NASAMS (National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System)
Why in news?
NASAMS is a highly adaptable, networked short- to medium-range ground-based air defense system developed jointly by Norway's Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and the U.S. company Raytheon (RTX Corporation).β
Key Features
- It uses a network-centric architecture for enhanced survivability and integration with other air defense equipment and systems.
- The system's primary radar is a high-resolution 3D X-band phased array radar capable of 360-degree coverage with a detection range of about 75 kilometers.β
- NASAMS can engage multiple targets simultaneously—up to 72 targets in active and passive modes—and is capable of firing missiles based on data from external sensors.β
- The main interceptor missile used is the AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile)
- NASAMS 3, the latest upgrade, also incorporates AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles for shorter-range engagements.
- Launchers typically carry up to six missiles each.
Its networked design allows it to defend high-value assets, critical infrastructure, and population centers against a range of aerial threats including drones, cruise missiles, helicopters, and fixed-wing aircraft.β
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