At the DSA 2022 (Defense Services Asia) exhibition in Malaysia, the Malaysian company Weststar showcased the RapidRanger Starstreak air defence system.

RapidRanger is mounted on a turret onboard the wheeled, light, tactical URO Vamtac 4×4 vehicle. It features electro-optics and four ready-to-launch missile containers with an equal number of ready-to-launch STARSstreak missiles. URO Vamtac 4×4 was showcased during DEFEA Defence exhibition in Athens as well as the 85th Thessaloniki International Fair last year.

Also read: VAMTAC “DIAS” | Proposal for a new Hellenic Army Vehicle at the 85th Thessaloniki International Fair

STARStreak is a Man-portable air-defence system (MANPADS), manufactured by Thales in the United Kingdom to provide air-defence against air threats, including fixed-wing fighter aircraft and attack helicopters. 

This missile is equipped with three “Darts” submunitions, each carrying 450 gr of explosive charge, detonated by a delayed-action, impact-activated fuse. 

Also read: Javelin | The anti-tank missile that has become a symbol of the Ukrainian resistance

The main components of the RAPIDRanger Starstreak are a servo-driven turret and the weapon’s operator Human Machine Interface (HMI). The turret incorporates a Stabilized Sight Head (SSH) including a 360° sensor system with either a built-in passive infrared sensor (InfraRed Search and Track – IRST) or integrated Surveillance and Track Radar as well as an Automatic Target Tracker (ATT) system. In addition, it features a laser guidance unit and an optional laser rangefinder, thus providing the weapon station with a completely autonomous system operation.

The technical characteristics of RAPIDRanger STARSstreak include:

• Weight: > 500 kg 
• Operational range: 15 km
• Maximum missile range: 7 km
• Maximum missile speed: Mach 3
• Missile weight: 14 kg

Finally, it should be noted that Great Britain announced the supply of Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine due to the Russian invasion.

Also read: NLAW | UK military assistance to Ukraine – VIDEO