page_title: Rapier (missile)
section_title: Tracked Rapier
hierarchical_section_title: Rapier (missile) / Use / Tracked Rapier
caption_attribution_description: English: Tracked Rapier is based on an US-American M548, version of M113 APC. Mounted on the rear is a Rapier-anti-aircraft guided missile system.
context_page_description: Rapier is a British surface-to-air missile. It was developed for the British Army and Royal Air Force. It began being used in 1971 and eventually replaced all other anti-aircraft weapons in the British Army. It replaced both guns for targets that were flying low down, and the English Electric Thunderbird which was used against targets that were higher up and further away.
  Rapier defends against fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aircraft and cruise missiles. It is also able to fire two missiles at once.
  Rapier can be moved around by ground and air.
context_section_description: It soon became noticed that a version of Rapier that could be moved around was needed.  BAC decided to change Rapier to fit onto  the M548, a version of the M113 armored personnel carrier. In 1974, this weapon was developed as "Tracked Rapier". The vehicles were bought by the British Army.  The first Tracked Rapiers were used with 11 (Sphinx) Air Defence Battery, of 22 Air Defence Regiment, Royal Artillery in 1982-83.
  Moving to firing takes only 30 seconds. This was a very big improvement to Towed Rapier. The biggest difference between towed and tracked Rapier was that the tracked Rapier launcher has eight missiles. The towed Rapier only has four.
  There was no room for Blindfire on a single M548. Because of this, it is towed or put onto a different M548.  
  After Tracked Rapier entered service, it was upgraded many times to follow the upgrades being made to all Rapiers. 
  Tracked Rapier has been replaced by Starstreak missile launchers. These are put onto the Alvis Stormer.
caption: What a Tracked Rapier looks like from behind.
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