I'm posting content from my Tweets on NASAM-2 purchase. It baffles me, to say the least.
Link to Tweet (it has pictures as well):
https://twitter.com/KesariDhwaj/status/ ... 4779389952
(1) Thoughts on NASAM missile system is this thread:
NASAM initially stood for Norwegian Advanced Surface to Air Missile System. Till Raytheon & Kongsberg Defense decided to market it world-wide and National replaced Norwegian. Can't understand the need for #NASAM air-defense system
(2) Composition of NASAM fire Unit:
- Missile: AIM-120-C7 missile (can fire AIM-9X or RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile)
- Launcher: 6 x missiles/launcher (Launcher can be static or mobile)
- Radar: Raytheon X-Band, 3D, MPQ-64F1 Sentinel (scan and track)
- It also has an Electro-Optical sensor for passive identification and cuing of the missiles. This system is mounted on a 4x4 vehicle.
(3) A battery consists of a Fire Distribution Center (FDC) which manages 3/4 launchers. Each FDC is connected to Radars, EO Unit & Launchers through a data-link (including Link 16).
- FDC is the main C4I and Battle Management node.
- Each full NASAM-II battalion has 12 launchers; at 6 missiles/Launcher, it has 72 ready-to-fire missiles.
- So, we're talking about 4 batteries of 3 launchers each.
(4) Each Battery has 1 x Radar + 1 x EO Sensor + 3 x Launchers.
- Though, each FDC can manage up to 12 launchers. This requires additional radars and EO Units.
- Data-link allows launcher to be placed 25 km away
(5) Performance:
-Missile Range: 40 km
- Altitude: 14 km
-Radar: 75 km
(6) Question is - What does NASAM-2 bring to table which can't be filled by more SPYDER orders?
NASAM-2 is a short-to-medium range networked system. SPYDER has same capabilities. It has mix of passive (PYTHON-5) & active (DERBY) missiles and has range from 15-50 km.
(6)
Is NASAM-2 purchase meant to placate USA? Or, is there more to the purchase than what is being shared in the public? Because on the face of it, NASAM-2 does not bring anything extraordinary to the table which SPYDER-MR cannot.
Need to wait for more data as the story unfolds.