A video that recently appeared on social media purportedly shows a cutting-edge British air defense system equipped with the Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) on the battlefield in Ukraine.
The new air defense system, mounted on a SupaCat chassis, was rapidly developed by experts at MBDA. This system represents one of two improvised British projects for Ukraine, where an air-launched missile is adapted for ground-based launchers. The ASRAAM missile is currently utilized by aircraft from the United Kingdom, India, Qatar, Oman, and has been integrated into Australia’s F/A-18 Hornet arsenal.
In its ground-based configuration, the missile’s operational range is reduced. Each launcher unit can accommodate up to two ASRAAM missiles, with targeting facilitated by the Chess Dynamics Hawkeye electro-optical tracking system.
The primary objective of deploying this advanced system in Ukraine is to counter Russian drones and attack helicopters directly on the battlefield, providing cover for Ukrainian forces against hostile bombardments and assaults.
⚡️The first video of a 🇬🇧British air defense system based on a Supacat HMT truck with AIM-132 ASRAAM missiles in service with the Armed Forces of 🇺🇦Ukraine pic.twitter.com/i7OSobEEc3
— 🇺🇦Ukrainian Front (@front_ukrainian) February 8, 2024