Ukraine unveils new Rapid Ranger air defense system mounted on off-road vehicle
Photo: Ukrainian Armed Forces show missile system mounted on an off-road vehicle (facebook.com/ab3.army)
Military personnel from Ukraine's Third Army Corps shared photos of the Rapid Ranger air defense system mounted on a URO VAMTAC off-road vehicle.
In the first public appearance of the air defense system in photos, it was equipped with LMM Martlet lightweight multirole missiles. The Rapid Ranger is mounted on the chassis of the Spanish URO VAMTAC tactical off-road vehicle, which is operated by the 1030th Akvila Anti-Aircraft Missile and Artillery Regiment.
Photo: (https://www.facebook.com/ab3.army)
The Rapid Ranger air defense system weighs just 500 kg and features a modular design. It can be mounted on most wheeled vehicles, including pickup trucks and specialized armored vehicles, as well as on tracked vehicles.
The systems used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces are mounted on Spanish URO VAMTAC tactical off-road vehicles. These vehicles can reach speeds of up to 135 km/h, operate on public roads, quickly change positions, and cover long distances.
The LMM Martlet missiles used by the air defense system are 1.3 meters long and weigh 13 kg. They can reach speeds of up to 1,800 km/h and engage targets at distances of up to 7 km.
Photo: (https://www.facebook.com/ab3.army)
Moreover, the missiles use laser guidance rather than relying solely on infrared guidance. This allows the air defense system to engage targets with a low thermal signature or those equipped with heat decoys. The Rapid Ranger air defense system is also effective against Russian reconnaissance drones, which have a low thermal signature.
The Rapid Ranger air defense system is equipped with an electro-optical surveillance system that provides 360-degree coverage.
Ukraine strengthens its air defense
Ukraine is now moving toward developing its own air defense systems across all categories, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. According to him, this includes all the necessary air defense formats, such as systems and missiles. Particular attention is being paid to countering ballistic threats.
It has also emerged that an enemy Shahed drone was shot down for the first time by a privately owned air defense system. This happened in the skies over the Kharkiv region.
