GBAD - The return of 'FOBS'

[Kirkhill]

The GBAD options continue to come thick and fast.

For guns the 30 and 35 mm calibres continue to be popular.

Terrahawk Paladin Short-Range Air Defense Enters Service in Ukraine For Low-Altitude Drone Defense

Ukraine's Air Force integrates British Terrahawk Paladin systems to enhance air defense, targeting low-flying threats and strengthening operational capabilities.

united24media.com

This British made offering has been selected by the Ukrainian Air Force to defend fixed installations like its airfields. PLS deployable ground mount.


...

A German company is offering yet another Leo 1 retrofit. A two man vehicle with a 30mm RCWS for the DFS/C-UAS roles

Germany Unveils Rolls-Royce-Powered Condor Fire Support and Anti-Drone Platform

Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft introduces the Condor, a versatile combat vehicle with enhanced firepower and air defense capabilities on a Leopard 1 chassis.

united24media.com

...

And the Chinese are keeping up in the Directed Energy Microwave stakes.

China's new microwave weapon can fry drone swarms from 2 miles away

China has unveiled new details about a high-power microwave weapon designed to counter drones and can be used as part of a layered network.

interestingengineering.com

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Two semi ad hoc SHORAD systems for Ukraine

 

[Kirkhill]

They are getting smaller



Rocket powered guided missile with a 2 km range designed to take down drones, Off-board guidance.

Mark 1 Micro Missile Demonstrates Ability to Intercept Shahed-Type UAVs - Militarnyi

The first European Mark 1 micro-missile has demonstrated its ability to intercept Shahed-type drones, which Russia uses under the name “Geran-2.”

militarnyi.com

"At 60 centimeters long, it is the smallest guided missile in Europe. The development was carried out with the involvement of specialists from Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Great Britain, and Germany."

"The developers developed the detection and tracking of an air target using an external sensor (likely a radar) and a command-and-control system."

 

[MilEME09]

Two semi ad hoc SHORAD systems for Ukraine

The tempest is a cheap concept I think could work well for RAS, and be easily enough to use with the PRes.

 

[Kirkhill]

UK Gravehawk AD system for ground launch of Ukrainian Air-to-Air R73 missiles

Mysterious British Gravehawk, Designed Specially for Ukraine, Certainly Doesn’t Look Like Everyone Expected | Defense Express

The Gravehawk air defense system was implemented right in a standard shipping container and it fires Ukrainian R-73 air-to-air missiles

en.defence-ua.com

UK Terrahawk Paladin PLS AD with 30mm Mk44 Bushmaster II and Radar

Terrahawk Paladin Short-Range Air Defense Enters Service in Ukraine For Low-Altitude Drone Defense

Ukraine's Air Force integrates British Terrahawk Paladin systems to enhance air defense, targeting low-flying threats and strengthening operational capabilities.

united24media.com

UK Raven Supacat HMT with NATO rails and AIM-132 ASRAAM missiles that were heading out of service

Britain to Send More Raven Air Defense Systems to Ukraine

The UK Ministry of Defence has revealed it will send five additional Raven air defense systems to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

thedefensepost.com

The Martlet LCMM (Low Cost Multi-Role Missile) - 76mm, 13 kg, 8 km Beam Rider with IIR terminal homing for 30-60 kUSD.

UK sends hundreds of Martlet LMM air defense missiles to Ukraine ahead of schedule

UK sends hundreds of Martlet LMM air defense missiles to Ukraine five months early to strengthen Kyiv’s short-range air defense against Russian drone attacks

armyrecognition.com

Mk1 Micro Missile in the 70 mm diameter range, obviously man-portably light and 2 km range with a targeted cost of 50 to 70 kUSD



UK also adopting 70mm US APKWS II for its Apaches and Fighter fleet., beam rider with IIR terminal guidance and proximity fuse with a cost of something like 30 kUSD

BAE Systems Unveils Dual-Mode APKWS II Rocket with Infrared and Laser Guidance

BAE Systems has introduced a dual-mode APKWS II rocket featuring an infrared seeker for enhanced targeting in air-to-air engagements.

united24media.com

Ukrainian designed Octopus Drone-killing Drone being manufactured by the UK - specs are obscure but the estimated unit cost is about 3 kUSD or 10% the price of the cheapest missiles. However each vehicle seems to require a pilot to fly it into its target. Not fire and forget.

Ukrainian Interceptor Drones Will Become the Basis of the European “Drone Wall” - Militarnyi

Ukrainian interceptor drones, which will be manufactured in the UK as part of the OCTOPUS project, will become the basis of a European “drone wall”.

militarnyi.com

......

Layer that on top of the Sky Sabre and Starstreak systems






Britain may be hard up for cash but I have to think that this investment in GBAD is going to do more for Home Defence in the short term than fixing Ajaxs, buying Challengers or speeding up nuclear subs.

They are the types of things that a small number of people can use to exert a considerable influence over a large area.

 

[Kirkhill]

Forgot one

Dragonfire 50 kW laser

UK Defence Minister visits MBDA for DRAGONFIRE laser weapon contract announcement

UK first achieved in latest testing by shooting down high-speed drones with new laser weapon system

www.mbda-systems.com

DragonFire laser weapon fired over 300 shots in recent test

The DragonFire directed energy weapon system conducted more than 300 shots in a recent trial between March and June 2025.

www.naval-technology.com

 

[Kirkhill]

The pace of rearmament

16 Batteries per year.

Iris-T SLM has a range of 40 km. The SLS range is 12 km.

How many batteries to defend Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton and Halifax?

In Just Two Years, IRIS-T SLM and SLS Production for Ukraine and Europe to Hit 16 Air Defense Batteries per Year | Defense Express

Diehl Defence's anti-aircraft missile systems have proven effective in Ukraine, prompting plans to manufacture 10 batteries this year and increase annual output to 16 within two years

en.defence-ua.com

 

[Kirkhill]

IRIS-T Manufacturer Launches New Production Facility and Plans to Produce 10 Air Defense Systems in 2026 - Militarnyi

Diehl Defence has launched a new production facility in Nonnweiler (Saarland) and plans to increase IRIS-T production to ten air defense systems this year.

militarnyi.com

It was 10 batteries last year with 800 to 1000 missiles with a target of 2000 per year.

Diehl Defence pays special attention to ammunition. Since 2021, the number of IRIS-T SL missiles manufactured has increased tenfold. It is worth noting that the company has already invested €1.5 billion to expand its production capabilities and will soon reach a production rate of 2,000 missiles per year.

The company’s CFO, Thomas Bodenmüller, emphasized that more than 20 construction projects are planned in Nonnweiler to expand production.


It should be noted that as of today, the German Ministry of Defense plans to purchase 50 IRIS-T SLM medium-range air defense systems, which will be supplied not only to the Air Force but also to new air defense units of the Army.

Currently, six IRIS-T SLM systems have been contracted for Germany, one of which has been undergoing testing at BAAINBw for over a year, while the remaining five are to be delivered during 2026.


At the same time, in April 2025, it was reported that the Bundeswehr could not start operating the IRIS-T SLM complex purchased in September 2024 due to the lack of certification in accordance with German safety standards.

All six systems, without exception, will go to the Air Force, specifically to the 61st Surface-to-Air Missile Group in Todendorf. According to the publication, 12 more IRIS-T SLM systems are planned for the 1st Air Force Division in the future.

....

Going to both the German Army and the German Air Force