International Exercise Iron Wolf 2023-I running on May 8-20 involves Allied and Lithuanian military, including the Lithuanian Air Force Air Defence Battalion with the Giraffe MkIV surveillance radars, RBS-70 short-range air defence system and the Norwegian Advanced Surface to Air Missile System, NASAMS, the most state-of-the-art missile air defence system. The international Field Training Exercise Iron Wolf 2023-I has never integrated the medium-range air defence system before.
NASAMS is assessed to be one of the most efficient mid-range air defence systems specialized to ensure area, strategic object and maneuver unit support and defence against air strikes. 3rd generation NASAMS equipment bought from Norway in 2020 is suitable for neutralization of different types of hostile aircraft, ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The system comprises several components: fire distribution centre, radar, electro-optical sensor, launcher, radar and launcher command and control nodes. According to the commander of NASAMS battery, the most important component is the Fire Distribution Centre which remotely controls the launch, then, the radar which is the eyes of the system that leads to targets, and finally, the launcher, a 360 angle-capacity container accommodating six missiles that launches the missile to engage a hostile target.
The NASAMS unit is subordinate to the Control and Reporting Centre, CRC, at Exercise Iron Wolf 2023-I and ensures general support air defence over the Iron Wolf Brigade area of responsibility.
Photo credits: SSgt Spc Ievos Budzeikaitė | LITHAF
