Article Posted on : - Dec 21, 2010

The highly mobile MEADS system will replace Hawk and Patriot. A MEADS International photo

ORLANDO (BNS): The first MEADS Battle Manager is ready for flight tests involving all system elements at White Sands Missile Range in 2012.

The Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) Battle Manager will be joined shortly by other MEADS major end items as part of system integration activities leading to flight tests.

In August, the MEADS program completed an extensive series of Critical Design Review events with a Summary Critical Design Review at MEADS International in Orlando.

MEADS is a mobile system that will replace Patriot in the United States and Nike Hercules in Italy. It will replace Patriot and the retired Hawk system in Germany.

The system under development in Germany, Italy and the United States, is designed to permit full interoperability between the US and allied forces, and it is the only medium-range air defense system to provide full 360-degree coverage.

Through a capability called “plug-and-fight,” sensors, launchers, and other battle managers simply act as nodes on the MEADS network.

The Minimum Engagement Capability requires only one launcher, one battle manager, and one fire control radar. When more MEADS elements arrive, they automatically and seamlessly join the network and build out capability.

NAMEADSMA General Manager Gregory Kee said, “The MEADS Battle Manager will provide commanders with increased situational awareness, but more importantly, increased flexibility to tailor battle elements dynamically based on the battlefield situation. Additionally, MEADS will be interoperable with a wide range of legacy systems as well as current and future command and control systems, like NATO’s Air Command and Control System.”

The United States funds 58 percent of the MEADS program, and European partners Germany and Italy provide 25 percent and 17 percent respectively as partners in the NATO Medium Extended Air Defense System Management Organization (NAMEADSMO).