MBDA has recently performed a successful firing of the Italian Army’s new-generation air defence system GRIFO.

The said system is a member of the EMADS (Enhanced Modular Air Defence Solutions) family developed by MBDA, based on the CAMM-ER (Common Anti-Air Modular Missile – Extended Range) missile.

According to an announcement, the Italian Army will operate the GRIFO System for its air defence, giving its short-range air defence (SHORAD) capability an extended range. The CAMM-ER is part of the wider air defence family of CAMM (Common Anti-Air Missile) missiles, which are vertically launched to provide 360° air defence coverage.

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The trial was a major milestone, as for the first time, the Command Post and Engagement Module (PCMI – Posto Comando Modulo di Ingaggio) of the GRIFO system was tested and qualified, integrated with a missile launcher and CAMM-ER missile.  

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.

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MBDA is the design authority of the entire system and the key sub-systems such as the PCMI – which includes an MBDA Command & Control system integrated with a Rheinmetall Italia X-TAR3D radar and a Leonardo Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system – the launcher and the CAMM-ER missiles.

During the test, the PCMI detected the target drone, which was in attack mode, and proceeded to identify and classify the type of threat, evaluated the type of defence to deploy and commanded the launch of the CAMM-ER to successfully neutralise it. The trial also verified the correct functioning of the two-way data link between the CAMM-ER and the GRIFO ground system.

The success of this qualification is the result of the joint work of the Italian and UK teams of MBDA, together with the Italian Army

The CAMM-ER is the extended-range missile of the new generation CAMM family jointly developed in the United Kingdom and Italy for land and naval air defence. The CAMM family can be easily integrated with the customer’s choice of radar and C2 to form an Enhanced Modular Air Defence Solution (EMADS).

The system will also replace the Aspide system in the Medium Advanced Air Defence System (MAADS) of the Italian Air Force, successfully qualified last year. The CAMM-ER is also integrated into Albatros NG, the new-generation naval based air defence (NBAD) system, already sold abroad, that optimises the naval surface-to-air capabilities of fleets.

The CAMM-ER is equipped with a state-of-the-art active seeker and a new motor – designed by AVIO – to provide an extended range, with respect to the CAMM missile version.

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