The Norwegian Kronberg, with the Israeli Rafael and the Swedish Saab, continue to achieve commercial success in the field of tactical missiles, to the detriment of traditional players in this sector, such as France and Great Britain. Today, it is in Australia that the Norwegian group, associated with the American giant Raytheon, is establishing itself with an order of more than €170 million for the delivery of short-range NASAMS anti-aircraft defense systems, as part of of the LAND program to modernize the Australian land forces.
The NASAMS is a system designed around the AMRAAM AIM120 missile, and the AN/MPQ64 PESA radar, making it possible to provide anti-aircraft coverage within a radius of 15 to 20 km around the battery. Easy to use and inexpensive, it is already in service in 5 armed forces (Norway, Finland, Netherlands, Chile, Spain) as well as for the protection of high-value targets and Washington DC by the United States . Australia, India, Indonesia, Lithuania and Oman have also ordered the system.
If Great Britain now offers the system Land Ceptor, based on the CAMM(ER) missile to succeed the Rapier exported to 14 countries (including Australia, Oman and Indonesia), France seems to remain stuck in the Saudi scenario which saw the Crotale VT4 from Thales and MBDA's Mica VL, ultimately not being able to offer any system with a long-term vision. The Crotale systems equipped (and still equip in the majority of cases) the armies of 10 countries, to which must be added the users of the Crotale Naval. A situation which is reminiscent of those concerning anti-ship missiles, or anti-tank missiles. By always wanting to do everything in European partnership, perhaps we forget to promote the unique know-how that still exists in France...