GRIFO air defence system: The Italian Army’s next-generation air defence system, GRIFO, was successfully qualified for fire recently by the MBDA. It is a part of the EMADS (Enhanced Modular Air Defense Solutions) family of systems that MBDA developed and is based on the CAMM-ER (Common Anti-Air Modular Missile—Extended Range) missile.
The Italian Army will use the GRIFO System for air defence, extending the range of its short-range air defence (SHORAD) capacity. The vertically launched CAMM (Common Anti-Air Missile) missile family, which includes the CAMM-ER, provides 360° air defence coverage.
According to MBDA The experiment was a significant turning point because it tested and qualified the GRIFO system’s Command Post and Engagement Module (PCMI, Posto Comando Modulo di Ingaggio), which is integrated with a missile launcher and CAMM-ER missile, for the first time. The test was conducted against a target drone to replicate an enemy aircraft attack and validate the missile’s defence capabilities as well as the system’s overall integrated mode performance.
India’s Arsenal of Missiles Expands with Successful Test of Indigenous Cruise Missile
It includes the launcher, the CAMM-ER missile, an MBDA Command & Control system, a Rheinmetall Italia X-TAR3D radar, and a Leonardo identification friend or foe (IFF) system. The PCMI was designed by MBDA, which is also in charge of designing the whole system.
The test was carried out against a target drone simulating an attack by an enemy aircraft, confirming the #defence capabilities and performance of both the missile and the entire system in an integrated mode. pic.twitter.com/fX8wMrVgzJ
— MBDA (@MBDAGroup) May 8, 2024
To successfully neutralize the target drone, which was in attack mode during the test, the PCMI first identified and classified the danger, then it assessed what kind of defence to use and ordered the launch of CAMM-ER. Additionally, the testing confirmed that the two-way datalink between CAMM-ER and the GRIFO ground system was operating correctly.
The combined efforts of the MBDA teams in Italy and the UK, as well as the Italian customer, have led to the success of this qualification.
The new generation CAMM family of missiles, which the United Kingdom and Italy jointly developed for land and naval air defense, includes the extended-range CAMM-ER missile. A simple integration process combines the CAMM family with the customer’s preferred C2 and radar to create an Enhanced Modular Air Defence System (EMADS).
Germany Donates Skynex Air Defense System to Ukraine in Latest Military Aid Package
Additionally, it will take the place of the Aspide in the Italian Air Force’s Medium Advanced Air Defence System (MAADS), which qualified last year. Additionally, CAMM-ER is integrated into Albatros NG, a new generation naval-based air defense (NBAD) system that maximizes fleets’ surface-to-air capabilities and is already available for purchase overseas.
In comparison to the CAMM missile version, CAMM-ER has a longer range thanks to a new motor manufactured by AVIO and a state-of-the-art active seeker.
