French defense contractors Thales and Nexter have received a new contract from the French defense procurement agency (DGA) for the delivery of a new generation of short-range air-defense systems for French Navy ships.
The two companies formed a temporary consortium for the RAPIDFire system as part of a work program and roadmap put in place 10 years ago. The program is currently in the development phase, with first delivery scheduled for 2022.
Developed in a surface-to-air approach allowing use at sea but also from land, RAPIDFire provides an option to prepare for future use on land carriers.
The gun systems incorporates the new medium caliber 40 mm gun developed by CTAI, the international subsidiary of Nexter Systems and BAE Systems. The system is compatible with ammunitions developed for land forces programs and is predisposed to the use of future ammunition such as the smart anti aerial airburst (A3B) round.
“We’re delighted to be supporting the French Navy as it enhances the self-defense capabilities of its warships. With its combination of fast-into-action time and firing accuracy, RAPIDFire, developed in cooperation with Nexter, provides the best response for protecting navy vessels against modern threats,” Thomas Got, Vice-President Integrated Airspace-protection Systems, Thales.
