NATIONAL ADVANCED SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILE SYSTEMS (NASAMS)

Taiwan has announced the deployment of NASAMS, a medium-range ground-based air defense system, in North Taiwan to protect Taipei. Developed by Raytheon and Kongsberg, it defends against aircraft, missiles, and UAVs. NASAMS features a radar system with a 75 km range, three launchers, and uses AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles for defense.

Last Updated on 23rd January, 2025
4 minutes, 15 seconds

Description

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Context:


Taiwan has announced that its newly purchased, cutting-edge, battle-proven National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) will be deployed in North Taiwan to protect Taipei's capital.

About NASAMS

Feature

Details

Type

Medium-range ground-based air defense system

Developers

Raytheon (United States) and Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace (Norway)

Operational Since

1994

First Deployment

Royal Norwegian Air Force.

Countries Using

13 countries including Norway, Spain, the US, Finland, Hungary, Netherlands, Australia, and more.

Purpose

Defense against aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, UAVs, and air-to-ground threats

US Integration

Part of the American capital's air defense since 2005.

Unique Feature

First connected short- and medium-range air defense systems, integrable with other systems.

Radar

X-Band 360° phased-array radar, 75 km range.

Launchers

Three launchers, each carrying six missiles.

Missiles Used

AIM-120 AMRAAM (modified for ground strikes, 30 km range).

Target Capability

Engage 72 targets simultaneously in active and passive modes.

Architecture

Open, network-centric, and resistant to electronic countermeasures.

India’s Missile Defence Systems

Feature

Details

Ballistic Missile Defence System

2-tier missile defense system to intercept ballistic missiles up to 5000 km range at exo- and endo-atmosphere.

1st Layer: Endo-atmosphere

Advanced Air Defence (AAD) low-altitude interceptor (Ashwin); intercepts missiles at 20-40 km altitude.

2nd Layer: Exo-atmosphere

Prithvi Air Defense Vehicle (Pradyumna); intercepts missiles with 300-2000 km range at 80 km altitude.

Extended Exo Capability

Agni-V-based ballistic interceptors for altitudes up to 150 km for missiles with 5000 km range.

Akash Medium-Range SAM System

Indigenous system with 2 regiments, multi-target engagement, 25 km range, and 18,000 m altitude strike capability.

Multi-layered Air Defence System (Delhi)

1st Layer

2-tier Ballistic Missile Defence System

2nd Layer

S-400 layered defense system

3rd Layer

Barak-8 long- and medium-range SAM

4th Layer

Akash medium-range SAM

5th Layer

NASAMS-2

NASAMS-2

Acquired from the US; protects vital assets in Delhi NCR, including Parliament and President's House.

NASAMS-2 Features

12 multi-missile launchers (AMRAAM and Stinger), Sentinel X-band 3D radars, 4 Fire Distribution Centers, and advanced electro-optical/infrared sensors.

Hypersonic Missiles

Speed

Mach 5 or higher (over 1 mile per second).

Propulsion

Scramjet engine: collects oxygen from the atmosphere and combusts with hydrogen for hypersonic travel.

India's HSTDV

Unmanned scramjet demonstration vehicle; cruises at Mach 6, reaches 32 km altitude in 20 seconds.

Hypersonic Weapon Delivery Systems

1. Hypersonic Cruise Missiles (HCM)

2. Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV).

READ ABOUT

About NASAMS 

Source:

Eurasiantimes

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Consider the following statements regarding the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS):

  1. NASAMS is a medium-range air defense system developed by Raytheon (United States) and Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace (Norway).
  2. The system protects high-value assets from aircraft, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Which of the above-given statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: c

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: NASAMS is a medium-range air defense system developed jointly by Raytheon (USA) and Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace (Norway). NASAMS uses AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, modified for ground strikes, with a range of about 30 km.

Statement 2 is correct: NASAMS is designed to protect high-value assets and population centers from various aerial threats, including aircraft, helicopters, and UAVs. NASAMS is capable of engaging up to 72 targets simultaneously in both active and passive modes.

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