Competing with SPYDER, the US showcases a "unique" version of SLAMRAAM.
The Israeli-developed SPYDER air defense missile system is being seen as a model for deploying air-to-air missiles on the ground.
Currently, the SPYDER-SR/MR air defense missile systems manufactured by Israel's Rafael defense industry group have attracted numerous orders worldwide, proving that the trend of using air-to-air missiles for ground-based deployment is consistent with military doctrine.
Following Israel's success, many other countries have also implemented similar solutions, most notably the French VL-MICA system with Mica IR and Mica RF ammunition, which have similar performance to Python 5 and Derby.
Furthermore, the Americans also entered the market with the AIM-7 Sparrow, MIM-72 Chaparral, and especially the SLAMRAAM systems.
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| The SLAMRAAM self-propelled anti-aircraft missile system is manufactured by the United States. |
SLAMRAAM (Surface-Launched AMRAAM) is a US medium-range surface-to-air missile system developed based on the AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile.
The SLAMRAAM system has many variants integrated into various launch platforms, from fixed to mobile. When launched from the ground, the AIM-120 missile only achieves a range of 25-40 km compared to 55-180 km when launched from the air.
The most common variant of SLAMRAAM is CLAWS (also known as HUMRAAM), which consists of a launcher carrying 4-5 AIM-120 missiles integrated into a HUMVEE armored vehicle, or ZRK SLAMRAAM with AIM-120 missiles mounted on a FMTV medium tactical vehicle.
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| The SLAMRAAM variant is equipped with two types of missiles: AIM-120 and AIM-9. |
However, unlike the VL-MICA or SPYDER, which are equipped with both active radar seekers and infrared seekers to adapt to specific situations, the SLAMRAAM system uses only the radar-guided AIM-120 AMRAAM missile, thus limiting its flexibility.
The US previously adhered to separating the AIM-9 and AIM-120 missiles for different air defense systems; while the AIM-120 was the weapon of the SLAMRAAM, the AIM-9 was only equipped for the MIM-72 Chaparral system.
However, given current trends, the US has been forced to integrate the AIM-9 Sidewinder missile into the SLAMRAAM system so that it has similar capabilities to products from France or Israel.
The new generation SLAMRAAM system from the US, with its two types of ammunition, AIM-9 and AIM-120, allows users to consider using each type of ammunition for different types of targets with varying mobility and combat conditions. This variant is predicted to be a major competitor in the future weapons market.
