MBDA has brought its enhanced modular air defense solutions (EMADS) system to the Farnborough Airshow, displaying the system outside its chalet (Outside Exhibit 10) mounted on a test vehicle equipped with eight vertical-launch canisters. EMADS is the export version of the Land Ceptor system for the British Army, which uses the MBDA common anti-air modular missile (CAMM).
Italy is the lead customer for EMADS, which was selected in mid-2017 to replace its SPADA system that is based on the Aspide missile. A final contract is expected this summer, with entry into service slated for 2021.
Whereas Land Ceptor employs the regular CAMM missile—as does the Royal Navy’s ship-based Sea Ceptor system—the EMADS for Italy employs the CAMM-ER extended-range missile, which has a long-burn rocket motor in a wider-diameter aft body. It also has long-chord strakes, which are added to provide aerodynamic stability and increased rigidity for the missile’s body. This version has a range of more than 40km (25 miles) compared to the 25km (15.5 miles) of the basic CAMM.
Both versions can use the same launcher. The CAMM-ER is soft-launched pneumatically to clear the canister, after which thrusters turn the missile to its optimum attitude before the rocket motor ignites. Both also have a radio frequency (RF) seeker that provides excellent performance against a wide range of aerial targets, including those with very low thermal signatures such as glide bombs. All eight missiles can be fired rapidly against separate targets, and have a two-way datalink that allows midcourse updates to be relayed by the launcher via a mast-mounted aerial.
An EMADS launcher can be carried by any suitable vehicle, the Land Ceptor being mounted on a MAN 8x8 while the Italian EMADS uses an Iveco vehicle. The launcher itself can be easily offloaded for temporary employment in a fixed location. The system can also be paired with any suitable radar, the British Army using the Saab Giraffe AMB while Italy has selected the Leonardo Kronos. An option will include a mast-mounted electro-optical sensor for passive tracking.
