UK plans to purchase VAMTAC air-defense vehicles

14 July, 2024 Spanish VAMTAC armored vehicle with a module for Starstreak/Martlet missiles installed. Photo credits: UK Ministry of Defence The UK Ministry of Defense plans to purchase VAMTAC Rapid Ranger 4x4 air-defense vehicles.

Janes reported on this. The order for the new air defense systems was announced during the Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) Expo hosted by the British Army at Baker Barracks, Emsworth, southern UK. Currently, the purchase of new air defense systems must be approved by the country's parliament and is intended to replace six Stormer HVM systems that were transferred to Ukraine in 2023.

Spanish VAMTAC armored vehicle with a module for Starstreak/Martlet missiles installed.

Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom

In addition, the plan is to order an additional six units of this type of system to strengthen the existing air defense capabilities of the British Army. In general, the new system will be functionally not much different from the Stormer HVM system transferred to Ukraine. The armored vehicle will be equipped with a launcher and an onboard detection, and guidance system.

Unlike the version that was mounted on a tracked chassis, the VAMTAC has four mounts for Starstreak or Martlet missiles. Within the program for the procurement of light and mobile air defense systems, the British Army purchases these systems as a temporary solution until a specialized platform is developed.

Spanish VAMTAC armored vehicle with a module for Starstreak/Martlet missiles installed. Photo credits: MBDA UK

It should be noted that the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom is actively updating and strengthening air defense systems.

This is due to the fact that the Ministry of Defense is actively monitoring the events in Ukraine and has already made certain conclusions that the country's critical infrastructure should be protected by a sufficient number of systems.

Militarnyi previously reported that the UK plans to transfer the first samples of the DragonFire laser directed-energy weapon to Ukraine.

During a trip to the DragonFire lab on Thursday, Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary, reported that the energy laser system was still in the testing phase, but the government was working to speed up development.