Indonesian SAMs Break Cover, Promising Enhanced Anti-UAV Capability

27 Juni 2014

Indonesia's new Starstreak-armed light SAM system will also carry LMM, affording the system a surface-to-surface and anti-UAV capability (photo : Jane's)

The new Land Rover-based surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems destined for Indonesia went on public display for the first time at the Defence Vehicle Dynamics (DVD 2014) exhibition at Millbrook Proving Ground on 25 June.

Indonesia ordered the Thales Starstreak SAMs as part of a wider ForceShield air defence package in January 2014 and is understood to have subsequently signed up to acquire Thales' Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) in mid-June. Both missiles share a similar physical footprint and are virtually identical from the warhead back, with exactly the same physical connector on their canisters to link into the pedestal mount, enabling the weapons to be carried in mixed loads.

Indonesia's new Starstreak SAM vehicles have been outfitted by Hobson Industries and offer space for six canisterised reloads beneath the firing platform. (photo : Jane's)

LMM is primarily an anti-surface weapon - it has been selected for the UK's new Future Anti-Surface Guided Weapon (Light) requirement, for example - but it also offers a limited air-defence capability. Warrant Officer Graham Chastell, a member of the UK Defence And Security Organisation's Export Support Group, told IHS Jane's that the weapon's shaped charge/blast fragmentation warhead offers a better capability against small unmanned aerial vehicles and slow helicopters than the triple-hittile Starstreak.

Three ready-to-fire weapons are carried on a pedestal mounted on Land Rover 110 twin-cab vehicles, outfitted for the role by Hobson Industries. Modifications include building a flat loadbed with fold-out sides to increase the operator area, mechanical stabilisers to steady the platform and limited shielding on the rear of the cab. The Land Rover's traditional cargo area is retained beneath the firing platform, offering storage for six missile reloads and other spares.

The launcher platform was designed by Hobson Industries to be manufactured and fitted in country by Indonesian sub-contractor PT Len under the Offset Requirements required under the Thales contract. Test firings of the system have been carried out by Thales Missile Systems in Northern Ireland and marked yet another programme first. (photo : Combat & Survival)

Thales refused to specify any delivery dates or discuss build numbers, citing customer confidentiality. However, an Indonesian defence source told IHS Jane's earlier in the year that "the British system consists of five batteries costing USD170 million. Funds have been allocated for both, but the systems have yet to be delivered."

(Jane's)