The UK’s Defence Equipment and Support agency has issued a tender for industry “to provide information on Specialist Counter Uncrewed Air Systems (Spec C-UAS) for the Land GBAD Programme. Land-GBAD (Ground Based Air Defence) Programme.”
“The Land GBAD Programme was established in response to Army’s requirement for a fully integrated Air Defence system of systems. This will be an enduring capability that will be delivered through incremental capability uplifts over the next 10 years. The Single Statement of User Need (SSUN) for Land GBAD is: “Land-GBAD must provide sufficient, effective capability to warn, inform, deter and defeat selected air threats (including aircraft, missiles, munitions, and UAS), in order to prevent adversary interference from the air inhibiting Joint Force freedom of manoeuvre. Land-GBAD will provide lethal and non-lethal defeat mechanisms and minimise the risk it presents to friendly and neutral air users. It will be deployable on multi-domain operations, integrated, scalable up to divisional level, and in joint and multi-national operations to Protect, Engage, Constrain and Fight”.
“Capabilities to be delivered and enhanced by the Land GBAD programme include: Short-Range Air Defence (SHORAD); Medium-Range Air Defence (MRAD); Specialist Counter Uncrewed Air Systems (S-CUAS) for SHORAD and MRAD; and All Arms Counter Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (All Arms C-sUAS). The capabilities which make up the Land GBAD System of Systems (SOS) will be incrementally procured and delivered through a number of related contracts over a 10-year period, these will require a high level of integration and SOS testing.
“Specialist Counter Uncrewed Air Systems (Spec C-UAS): Spec C-UAS will be an armoured vehicle mounted cannon capability, that can defeat aerial threats in the forward and rear area of the battlespace at short range. It shall supplement SHORAD (Short Range Air Defence) and MRAD (Medium Range Air Defence), providing cost-effective layering and a multiple engagement capability.”
The deadline to register interest is Friday 10th April 2026
For more information
(Image: UK MoD https://www.army.mod.uk/news/gbad-expo-24-showcasing-air-defence-of-today-and-tomorrow/)
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