Tel Aviv: Israeli company Elbit Systems was awarded a $50 million (approx.) contract for its new air defence system, “Red Sky”™, by an international customer.
The contract will be executed over a period of 2 years. It is the first time that Elbit Systems has added a missile to its anti-drone systems. This to increase the rate of intercepts.
The Red Sky is a tactical Very Short-range Air Defense (VSHORAD) System designed to provide protection against low-altitude aerial threats.
As part of the contract, Elbit Systems will supply two Red Sky batteries, offering a comprehensive solution that integrates both soft-kill and hard-kill defence capabilities. This solution includes Elbit Systems’ Redrone, an electronic warfare (EW) solution designed for detecting, identifying, locating and neutralising unmanned aerial systems.
The Redrone system comprises DAiR Radar, Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) sensors, RF Jammer, and COAPS-L electro-optical (EO) payload. Additionally, the Red Sky solution will incorporate anti-aircraft missile launchers.
The Red Sky system is a modular, multilayered, effective air defence counter-UAS solution. It comprises a suite of sophisticated components designed to provide comprehensive defence coverage. Among these components is the “Red Sky” Missile Launcher Unit (MLU), which operates remotely from within the vehicle, equipped with Local Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) capabilities for autonomous operation, and boasting precision VSHORAD missile launching for firing range of up to 7 kilometres.
Complementing the MLU is the ‘Red Sky’ Battery Target Detection Radar (BTDR), which features a Central Surveillance Radar, a C2 System, and advanced communication capabilities for seamless coordination with fire units.
Additionally, the ‘Red Sky’ is equipped with an EW Counter-UAS solution, Elbit Systems’ “Redrone”. This solution includes the classification and identification of threats and also possesses soft kill capabilities against unmanned aerial threats.
The Redrone comprises advanced X-band DAiR Radar, SIGINT sensor along with high-end RF Jammer and electronic attack capabilities, and COAPS-L electro-optical (EO) payload, providing an enhanced integrated aerial picture. Each component can operate independently or integrated, allowing for flexible deployment tailored to specific operational requirements.
Whether deployed as independent fire units or integrated into a regional defence framework, Elbit’s “Red Sky” system offers comprehensive protection with integrated command and control.
Yehuda (Udi) Vered, General Manager of Elbit Systems Land commented, “The Red Sky system represents a state-of-the-art solution that addresses the urgent need to defend borders and secure strategic assets against a wide array of aerial threats at an affordable cost. This new defence solution was created based on close collaboration between Elbit Systems’ divisions, utilising existing Elbit Systems building blocks and integrating them into a comprehensive new solution with new anti-aircraft missiles and advanced soft-kill defence mechanisms.”
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
