UK completes first trials of Land Ceptor
The first firing trials of the British Army’s Land Ceptor missile system have been carried out near the Baltic Sea on a Swedish test fire range, the UK Ministry of Defence announced on 28 May.
Land Ceptor has been developed by MBDA under a £250 million contract with Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S). The system includes the Common Anti-air Modular Missile (CAMM), a launcher vehicle and two fire unit support vehicles. The missile is designed to protect British troops from aerial threats, including hostile combat aircraft and air-launched munitions.
The highly mobile missile system will be assigned to the British Army’s16th Regiment, Royal Artillery. It can be deployed across challenging terrain and be brought into action in less than 20 minutes. The Land Ceptor weapon will provide the stopping power within the Sky Sabre air defence system.
This was the first time Land Ceptor had been test-fired as a whole system, including the SAAB Giraffe radar. The system will now undergo further development and trials before Sky Sabre enters service in the early 2020s.
Richard Smart, director weapons, DE&S, said: ‘This trials firing is an important stepping stone towards bringing Land Ceptor into service with the British Army as part of the wider Sky Sabre air defence system. Land Ceptor performed as expected and the firing has helped us to verify innovative modelling of overall system performance.
‘The DE&S project team, based in Bristol, will continue to work closely with our suppliers to ensure this cutting-edge system provides an effective shield for UK troops as they, in turn, protect the UK’s security and interests.’
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
![Lockheed Martin plans a major expansion in Canada following the HIMARS acquisition]()
Lockheed Martin plans a major expansion in Canada following the HIMARS acquisition
The HIMARS acquisition could deliver launchers within 18 months while driving new investments in Canadian manufacturing, technology and defence supply chains.
-
![Air defence at scale: Europe’s challenge of cost, integration and sustainability]()
Air defence at scale: Europe’s challenge of cost, integration and sustainability
The evolution of aerial threats is driving renewed investment in ground-based air defence across Europe. Yet beyond capability, a more pressing challenge is emerging: how to sustain air defence at scale, as rising costs, limited stockpiles and industrial production constraints place increasing pressure on existing structures.
-
![The science of soldier safety: How Team Wendy Is reinventing the modern military helmet]()
The science of soldier safety: How Team Wendy Is reinventing the modern military helmet
When soldiers head into the field, the helmet on their head can mean the difference between life and death. But while helmets may look simple from the outside, the technology inside them is anything but. Few companies illustrate this better than Team Wendy, whose newest bump helmet — the RECON™ Tactical — shows just how far modern head protection has come.
