Australia conducts first live-fire of its NASAMS defense system

The Australian Army has executed its inaugural live-fire exercise of the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAMS) at the Woomera test range in South Australia.

Carried out by the 16th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, this firing serves as a testament to the Army’s stride towards modernizing its land-based integrated air and missile defense capabilities, aligning with the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) pursuit of a more unified and robust defense strategy.

Chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart hailed the event as a pivotal advancement in preparing the Army to confront the challenges delineated in the Defence Strategic Review.

“The firing of this world class capability is a significant milestone for the modernisation of Army supported by defence industry partners,” Lieutenant General Stuart said.

The NASAMS configuration features an integrated system uniting a Kongsberg launch platform, a Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM missile, and the highly efficient radar developed by CEA Technologies. This cutting-edge setup is poised to replace the existing RBS-70 man-portable air-defense systems in asrenal of Australian Army.

Renowned for its superior capabilities, NASAMS is a modern air and missile defense system designed to shield the ADF and its allied partners from an array of present and evolving aerial threats. Its efficacy extends to countering indirect weapons, unmanned aerial vehicles, air-delivered munitions, and aircraft.

Major General Andrew Bottrell, leading the Army’s Land Systems Division within the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group, underscored the pivotal role of the defense industry in propelling the Army’s technological capabilities forward.

“Land Systems Division’s collaboration with Raytheon Australia, Kongsberg and CEA
Technologies is testament to the knowledge, skill and commitment of all teams to deliver his highly complex capability,” Major General Bottrell said.