The Estonian Centre for Defence Investment (ECDI) has signed a contract with Proteus Advanced Systems for the delivery of the Blue Spear (5G SSM) missile system to the Estonian Navy.
The company that will be supplying the shore-based anti-ship missile system that will enhance Estonia’s coastal defense capabilities is a joint venture between Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and ST Engineering Land Systems.
IAI said the project is one of the biggest and most complex projects in Estonian defense procurement.
“I am pleased with our team for managing to stay in the given time frame and keeping the tender competitive up till the very end. The award was based on several evaluation criteria including total cost of ownership, involvement of local industry and on the delivery time,” Asko Kivinuk the strategic category manager for maritime defense systems said.
“This weapon system substantially improves our coastal defense and sends a clear message that we are contributing to the regional and collective defense effort. This is one of the most complex and high-tech weapon systems of all time and a huge leap forward for the Estonian Defence Forces,” Estonian defense minister Kalle Laanet said.
The Blue Spear missile system can operate in all weather conditions, day and night and enables strike capabilities beyond the line of sight, against mobile and stationary targets at sea. The missile’s maximum range is 290 kilometers. The missile system benefits from commonality with IAI’s Gabriel missile family system, which has been in service since the 1970s.
The Blue Spear system enables launching from several land-based platforms with flight at high sub-sonic speed. The warhead employs an active radar-homing seeker, INS-based navigation capabilities and a system immune to GPS disruptions.
“This is a very advanced, operational proven system, leading the sea battlefield by its capabilities and based on IAI’s many years of experience in the field of missiles, particularly with the Gabriel missile family,” Proteus Advanced Systems’ general manager, Ron Tryfus, said.
