Article Posted on : - Jun 12, 2012

A Thales photo.

PARIS (BNS): French company Thales is unveiling RAPIDFire, a new multiweapon air defence system at Eurosatory.

RAPIDFire forms part of the company's recently launched new package of Advanced Air Defence solutions that incorporates airspace security solutions, command and control, weapon coordination, air surveillance radars down to the mobile integrated weapon systems.

RAPIDFire combines the CONTROLMaster 60 surveillance radar with the CONTROLView command and control module. These are integrated with the multi-sensor stabilised optronic sighting system and the CT40 gun from CTAI, an international subsidiary of Nexter and BAE Systems.

This mobile, multi-role weapon system is designed to respond to the new threats being encountered by armed forces today and in particular the low cost targets which can attack in swarms and can saturate conventional missile defences, Thales said.

With its powerful antiaircraft gun, high performace 3D radar and versatile C2 module, RAPIDFire is optimized to defeat all types of air threats including Fighter Ground Attack (FGA), helicopters or Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV) and cruise missiles or precision guided munitions.

The RAPIDFire system has also been designed to enable firing of the STARStreak missile system, a Very Short Range Air Defence missile system with a speed in excess of Mach 3 and a range of around 7km.