The Rapier is one of six GBAD systems being placed around London as part of Exercise Olympic Guardian. This major military and civilian exercise is taking place to help make the London 2012 Olympic Games as safe and secure as possible. It will see a wide range of capabilities rehearsed in a deliberate and orchestrated manner over a nine-day period.
Rapier, and the smaller Starstreak system, may be deployed for the Games as part of the Air Security Plan, which aims to secure the Olympics from an airborne attack. It is just one aspect of a multi-layered plan that includes RAF Typhoon interceptor aircraft, military helicopters carrying RAF Regiment snipers, and a range of radars and sensors based around the UK. While the missiles may be the most noticeable aspect of Rapier and Starstreak, their primary role will be to use their detection capabilities to provide an additional ability to identify unauthorised aircraft in the restricted airspace around London.
Norway’s Kongsberg has signed a letter of intent (LoI) with Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) to collaborate on a potential bid to meet Poland’s Narew short-range air defence system requirement.
In a ceremony on 24 May in Oslo, Kongsberg Defence Systems president Harald Ånnestad signed an agreement with PGZ president Arkadiusz Siwko to collaborate on a bid involving Kongsberg’s NASAMS surface-to-air missile system for the Narew programme, as well as to start collaboration in areas such as naval battle management systems, space programmes, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems.
The accord also covers developing potential export markets for PGZ equipment.
