UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced the deployment of the Sky Sabre air defence system while visiting his Polish counterpart in Warsaw on Thursday. 100 troops from the Royal Artillery will also deploy to operate the system. The move comes as NATO moves to secure its eastern flank amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Speaking in Warsaw Ben Wallace said:
“We are going to deploy the Sky Sabre medium-range anti-air missile system to Poland with about 100 personnel to make sure that we stand alongside Poland, protecting her airspace from any further aggression by Russia”
Designed to replace the ageing Rapier surface-to-air missile system in the British Army, Sky Sabre has three times the range of its predecessor and can reach speeds of 2,300mph. In a UK Ministry of Defence press release in December 2021, Defence Procurement Minister Jeremy Quin said:
“Sky Sabre’s spearheading technology has significantly upgraded the protection of our forces from threats from the air. This cutting-edge of defence system is a clear demonstration of our warfighting capabilities to those who wish to do us harm.”
Speaking in December 2021, Senior Training Officer Major Tim Oakes said:
“Sky Sabre is so accurate and agile that it is capable of hitting a tennis ball sized object travelling at the speed of sound. In fact, it can control the flight of 24 missiles simultaneously whilst in flight, guiding them to intercept 24 separate targets. It is an amazing capability.”
Common Anti-Air Modular Missile (CAMM)
| Type: | Manufacturer: |
| Short-range surface-to-air missile | MBDA |
| Country of origin: | Targets: |
| United Kingdom, Italy | Fixed-wing fighters; helicopters; drones |
| Flight speed: | Operational range: |
| 2,300 mph | 25 km + |
| Operators: | Service: |
| United Kingdom, New Zealand, Chile | 2018 – present |
| Guidance system: | Engine: |
| Active radar homing seeker | Solid-fuel rocket motor |
| Variants: | Weight: |
| Land Ceptor, Sea Ceptor | Missile: 99 kg |
