MBDA has launched the SmartGlider family air-launched guided weapons at Dubai Airshow this year.
The new guided weapons product range has been designed to counter anti-access strategies and other emerging battlespace threats such as new-networked short and medium-range surface-to-air threats, moving/relocatable targets or hardened fixed targets.
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These air-to-ground weapons with folding wings have a range of more than 100km, allowing the combat platform to stay at safe distance from the enemy defences.
SmartGlider weapons will integrate new technologies into their guidance and navigation functions, as well as multi-purpose warheads.
Commenting on the launch, MBDA Middle East vice-president Florent Duleux said: “We are seeing a huge interest in the SmartGlider family from the region.
“The region’s airforces are equipped with the latest generation of combat aircraft, particularly European combat aircraft, and Smart Glider allows the full exploitation of the sensors and systems that equip these modern aircraft to deliver military effects that could not even be considered before.”
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By GlobalDataThe 2m-long SmartGlider Light weighs 120kg and close to 18kg can be carried on an aircraft with the help of a Hexabomb Smart Launcher (HSL) that can manage reactive strikes without affecting the pilot’s workload.
It can be engaged against a wide variety of targets ranging from hardened and defended fixed targets such as hangars and relocatable targets that can only be destroyed from a standoff distance with significant lethal effects.
MBDA also developed a 1,300kg SmartGlider Heavy that can carry a multipurpose warhead of more than 1,000kg to deal with large and hardened infrastructure.
