CAMM (missile family)

CAMM (missile family)
The CAMM (Common Anti-Air Modular Missile) is a family of surface-to-air missiles developed by MBDA UK for the United Kingdom. CAMM shares some common features and components with the ASRAAM (Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile), but with updated electronics and an active radar homing seeker.
Known as Sea Ceptor, CAMM is replacing the Sea Wolf missile known as the Sea Ceptor on Type 23 frigates of the Royal Navy since 2018. In the British Army, CAMM is known Land Ceptor, it is the missile part of the Sky Sabre air defence system, which since 2021 has been replacing the Rapier missile in service. The system is also contributing to the updating of MBDA's ASRAAM in service with the Royal Air Force.
An extended-range version of the CAMM (CAMM-ER) is in the finale stages of co-development between the UK and Italy and is capable of reaching targets over 45 km away. Brazil is independently developing the similar 40 km+ ranged MV-AMA (AVibras Medium Altitude Missile) for its Astros 2020 MLRS and naval platforms. A larger CAMM-MR missile with a range of over 100 km is being co-developed between the UK and Poland and slated to equip Polish Miecznik class frigates and Patriot batteries.
Development
The Common Anti-Air Modular Missile has its roots in a Technology Demonstration Programme (TDP), jointly funded by MBDA and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) as part of the United Kingdom's Future Local Area Air Defence System (FLAADS). FLAADS is part of a wider UK 'Team Complex Weapons' programme to deliver a variety of weapons and maintain UK sovereign capability in this area. FLAADS is intended to deliver a common weapons platform, the Common Anti-Air Modular Missile (CAMM), to equip forces in the air, land and maritime environments. During the early stages of the FLAADS programme, requirements were identified for the new missile to meet both current and anticipated threats, namely "airborne targets which are typified by high speed, rapid evasive manoeuvres, low signatures and advanced countermeasure[s]."
Phase 1 of the TDP worked on technologies for soft vertical launch, the low-cost active radar seeker, a dual-band two-way datalink and a programmable open systems architecture. Phase 2 began in 2008 and covered the manufacture of flight-worthy subsystems, mid-course guidance firings and captive airborne seeker trials on a Qinetiq Andover experimental aircraft. The Soft Vertical Launch was proven over a series of trials, culminating in a successful truck launch in May 2011. In January 2012 the MoD awarded MBDA a £483 million contract to develop FLAADS (Maritime) to replace Sea Wolf missiles on Type 23 frigates.
Originally, the CAMM programme aspired to provide land, sea and air-launched capabilities, but it was deemed more effective to instead develop CAMM for use for land and sea only, while using the well established ASRAAM to cover the air-launched role. However, technologies and components developed for CAMM have been used as part of an upgrade to ASRAAM.
Development costs were reduced by a using modular design and minimised complexity. Additionally, the command and control software reuses over 75% of that developed for the PAAMS system.
In January 2015, the MoD announced that it had signed a development and manufacturing deal with MBDA in late December 2014.
Characteristics
The CAMM family currently comprises the following missile variants:
CAMM "Sea Ceptor / Land Ceptor" - The point defence and local area defence variant. CAMM has a minimum operational range of less than 1 km and a maximum range greater than 25 km, although IHS Jane's reports that trials have a shown a capability of up to 60 km. These ranges are significantly greater than the 1–10 km range of Sea Wolf and other systems (Rapier) that CAMM will replace. CAMM weighs , is in length, diameter and reaches generous supersonic speeds of Mach 3 (or 1,020 meters per second). Can be quad-packed.
CAMM-ER (Extended Range) "Albatross-NG / Grifo" - An extended range point and local area defence missile under development with MBDA and Avio for the Italian MoD since 2013. Shares the same characteristics of the original CAMM with the exception of a new Avio rocket engine which significantly increases the missile's engagement range, out to 45 km and a slightly adapted missile structure. The missile is in weight, in length, diameter. Can be quad-packed.
MV-AMA (AVibras Medium Altitude Missile) - A Brazilian variant of CAMM under development since 2014 to meet the needs of the Brazilian Army's Strategic Anti-Aircraft Defence Program. The missile is expected to have a range of 40 km up to an altitude of 15 km and be compatible with the Astros 2020 MLRS and naval platforms. The program is expected to have 70% sovereign Brazilian industrial contribution.
CAMM-MR (Medium Range) "Joint / Future Common Missile" - A 100 km+ ranged area defence variant being developed in partnership between MBDA UK and PGZ as of 2023. The missile is being primarily developed for Polish requirements as a low-cost, locally produced, long range missile for use alongside the PAC-3 MSE and to have a single missile that can be utilised by both ground based air defence assets and the Polish Navy's Miecznik class frigates. Whilst there is little information on the missile's overall characteristics, official images of the munition shows two missiles loaded into a single Mark-41 cell making the CAMM-MR the first munition capable of being dual-packed into the Mark-41, enabling 16 missiles to be carried by a single MarkK-41 (or SYLVER if integrated) 8-cell launch module.
Technologies derived from both CAMM and Brimstone are also being used in the development of the British Army's Land Precision Strike Missile, a 80–150 km ranged surface-to-surface missile designed compliment the GMLRS-ER for use against high-value and fleeting (moving) targets.
All CAMM variants share several common features:
An Active RF seeker provides high performance including in all weather conditions and removes the need for complex and high-cost fire control/illumination radars.
A two-way datalink allows retargeting in flight.
Designed to remain in its launch canister, maintenance-free throughout its life.
Designed to be integrated into new or existing naval combat management systems.
High rate of fire against multiple simultaneous targets (Saturation attacks).
A "Wide target set" including a "modest" surface-to-surface capability similar to the American SM-6.
A Soft Vertical Launch (SVL) system that offers 360° degree launch coverage. This uses a gas generator to eject the missile from its canister, the benefits of which include increased range – by saving all the rocket motor's energy to power the intercept – reduced minimum intercept range, reduced stress on launch platforms, reduced maintenance costs, more compact installations on ships and there being no need to manage the hot gas efflux on board, reduced launch signature, and on land the possibility of firing the missile from wooded or urban areas.
CAMM can be used by both Ground-Based Air Defence systems (GBADs) via MBDA's 8-cell iLauncher mounted to a vehicle of choice (can also be dismounted) and by Naval-Based Air Defence systems (NBADs) allowing for shared munition stockpiles between military branches.
For GBAD, MBDA markets the 'Enhanced Modular Air Defence Solutions (EMADS).
For NBADs, CAMM's soft launch capability enables the use of low cost, low weight, vertical launch canisters colloquially known as Mushr oom Farms due to their capped appearance on older platforms like the Royal Navy's and Chilean Navy's Type 23 Frigates who use a lengthened and modified version of their existing Sea-Wolf launch cells. This same modified launch system is also present on the Royal New Zealand Navy's Anzac class frigates and was previously seen on the earliest depictions of Royal Navy's upcoming Type 31 frigate. A more modular appearance of this launcher has previously been depicted on the Type 31s (prior to the announcement of the Mark-41 vertical launch system) with 2x 6-cell launch modules (12-cells). The Type 26 frigate appear to use a variation of this 6-cell launch module arrangement (8 modules / 48-cells) but with the cells recessed into the deck without a distinctive cap. Alternately, CAMM's integration with Lockheed Martin's Extensible Launching System (ExLS) munitions adapter enables CAMM and CAMM-ER to be quad-packed and CAMM-MR to be dual-packed into existing vertical launching systems such as the Mark-41 or SYLVER (currently no indication SYLVER integration has occurred) to provide a heavier and more expensive, but much more space efficient launching option for greater missile capacity (quad-packing / dual-packing).
Operational history
United Kingdom
Royal Navy
[[File:HMS LANCASTER LEAVES NORWAY MOD 45168084.jpg|thumb|Sea Ceptor 32 cell '''Mushroom Farm on the British Type 23 frigate HMS Lancaster]]
In January 2012, MBDA and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced a contract worth £483 million to fully develop the maritime application of CAMM known as Sea Ceptor for the Royal Navy. In September 2017, the first Sea Ceptor missile was successfully fired at sea from the Type 23 frigate, HMS Argyll.
Sea Ceptor entered operational service in May 2018, with being the first Type 23 frigate to deploy with the system. The Type 23 has de-risked the integration of Sea Ceptor by retaining a modified version of its existing 32-cell vertical launch system lengthened to accommodate the longer CAMM.
The Anti-Air-Warfare Officer of the Type 23 Frigate HMS Westminster said after test firings “Westminster managed to explore the real potential of the system during her training and to say it is a real game changer is an understatement. Unlike its predecessor [Sea Wolf], the system is capable of defending ships other than Westminster herself. Whether it’s engaging multiple air threats or fast incoming attack craft, Sea Ceptor represents a massive capability upgrade for the Type 23 frigate.”
The Royal Navy's future Type 26 and Type 31 frigates (replacing the Type 23s) will be fitted with Sea Ceptor when they enter service in the late 2020s. The Type 26 will have 2x24-cell launch complexes forward and amidships for a total 48x Sea Ceptors whilst the Type 31 will have at least 32x missiles quad-packed into one its four launch modules.
In July 2021, MBDA announced that they had been contracted to integrate Sea Ceptor onto the Type 45 Destroyers as part of a wider upgrade program which will be delivered for all six ships between 2026 and 2032. 24x Sea Ceptors will be mounted forward of the existing 48-cell SYLVER complex in the space formally allocated for a 16-cell Mark 41 complex and will replace the short-range air defence role currently performed by Aster 15 allowing for a total of 48x long-ranged Aster 30s to be carried in their place and bring a 50% increase in the ship's overall missile capacity.
British Army
In July 2021 it was reported that the British Army's Sky Sabre''' air defence system had started acceptance trials and training with the Royal Artillery. Sky Sabre systems consist of Land Ceptor missiles (CAMM) fired from MBDA's iLaunchers, guided by SAAB Giraffe AMB radars and controlled by the Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Modular Integrated C4I Air & Missile Defence System (MIC4AD), all of which are mounted on MAN trucks. A Sky Sabre battery consists of two fire groups; each group has one radar and three launchers. The system has over three times the range of the preceding Rapier system.
It was planned to deploy the system in the Falkland Islands in "late summer/early autumn". Land Ceptor was delivered to the British Army in December 2021, before being declared operational in January 2022. During the same month, Sky Sabres first deployment was announced to the Falklands with a fire group replacing the existing Rapier missile deployment.
In March 2022, the UK announced it would be deploying a Sky Sabre fire group to Poland to bolster NATO's Eastern flank following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In 2023, reports emerged suggesting that investment had begun towards acquiring additional launchers, a new medium range radar, as well as the potential procurement of CAMM-ER for Sky Sabre.
Poland
Italy
Gallery
Operators
Current operators
Chilean Navy - in 2014, Sea Ceptor (CAMM) was selected to replace Sea Wolf on the Type 23 frigates.
Royal New Zealand Navy - In 2013, Sea Ceptor (CAMM) selected as part of a frigate upgrade for and .
Royal Navy - Sea Ceptor (CAMM) was officially declared "in service" with the Royal Navy in May 2018 on the Type 23 frigates. Sea Ceptor will also equip the Type 26 frigates, Type 31 frigates and Type 45 destroyers.
British Army - Sky Sabre began entering service with the Royal Artillery in January 2022, replacing Rapier.
Polish Armed Forces - CAMM was selected as part of Poland's Narew ground-based air defence system in November 2021. In April 2022, Poland bought two CAMM system fire units (1 battery) as a bridge solution until the target version for the Narew program was developed. The set includes a total of 6 (3 per fire unit), 2 ZDPSR Soła radars, Polish command system and transport vehicles, and a supply of missiles.
On the 4th of October the first fully operational unit anti-aircraft system called "Little Narew" utilizing the CAMM family missiles was handed over to the soldiers of the 18th Anti-Aircraft Regiment in Zamość
Pakistan Navy has selected CAMM-ER to equip its new Babur-class corvette. First Babur class corvette was commissioned on 23rd Sept 2023.
Future operators
Brazilian Marine Corps: AV-MMA is a Brazilian localised version of the CAMM originally envisaged to equip all three service branches via a common cannister container, will equip the anti-aircraft version of the Astros II MLRS.
Brazilian Navy - Sea Ceptor (CAMM) selected to equip the new Tamandaré class frigates.
Royal Canadian Navy - Sea Ceptor (CAMM) was selected to equip the Canadian Surface Combatant as a Close-In Air Defence System (CIADS).
Pakistan Navy has selected Albatross-NG (CAMM-ER) to equip its new MILGEM corvettes.
Italian Army - CAMM-ER along with PCMI/X-TAR radar selected as Grifo (Griffin) to replace the Skyguard (Aspide missiles).
Italian Air Force - CAMM-ER along with Kronos radar selected as MAADS (Medium Advanced Air Defence System) to replace the SPADA (Aspide missiles) batteries.
Italian Navy - Albatross-NG (CAMM-ER) selected to replace Aster 15 missiles.
Polish Navy - CAMM-MR was selected for the Miecznik class frigate in March 2022
Royal Saudi Navy - CAMM was selected to equip the Aegis Combat System on the Multi-Mission Surface Combant (MMSC)
Failed bids
Finish Army / Finish Navy - CAMM was pitched for both the ITSUKO GBAD program and for the Squadron 2020 Corvette Program.
Spanish Navy - In May 2016, CAMM-ER was selected to equip the future F110-class frigates. Later in 2018 the missile lost against RIM-162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missile Block II.
See also
Anti-aircraft warfare
List of missiles
Hisar
RIM-162 ESSM
Barak 8
VL MICA
Umkhonto (missile)
VL-SRSAM
Aster (missile family)
References
External links
CAMM (MARITIME APPLICATION)
New Missile system to shield the fleet from air attack Royal Navy (31 January 2012)
CAMM Common Anti-Air Modular Missile air defense system on armyrecognition.com
CAMM-ER (MBDA Systems)
Air-to-air missiles of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom defence procurement
Naval surface-to-air missiles
Post–Cold War missiles of the United Kingdom
Surface-to-air missiles of the United Kingdom
21st-century surface-to-air missiles
Military equipment introduced in the 2010s