MBDA has unveiled a new self-protection system particularly designed for temporary installation on supply ships and other vessels that are not equipped with combat systems.
MBDA has unveiled a new self-protection system particularly designed for temporary installation on supply ships and other vessels that are not equipped with combat systems.
The system, dubbed Self-Protection Integrated Mistral Module (SPIMM), was presented at the Navdex 2019 naval defence exhibition in Abu Dhabi (17th - 21st February).
The SPIMM module consists of a SIMBAD-RC automated naval turret equipped with two ready-to-fire Mistral missiles and a 360° infrared panoramic system to detect and track air and surface threats. The system is entirely controlled by two operators located in a shelter inside the module, which is also used to store four additional missiles.
This ISO standard “all-in-one” module, 10 feet long and weighing some 7 tons, can be easily positioned on the deck of a ship using a crane, and requires just a standard electrical connection.
Designed to protect surface vessels against most conventional airborne threats (anti-ship missiles, combat aircraft, helicopters and UAVs), the SIMBAD-RC and Mistral has demonstrated its ability to neutralise asymmetric threats such as Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FIAC) by day and by night.