MEADS system demo success

A two-week comprehensive system demonstration of the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) has resulted in all criteria for success being achieved, Lockheed Martin has announced. The system was conducted at Pratica di Mare Air Base near Rome, Italy.

The tests included an operational demonstration run by German and Italian military personnel, and were designed to seamlessly add and subtract system elements under representative combat conditions, and to blend MEADS with other systems in a larger system architecture.

The system demonstrated its ability to rapidly attach and control an external Italian deployable air defence radar as part of its ‘plug and fight’ capabilities. As a fully integrated asset in the MEADS network, the radar tracked air objects and supplied a common integrated air picture of the area around Pratica di Mare. MEADS operators were able to rapidly recognise, incorporate, control, remove, reallocate and reposition launchers and sensors during engagement operations.

MEADS engaged a simulated cruise missile and other threats simultaneously using an external sensor and track data provided via the Link 16 data-exchange network, demonstrating its engage-on-remote flexibility, which allows operators to target threats at greater distances despite being masked by terrain.

Additionally, using its netted and distributed network architecture, MEADS automatically selected the best launcher for target engagement and demonstrated control of engagement operations from each battle manager. This proved that by reassigning workload, MEADS can maintain defence capabilities if any system element is lost or fails.

Finally, interoperability with German and Italian air defence assets was demonstrated through exchange of standardised NATO messages. Key Italian air-defence assets were integrated into a test bed at an Italian national facility, while the Surface to Air Missile Operations Centre and Patriot assets were integrated into a test bed at the German Air Force Air Defense Center in Fort Bliss, Texas. MEADS further demonstrated capability to perform engagement coordination with other systems, which no fielded system is able to do.

Dave Berganini, president, MEADS international, said: ‘No other ground-mobile air and missile defence system has MEADS' ability to plug-and-fight sensors and launchers. It is important to note that German and Italian military personnel were able to use the advanced capabilities of the system and its tactical battle management software after a short training course.’

MEADS has been developed to destroy all incoming tactical or medium-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, weapons of mass destruction, aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles. It provides advanced firepower, combat-proven hit-to-kill technology, 360-degree radar coverage and a plug-and-fight battle management network architecture. Its open architecture provides system-of-system integration capabilities that allow operational mission-tailoring for homeland defence or defence of manoeuvre forces.