021 with the first systems delivered by the Defence Equipment & Support Agency (DE&S) to the 7th Air Defence Group in December 2021 before being formally declared operational in January 2022. During the same month, Sky Sabre's first deployment was announced to the Falklands replacing the existing Rapier missile deployment. In March 2022, the UK announced it would be deploying a Sky Sabre fire group to Poland to bolster
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's Eastern flank following the
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dubbed Operation Stifftail. On 13 March 2024, Minister of Defence
Grant Shapps Sir Grant Shapps (born 14 September 1968) is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for Defence from August 2023 to July 2024. Shapps previously served in various Cabinet of the United Kingdom, cabinet posts, including Chairman of ...
announced on social media that Operation Stifftail would formally be extended. It eventually concluded in December 2024.


Poland

The
Polish Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland (, ; abbreviated SZ RP), also called the Polish Armed Forces and popularly called in Poland (, roughly "the Polish Military"—abbreviated ''WP''), are the national Military, armed forces of the Poland, ...
had begun modernisation efforts for its air-defence capability in the 2010s with the development of its domestic ''Pilica'' system for short-range air defence, and the procurement of Patriot (known as ''Wisła'' in Polish service) with PAC-3 MSE missiles for medium-range capabilities from 2017. The gap between these two systems would be filled by the new ''Narew'' system which would make up the bulk of Polish air defence assets. The CAMM family was selected to equip ''Narew'' in November 2021 with the intention being to equip the system with CAMM-ER. An urgent operational requirement and interim solution known as ''Mała Narew'' (small/little ''Narew'') was created in 2022 and would be equipped with the already in-production CAMM variant whilst also marking the beginning of both a technology transfer from MBDA to PGZ and the development of a CAMM training program. ''Mała Narew'' saw iLaunchers equipped with CAMM mounted onto Polish Jelcz vehicles, guided by SOŁA radar stations and integrated with a Polish command system. On 4 October 2022, the first fully operational unit of ''Mała Narew'' was handed over to the soldiers of the 18th Anti-Aircraft Regiment in
Zamość Zamość (; ; ) is a historical city in southeastern Poland. It is situated in the southern part of Lublin Voivodeship, about from Lublin, from Warsaw. In 2021, the population of Zamość was 62,021. Zamość was founded in 1580 by Jan Zamoyski ...
. Mała Narew saw the first live-firing of CAMM in June 2023. In April 2023, Poland signed a £1.9 billion contract with MBDA to manufacture of a total of 22 ''Pilica+'' air defence batteries, which at the time was the largest European short-range air defence acquisition programme in NATO. ''Pilica+'' would see the existing SHORAD missile and gunnery components of ''Pilica'' combined with a similar launcher arrangement as ''Mała Narew'' with CAMM to expand ''Pilica'' into a triple-layer system. The contract includes 44 launchers and 750 missiles, to be delivered from 2025 to 2029. MBDA's press release also confirmed that the CAMM family would equip the Polish Navy's ''Wicher''-class frigates, although there was at the time no mention as to which missile variant(s) (CAMM / CAMM-ER) would be integrated. In July 2023, the UK and Poland with MBDA and PGZ signed agreements that formally began the joint development of the CAMM-MR which would be known as the "Joint/Future Common Missile" with the intention that it would be used by both British and Polish platforms such as on the ''Wicher''-class frigates and possibly ''Wisła'' batteries. In November 2023, a more than £4 billion ($4.9 billion) contract was signed between MBDA and PGZ for the procurement of over 1,000 CAMM-ER missiles and over 100 iLaunchers to equip the forthcoming ''Narew'' batteries, in addition to further technology transfers agreements enabling licensed production of both the missiles and launchers within Poland. It also confirmed that ''Narew'' would be integrated with the US's Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) as was already the case with ''Wisła.'' This is the biggest export contract for MBDA as well as between Poland and the UK. On 14 December 2023, the PGZ-''PILICA+'' consortium signed a $139 million contract for the provision 44 iLaunchers and their parent Jelcz vehicles that will equip the 22 ''Pilica+'' batteries (two launchers per battery). On 20 December 2023, Poland signed a $782.5 million deal with the PGZ-''NAREW'' consortium for 24 mobile P-18PL long-range radars for use within both ''Narew and Wisła'' with the delivery of all systems expected to be complete by 2035''.'' In late December 2023, while reporting on developments with the ''Wicher''-class frigates, Naval News confirmed that both CAMM and CAMM-ER would equip the three ship class. On 29 February 2024, The Polish Armaments Agency announced a $2.53 billion agreement for the delivery and formal integration of IBCS into both the ''Narew'' and ''Wisła'' systems. On 21 January 2025, the UK and Poland announced the creation of a joint programme office in
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expected to open in later in the 2025 to support the delivery of ''Narew'' to Poland''.'' The establishment of the office forms part of a wider defence and security agreement between the two countries that was announced on 16 January 2025.


Italy


Gallery

Sky_Sabre_DSEI_2019_1.jpg Sky_Sabre_DSEI_2019_2.jpg , MBDA's iLauncher -mountable/dismountable launching system Sky_Sabre_DSEI_2019_4.jpg Sky_Sabre_DSEI_2019_5.jpg Sky_Sabre_DSEI_2019_7.jpg


Operators


Current operators


Ground-based air defence (Land Ceptor)

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Polish Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland (, ; abbreviated SZ RP), also called the Polish Armed Forces and popularly called in Poland (, roughly "the Polish Military"—abbreviated ''WP''), are the national Military, armed forces of the Poland, ...
– The CAMM family was selected as the effector of Poland's domestic ''Narew'' short-range air defence system in November 2021. In April 2022, due to the deterioration of security caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the crisis on the border with Belarus, Poland purchased a small number of CAMMs for two air defence batteries as an interim solution known as Mała Narew (Little Narew). In April 2023, it was announced that CAMM would be integrated into the existing PSR-A Pilica very short-range system to create the triple-layer Pilica+ (22 batteries with two launchers each)''.'' In November 2023, the Polish PGZ signed an agreement with the British MBDA to launch the production of CAMM-ER missiles in Poland with an order for over 1,000 missiles. ; * British Army – The Sky Sabre air defence system armed with CAMM began entering service with the Royal Artillery in January 2022 replacing
Rapier A rapier () is a type of sword originally used in Spain (known as ' -) and Italy (known as '' spada da lato a striscia''). The name designates a sword with a straight, slender and sharply pointed two-edged long blade wielded in one hand. It wa ...
.


Naval-based air defence (Sea Ceptor)

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Brazilian Navy The Brazilian Navy () is the navy, naval service branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces, responsible for conducting naval warfare, naval operations. The navy was involved in War of Independence of Brazil#Naval action, Brazil's war of independence ...
– in 2014, Sea Ceptor was selected to equip the new ''Tamandaré-''class frigates using a 12-cell mushroom farm. ; *
Chilean Navy The Chilean Navy () is the naval warfare service branch of the Chilean Armed Forces. It is under the Ministry of National Defense (Chile), Ministry of National Defense. Its headquarters are at Edificio Armada de Chile, Valparaiso. History Ori ...
– in 2014, Sea Ceptor was selected to replace Sea Wolf on the Type 23 frigates (32-missiles). As of 2022, all three Frigates had been successfully upgraded with Sea Ceptor. ; *
Royal New Zealand Navy The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN; ) is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. The fleet currently consists of eight ships. The Navy had its origins in the Naval Defence Act 1913, and the subsequent acquisition of the cruiser , whi ...
– In 2013, Sea Ceptor was selected to replace the
RIM-7 Sea Sparrow The RIM-7 Sea Sparrow is a U.S. ship-borne short-range Surface-to-air missile, anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapon system, primarily intended for defense against anti-ship missiles. The system was developed in the early 1960s from the AIM-7 Spa ...
as part of a frigate system upgrade for and . The eight-cell Mark 41 launcher has been replaced by a 20-cell mushroom farm (20 missiles). The first live firing of Sea Ceptor occurred during HMNZS Te Mana's deployment between July and December 2023. ; *
Pakistan Navy The Pakistan Navy (PN) (; ''romanized'': Pākistān Bahrí'a; ) is the naval warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The Chief of the Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Com ...
– Latest naval variant Albatros NG system (CAMM-ER) was selected to equip its new ''Babur''-class corvette in March 2021, although this was not officially disclosed until April. Two 6-cell mushroom farm modules (12 missiles) are located just aft of the main gun. ; *
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
– Sea Ceptor was officially declared "in service" with the Royal Navy in May 2018, replacing Sea Wolf on the Type 23 frigate (32-missiles). Sea Ceptor will also equip the Type 26 (48 missiles) and Type 31 frigates (at least 32 missiles), and is to be integrated in 24 new silos on the Type 45 destroyers, replacing Aster 15 on the destroyers in the process.


Future operators


Ground-based air defence (Land Ceptor)

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Brazilian Marine Corps The Brazilian Marine Corps (, CFN; or 'Corps of Naval Riflemen') is the Brazilian Navy's naval infantry component. It relies on the fleet and Brazilian Naval Aviation, Naval Aviation and fields its own artillery, amphibious and land armor, COMA ...
– AV-MMA is a Brazilian localised version of the CAMM originally envisaged to equip all three service branches via a common canister container, will equip the anti-aircraft version of the
Astros II MLRS Astros II (Artillery SaTuration ROcket System) is a self-propelled multiple rocket launcher produced in Brazil by the Avibras company. It features modular design and employs rockets with calibers ranging from 127 to 450 mm (5–17.72 inche ...
. ; *
Italian Army The Italian Army ( []) is the Army, land force branch of the Italian Armed Forces. The army's history dates back to the Italian unification in the 1850s and 1860s. The army fought in colonial engagements in China and Italo-Turkish War, Libya. It ...
– CAMM-ER along with PCMI/X-TAR radar selected as Grifo (Griffin) to replace the Skyguard (Aspide). *
Italian Air Force The Italian Air Force (; AM, ) is the air force of the Italy, Italian Republic. The Italian Air Force was founded as an independent service arm on 28 March 1923 by Victor Emmanuel III of Italy, King Victor Emmanuel III as the ("Royal Air Force ...
– CAMM-ER along with Kronos radar selected as MAADS (Medium Advanced Air Defence System) to replace the SPADA (Aspide missiles) batteries.


Naval-based air defence (Sea Ceptor)

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Italian Navy The Italian Navy (; abbreviated as MM) is one of the four branches of Italian Armed Forces and was formed in 1946 from what remained of the ''Regia Marina'' (Royal Navy) after World War II. , the Italian Navy had a strength of 30,923 active per ...
– Albatross-NG (CAMM-ER) selected to replace the
Aspide Aspide, named for the asp, is an Italian medium range air-to-air and surface-to-air missile produced by Selenia and its successors, Alenia Aeronautica and MBDA that was developed in the 1970s to replace license built AIM-7 Sparrows then in us ...
(Albatross) missiles. ; * Polish Navy – The Projekt 106 (''Wicher''-class) frigates will be armed with CAMM and CAMM-ER missiles quad-packed into their 32-cell Mark 41 complex, with CAMM-MR expected to follow in the future. ; *
Royal Saudi Navy The Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF), or Royal Saudi Navy, is the maritime arm of the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces and one of the five service branches of the Ministry of Defense of Saudi Arabia. Its primary role is monitoring and defending Sa ...
– in February 2023, CAMM was selected to equip the Aegis Combat System on the Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) over the
RIM-162 ESSM The RIM-162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM) is a development of the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missile used to protect ships from attacking missiles and aircraft. ESSM is designed to counter supersonic maneuvering anti-ship missiles. ESSM also has the ab ...
. 32 missiles will be quad-packed into the 8-cell Mark 41 complex. Janes reported that alongside the development of an in-country missile maintenance centre, Saudi Arabia was also looking at plans to locally produce both CAMM and CAMM-ER missiles. *
Swedish Navy The Swedish Navy () is the maritime service branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet (), formally sometimes referred to as the Royal Navy () – as well as marine units, the Amph ...
– On 16 November 2023, the Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV) signed a contract with MBDA to supply Sea Ceptor for the five ''Visby''-class corvettes, with installation beginning in 2025 with the first upgraded vessel expected in 2026. Neither party disclosed contract value or the anticipated configuration of the system, however, the artist impression accompanying MBDA's press release appears to show intentions to fit a 9-cell ExLS complex forward of the flight deck for 36 missiles.


Potential operators

*
Egyptian Armed Forces The Egyptian Armed Forces () are the military forces of the Egypt, Arab Republic of Egypt. The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces directs (a) Egyptian Army forces, (b) the Egyptian Navy, (c) Egyptian Air Force and (d) Egyptian Air Defense Forces. ...
– As of 13 March 2023, Egypt was reportedly in talks with MBDA regarding a purchase of CAMM. *
Malaysian Army The Malaysian Army (; Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ) is the land component of the Malaysian Armed Forces. Steeped in British Army traditions, the Malaysian Army does not carry the title ‘royal’ () as do the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysi ...
/
Royal Malaysian Air Force The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF, ; Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ) was formed on 2 June 1958 as the Royal Federation of Malaya Air Force (; ). However, its roots can be traced back to the Malayan Auxiliary Air Force formations of the British Royal A ...
- During the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2024 exhibition in
Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...
, MBDA revealed that it was offering both EMADS and MICA-NG to meet a forthcoming Malaysian short-range air-defence requirement.


Failed bids

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Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...
– Sea Ceptor was originally selected to equip the River-class destroyer as a Close-In Air Defence System (CIADS) utilising a six-cell ExLS complex with 24 missiles. The
RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile The RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) is a small, lightweight, infrared homing surface-to-air missile in use by the German, Japanese, Greek, Turkish, South Korean, Saudi Arabian, Egyptian, Mexican, UAE, and United States navies. It wa ...
was later selected to replace the Sea Ceptor in the CIADS role. *
Finnish Army The Finnish Army ( , ) is the army, land forces branch of the Finnish Defence Forces. The Finnish Army is divided into six branches: infantry (which includes armoured units), field artillery, anti-aircraft artillery, Combat engineering, engineer ...
– MBDA pitched CAMM and CAMM-ER for the ITSUKO ground-based air defence program with a launcher mounted on a Volvo FMX 8x8 truck, and integrated with a Saab Giraffe radar. Rafael and
Raytheon Raytheon is a business unit of RTX Corporation and is a major U.S. defense contractor and industrial corporation with manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. Founded in 1922, it merged in 2020 with Unite ...
's
David's Sling David's Sling (), also formerly known as Magic Wand (), is an Israel Defense Forces military system jointly developed by the Israeli defense contractor Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the American defense contractor Raytheon, that became ope ...
system was instead selected in 2023. *
Finnish Navy The Finnish Navy ( , ) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. The navy employs 2,300 people and about 4,300 conscripts are trained each year. Finnish Navy vessels are given the ship prefix "FNS", short for "Finnish Navy ship", but ...
– MBDA pitched Sea Ceptor for the air defence requirements (ITO20) of the Squadron 2020 Corvette Program, later known as the four
Pohjanmaa-class corvette The ''Pohjanmaa'' class is a series of four multi-role corvettes currently under construction for the Finnish Navy as part of the Squadron 2020 () project. Together with the existing four s, the four new surface combatants will form the backbon ...
s. MBDA lost to Raytheon's RIM-162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM). *
Spanish Navy The Spanish Navy, officially the Armada, is the Navy, maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation ...
– In May 2016, CAMM-ER was selected to equip the future
F110-class frigate The F110 class, also known as the ''Bonifaz'' class, are a multi-purpose, Anti-submarine warfare, anti-submarine class of Aegis combat system-fitted heavy frigates under construction for the Spanish Navy. The project is being co-developed by the ...
s. However, in 2018 Raytheon's ESSM Block II was chosen instead. *
Swiss Air Force The Swiss Air Force (; ; ; ) is the air component of the Swiss Armed Forces, established on 31 July 1914, three days after the outbreak of World War I, as a part of the Swiss Army, army and in October 1936 as an independent service. In peaceti ...
– On 30 April 2024, Switzerland's Federal Office for Defence Procurement (Armasuisse) requested offers from three manufacturers, including MBDA, for a medium-range air defence system for the ''Bodluv MR Programme''. MBDA was reportedly offering CAMM-ER in competition against Diehl with a variant of the
IRIS-T SL The IRIS-T (infrared imaging system tail/thrust vector-controlled) is a family of short range infrared homing air-to-air missile, air-to-air and short to medium range surface-to-air missile, surface-to-air missiles. It is also called AIM-2000. ...
and
Kongsberg Kongsberg () is a historical mining town and municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The city is located on the river Numedalslågen at the entrance to the valley of Numedal. Kongsberg has been a centre of silver mining, arms production and fo ...
/
Raytheon Raytheon is a business unit of RTX Corporation and is a major U.S. defense contractor and industrial corporation with manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. Founded in 1922, it merged in 2020 with Unite ...
with the NASAMS NG. All offers were to be provided by July 2024, with a decision expected in the third quarter of 2024, and the financing and order to be planned with the armament program by 2025. In July 2024, Kongsberg/Raytheon and MBDA decided not to submit offers, leaving Diehl to win the tender, pending negotiation.


See also

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Anti-aircraft warfare Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface (Submarine#Armament, submarine-lau ...
*
List of missiles Below is a list of missiles, sorted alphabetically into large categories and subcategories by name and purpose. Other missile lists Types of missiles: * Conventional guided missiles ** Air-to-air missile ** Air-to-surface missile ** Anti-radia ...
* * * * *


Notes


References


External links


CAMM (MARITIME APPLICATION)

New Missile system to shield the fleet from air attack
Royal Navy (31 January 2012)

* ttp://www.mbda-systems.com/camm-solution/camm-er/ CAMM-ER (MBDA Systems) {{UK missiles United Kingdom defence procurement Naval surface-to-air missiles Post–Cold War missiles of the United Kingdom Surface-to-air missiles of the United Kingdom 21st-century surface-to-air missiles Military equipment introduced in the 2010s