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 is derived from, and shares some common features and components with, the Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM), but with updated electronics, a soft vertical launch system, and an active radar homing seeker. The CAMM family is in use by or on order for the armed forces of several countries.
In the Royal Navy, CAMM, the point and local area defence variant with a range of greater than 25 kilometres (16 mi), is part of the Sea Ceptor air defence system which replaced the Sea Wolf missiles on Type 23 frigates starting from 2018. It will also equip both the Type 26 and Type 31 frigates planned for 2028, and is intended to replace Aster 15 on the Type 45 destroyer. In the British Army, CAMM forms the interceptor component of the Sky Sabre/Land Ceptor air defence system, which replaced the Rapier missile from 2021. The development of CAMM is also contributing to the updating of ASRAAM in service with the Royal Air Force.
An extended-range version of the CAMM (CAMM-ER) was in the final stages of development by the UK and Italy as of 2023. It is capable of reaching targets over 45 kilometres (28 mi) away. Brazil announced in 2014 that it was independently to develop the similar 40 kilometres (25 mi)+ ranged MV-AMA (AVibras Medium Altitude Missile) for its Astros 2020 MLRS and naval platforms. A larger CAMM-MR (medium-range) missile with a range of over 100 kilometres (62 mi) was being developed by the UK and Poland in 2022, to equip Polish Wicher-class frigates and Wisła air defence systems.
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" (UK Industrial partnership of companies such as MBDA and Thales UK) programme to deliver a variety of weapons and maintain UK sovereign capability in this area. FLAADS is intended to deliver a common weapons platform, 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 data link 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 starting from 2003, culminating in a successful soft launch of a complete missile 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 now known as Sea Ceptor.
In 2013, MBDA and Thales UK outlined in a press release the scale of their cooperation on the development of both CAMM and FLAADS. Manufacturing work valuing £1 million had been placed at Thales' Belfast site, including for elements such as internal thermal management modelling, structural analysis, and precision manufacturing of a number of missile components. MBDA and Thales were also exploring on other areas such as the provision of in-service support to CAMM users. Thales' Basingstoke site were also exploring two pilot programs covering missile safety and arming units and intelligent fuzes, in cooperation with MBDA. The Basingstoke site had already been contracted in 2012 to supply CAMM with laser proximity fuzes under an £11 million contract.
Throughout this development, ASRAAM was used as the base design for the future missile but with new software, a turnover pack, folding fins, an RF seeker, and data-link added to facilitate the required capabilities. Other components beyond those directly from ASRAAM were reused from other programs such as the command and control software which reuses around 70% of that developed for the Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS) on board the Type 45 destroyers as well as some internal electronic components from the Sea Wolf Block 2 missiles. In return, some of the technologies and components developed for CAMM were used to upgrade ASRAAM as part of the Block 6 upgrade. Overall, development costs were reduced by a using modular design and minimised complexity.
In January 2015, the MoD announced that it had signed a development and manufacturing deal with MBDA in late December 2014.
In September 2017, the first successful Sea Ceptor (CAMM) firing occurred at sea from the Type 23 frigate, HMS Argyll.
On 24 June 2021, MBDA announced that CAMM-ER had completed its first successful live-firing in late 2020 from a range in Italy.
On 13 March 2024, it was announced that MBDA was seeking to triple the monthly production rate of the CAMM family of missiles from 2022 to 2026. Furthermore, MBDA would double production capacity of its Bolton facility in the UK and create a second final assembly line for CAMM-ER in Italy.
The main variants of the CAMM family utilise a number of common features.
The missiles' guidance system uses a combination of two-way data link for in-flight guidance and retargeting, and an active RF seeker, using gallium nitride (GaN) solid-state power amplifier technology, for terminal guidance (lock-on after launch) providing high performance in all weather conditions. As missiles can receive guidance inputs over data link, targeting data through to the missile's terminal phase can be provided by the fire-control channel(s) present on modern 3D radar systems, removing any requirement for a ship or ground-based air-defence system (GBAD) to incorporate dedicated fire-control or radar illuminator systems, helping to reduce system cost, weight, and maintenance requirements. This also allows the use of targeting data from a much greater variety of sources, for instance, if a ship's combat management system or a GBAD's command post is compatible with wider battlefield data-link systems (e.g. NATO's Link 16) then connected assets including aircraft or other air defence systems can contribute targeting data. This guidance combination reportedly allows a high rate of fire against multiple simultaneous targets (saturation attacks) and against a "wide target set" with missiles also described as having a "modest" surface-to-surface capability. However, there are concerns that the increased use of data link may make the system more vulnerable to electronic warfare measures.
CAMM also incorporates a cold launch system referred to as Soft Vertical Launch (SVL). Unlike the more traditional hot launch method whereby a missile would use its own rocket motor to leave its launch cell, SVL uses a gas generator to pneumatically eject the missile from its canister while a turn-over pack on the missile body orients the missile directly towards the target before engaging its rocket motor and accelerating for interception. Whilst still providing 360° coverage around the launch system, the unique benefits of this launch method include:
The CAMM family are described as having a maintenance-free design throughout the missile's shelf life of reportedly 10 or 20 years, with munitions remaining safely sealed in their launch canisters until firing. CAMM's software utilises open-systems architecture allowing for both easier integration with new sensors and combat management systems but also general upgrades throughout its service life. Additionally, all CAMM munitions are rated as Insensitive munition compliant for improved platform survivability in the event of damage.
The missiles of the CAMM family can be used interchangeably by both naval and ground-based air defence systems allowing for common usage and shared munition stockpiles between military branches.
The land application of CAMM is marketed as the "Enhanced Modular Air Defence Solutions" (EMADS) package or "Land Ceptor".
The system utilises MBDA's Intelligent Launcher (iLauncher), a scalable, palletised erector launcher for up to eight CAMM or CAMM-ER missiles and mounted to an 8x8 vehicle of choice. iLauncher provides the two-way data link for the missiles in-flight and can also optionally integrate an electro-optical targeting system for passive target acquisition within line of sight of the launcher. Additionally, iLauncher is capable of self-loading/unloading missile racks via a hook system or change individual missile canisters with the assistance of a crane (This reportedly allows for missiles to be loaded in half the time as required for Rapier). It is also fitted with its own power supply allowing it to be dismounted from the parent vehicle and operated remotely if necessary, as well as mounting onboard test-equipment for streamlined maintenance. iLauncher has evolved considerably from its initial concept in the early 2010s. The first iterations of the system were seen mounted on MAN 4x4 trucks, loaded with two racks of six missiles (12 missiles total), a small crane, an early version of the data link mast and considerably fewer auxiliary components compared to the final product.
As part of EMADS, CAMM and iLauncher are designed to be integrated with a customer's choice of command and radar systems, as well as wider battlespace management systems such as Northrop Grumman's Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS). Additionally, by using data link, the various component systems of EMADS (launchers, sensors, command systems) do not required physical connectors such as cables to be established between them, allowing a battery or fire-group to deploy and redeploy more rapidly but also allowing for components to be spaced apart out to a reported distance of 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) for improved survivability.
The naval application of CAMM is marketed as "Sea Ceptor". CAMM can be integrated on vessels as small as 50 metres (160 ft) such as in/offshore patrol vessels or on larger surface combatants (destroyers and frigates), only requiring the internal installation of the necessary computing systems as well as above-deck aerials for the two-way data link for the missiles, and is designed to be easily integrated with a ship's combat management system.
CAMM's soft vertical launch capability with the resultant removal of most efflux management concerns aboard ships enables the use of a variety of shipborne launching options.
The low cost, low weight, option is CAMM's own vertical launch canisters (colloquially known as "mushroom farms" due to the appearance of the protective cover used to protect the protruding cells when not in combat) which use a lengthened and modified version of the vertical launch cells used on the Type 23 frigates. A more modular version of this launcher arrangement was later developed, utilising six-cell launch modules.
Alternately, following integration with the Host Extensible Launching System (ExLS), CAMM, CAMM-ER and CAMM-MR can be packed into the larger multi-role Mark 41 or Mark 57 vertical launching systems, providing a launching system which is much more compact and with greater missile capacity (multiple missiles can be packed into each individual launch cell), though heavier and more expensive. The French Sylver vertical launching system can also be used. The ExLS product line also has a stand-alone three-cell launch module that can provide tactical-length launch capabilities comparable to the Mark 41, but in a lighter and smaller package, as a middle-ground launcher option for CAMM and CAMM-ER.
The point defence and local-area defence variant. CAMM weighs 99 kg (218 lb), is 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in) in length, and is 166 mm (6.5 in) in diameter. Incorporating the same rocket motor from ASRAAM, CAMM has a flight altitude of 10 km (6.2 mi) and reported minimum operational range of less than 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) and a maximum range greater than 25 km (16 mi), although IHS Jane's reported that trials had shown the missile having a capability of traveling up to 60 km (37 mi). These ranges are significantly greater than both the 1–10 kilometres (0.62–6.21 mi) range of Sea Wolf and the 8.2 kilometres (5.1 mi) range of Rapier that CAMM would replace. Can be quad-packed.
The extended-range point and local-area defence variant. Under development with MBDA and Avio for the Italian Ministry of Defence since 2013. CAMM-ER weighs 160 kg (350 lb), is 4.2 metres (14 feet) in length, and is 190 mm (7.5 in) diameter. Other than the increased dimensions and alongside the addition of strakes and fins to the body as well as a slightly redesigned seeker radome, CAMM-ER utilises a new Avio rocket motor enabling a range in excess of 40–45 kilometres (25–28 mi), although these ranges are reported as conservative, and a flight altitude of 10 km (6.2 mi). Can be quad-packed.
An area defence variant with a range in excess of 100 kilometres (62 mi) being developed in partnership between MBDA UK and PGZ as of 2023 as part of the wider 2030 UK-Poland Strategic Partnership. The missile is being primarily developed for Polish requirements as a lower-cost, locally producible missile to complement the existing PAC-3 MSE within the Wisła system, as well as to have a single medium-range missile that can be used by both ground based air defence assets and the Polish Navy's Wicher-class frigates. Whilst there is currently little information on the missile's overall characteristics aside range, official images of the munition shows two missiles loaded into a single Mark 41 cell making CAMM-MR the first munition of this range class capable of being dual-packed into the Mark 41 Vertical Launching System, enabling 16 missiles to be carried by a single Mk 41 eight-cell launch module.
The MV-AMA (AVibras Medium-Altitude Missile) is 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 kilometres (25 mi), up to an altitude of 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) and designed to be compatible with the Astros 2020 multiple rocket launcher as well as naval platforms. The program is expected to have 70% sovereign Brazilian industrial contribution.
Technologies derived from both CAMM and Brimstone are also being used in the development of the Land Precision Strike Missile for the British Army, an 80–150 kilometres (50–93 mi) ranged surface-to-surface missile designed to complement the GMLRS-ER for use against high-value and moving targets. Marketing material shows that missile is also expected to be compatible with iLauncher among other potential launch platforms.
MBDA, as lead contractor, received an £851 million contract to integrate CAMM on the Type 23 frigates with a planned in-service date of November 2016. Sea Ceptor entered operational service in May 2018, with HMS Argyll being the first Type 23 frigate to deploy with the system. The Type 23 has de-risked the integration of Sea Ceptor (also referred to as GWS-35) by retaining a modified version of its existing 32-cell vertical launch system for Sea Wolf which is lengthened to accommodate the longer CAMM; this was opposed to MBDA's alternate proposal of introducing a new 12-cell ExLS complex for 48 quad-packed missiles.
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. A £128 million contract was signed with MBDA to integrate CAMM on to the Type 26 frigates with a planned completion date of December 2019. The Type 26 had previously been shown as having 2x24-cell mushroom farm launch complexes for CAMM located forward and amidships (four 6-cell modules each) for a total 48x Sea Ceptors; however, the Royal Navy's website now describes the Type 26 as being fitted with a 12-cell vertical launch system and 24 Mk41 launcher cells.
The Type 31 has had a number of revisions to its vertical launch system. Initially the Arrowhead 140 design (which would later be selected for the Type 31) was depicted being fitted with a single bulk mushroom farm for 24 missiles. In 2020 this arrangement was revised for the modular mushroom farm launcher with two 6-cell modules for a total of 12 missiles, with the noticeable reduction of missiles possibly being a cost-saving measure. On 21 May 2023, First Sea Lord Sir Ben Key announced that Royal Navy intends to fit the Type 31s with their previously fitted-for-but-not-with 32-cell Mark 41 vertical launch systems to provide them additional firepower and will likely see ships hosting at least 32x missiles quad-packed into one of their four eight-cell launch modules.
In July 2021, MBDA was awarded a contract to integrate Sea Ceptor onto the six Type 45 destroyers between 2026 and 2032. 24x CAMM cells (four 6-cell modules) are expected to be mounted forward of the existing 48-cell Sylver launcher to fulfil the short-range air defence role currently performed by Aster 15 missiles. This will allow a total of 48 long-ranged Aster 30s to be carried in their place and bring a 50% increase in the ship's overall missile capacity.
CAMM saw its first official combat use with the Royal Navy on the morning of 9 March 2024 when HMS Richmond destroyed two Houthi drones during the Red Sea crisis with an unspecified number of missiles.
The British Army's CAMM-based air defence system is known as Sky Sabre. Rafael, the lead contractor for the programme, was awarded a £618 million contract in 2016 for the delivery of the system with a planned in-service date of March 2020.
Sky Sabre consists of three main components: MBDA iLaunchers loaded with CAMM, the Surface to Air Missile Centre (SAMOC) which runs on Rafael's Modular Integrated C4I Air & Missile Defence System (MIC4AD) as used on Israel's Iron Dome, and Saab's Giraffe Agile Multi-Beam (GAMB) passive-electronically scanned array radar. GAMB operates in the C-band and provides Sky Sabre with 360° radar coverage at up to 70° elevation and out 120 kilometres (75 mi) range. The radar itself is raised 12 metres (39 ft) above its parent vehicle to give better detection of low level threats and greater freedom in system deployment by allowing the array to look over obstacles such as buildings or treelines. All of these components are mounted on MAN HX77 8x8 heavy utility trucks and can all be dismounted from their parent vehicles if required. Reportedly a Sky Sabre battery consists of one SAMOC, one GAMB, and four to six iLaunchers.
Sky Sabre is operated by 16th Regiment Royal Artillery under the command of the 7th Air Defence Group. Land Ceptor provides Sky Sabre and the British Army with over three times the range of the preceding Rapier system. Major Tim Oakes, Senior Training Officer for the Sky Sabre training programme is quoted as saying: "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."
On 1 July 2021, it was revealed that Sky Sabre had started acceptance trials and training with the Royal Artillery and that it would be deployed to the Falkland Islands would occur "late summer/early autumn [2021]". Sky Sabre had its initial operating capability declared on 8 October 2021 with the first systems delivered by the Defence Equipment & Support Agency (DE&S) to the 7th Air Defence Group in December 2021 before being formally declared operational in January 2022. During the same month, Sky Sabre's first deployment was announced to the Falklands 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 dubbed Operation Stifftail. On 13 March 2024, Minister of Defence Grant Shapps announced on social media that Operation Stifftail would formally be extended. It eventually concluded in December 2024.
The Polish Armed Forces had begun modernisation efforts for its air-defence capability in the 2010s with the development of its domestic Pilica system for short-range air defence, and the procurement of Patriot (known as Wisła in Polish service) with PAC-3 MSE missiles for medium-range capabilities from 2017. The gap between these two systems would be filled by the new Narew system which would make up the bulk of Polish air defence assets.
The CAMM family was selected to equip Narew in November 2021 with the intention being to equip the system with CAMM-ER. An urgent operational requirement and interim solution known as Mała Narew (small/little Narew) was created in 2022 and would be equipped with the already in-production CAMM variant whilst also marking the beginning of both a technology transfer from MBDA to PGZ and the development of a CAMM training program. Mała Narew saw iLaunchers equipped with CAMM mounted onto Polish Jelcz vehicles, guided by SOŁA radar stations and integrated with a Polish command system. On 4 October 2022, the first fully operational unit of Mała Narew was handed over to the soldiers of the 18th Anti-Aircraft Regiment in Zamość. Mała Narew saw the first live-firing of CAMM in June 2023.
In April 2023, Poland signed a £1.9 billion contract with MBDA to manufacture of a total of 22 Pilica+ air defence batteries, which at the time was the largest European short-range air defence acquisition programme in NATO. Pilica+ would see the existing SHORAD missile and gunnery components of Pilica combined with a similar launcher arrangement as Mała Narew with CAMM to expand Pilica into a triple-layer system. The contract includes 44 launchers and 750 missiles, to be delivered from 2025 to 2029. MBDA's press release also confirmed that the CAMM family would equip the Polish Navy's Wicher-class frigates, although there was at the time no mention as to which missile variant(s) (CAMM / CAMM-ER) would be integrated.
In July 2023, the UK and Poland with MBDA and PGZ signed agreements that formally began the joint development of the CAMM-MR which would be known as the "Joint/Future Common Missile" with the intention that it would be used by both British and Polish platforms such as on the Wicher-class frigates and possibly Wisła batteries.
In November 2023, a more than £4 billion ($4.9 billion) contract was signed between MBDA and PGZ for the procurement of over 1,000 CAMM-ER missiles and over 100 iLaunchers to equip the forthcoming Narew batteries, in addition to further technology transfers agreements enabling licensed production of both the missiles and launchers within Poland. It also confirmed that Narew would be integrated with the US's Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) as was already the case with Wisła. This is the biggest export contract for MBDA as well as between Poland and the UK.
On 14 December 2023, the PGZ-PILICA+ consortium signed a $139 million contract for the provision 44 iLaunchers and their parent Jelcz vehicles that will equip the 22 Pilica+ batteries (two launchers per battery).
On 20 December 2023, Poland signed a $782.5 million deal with the PGZ-NAREW consortium for 24 mobile P-18PL long-range radars for use within both Narew and Wisła with the delivery of all systems expected to be complete by 2035.
In late December 2023, while reporting on developments with the Wicher-class frigates, Naval News confirmed that both CAMM and CAMM-ER would equip the three ship class.
On 29 February 2024, The Polish Armaments Agency announced a $2.53 billion agreement for the delivery and formal integration of IBCS into both the Narew and Wisła systems.
On 21 January 2025, the UK and Poland announced the creation of a joint programme office in Bristol expected to open in later in the 2025 to support the delivery of Narew to Poland. The establishment of the office forms part of a wider defence and security agreement between the two countries that was announced on 16 January 2025.
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