In the summer of 2023, reports emerged that the United Kingdom had supplied Ukraine with a previously unknown short-range air defense system based on the Supacat HMT truck and equipped with AIM-132 ASRAAM air-to-air missiles. While footage of this system was shown by Ukraine’s Air Force, very little was publicly known about it until now.
A new report from BFBS Forces News has finally shed light on this mysterious platform. The video reveals that the system is called the Raven, a British-made air defense system developed specifically for Ukraine.
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According to Colonel Ollie Todd of the UK’s Taskforce Kindred, the idea behind Raven came in response to Ukraine’s urgent need for mobile short-range air defense systems. British engineers combined the Supacat HMT 600 platform with ASRAAM launchers to create an effective battlefield solution.
The Raven was developed in a remarkably short timeframe, just 3 to 4 months from concept to completion. The system was created through a collaboration between MBDA and Supacat, and despite its rapid development, the project presented major technical challenges.
One of the most interesting technical details is that the missile launch rails were adapted from combat aircraft, including the Tornado, Jaguar, and Hawk jets. The Raven system can fire missiles either from inside the cab or remotely using a portable control unit.
A key advantage of the Raven is that ASRAAM missiles are still in production, and the British military holds stockpiles of older variants that can be readily supplied.
As of now, Ukraine’s Defense Forces have received eight Raven air defense systems from the UK, with five more scheduled for delivery in the near future.
Raven systems are primarily used to counter Shahed-type loitering munitions and kamikaze drones. According to data shared by Ukraine with the British side, over 400 launches have been conducted, with a reported success rate of about 70%.
Read more: Rare Footage of British AIM-132 ASRAAM Launcher Deployed in Ukraine Emerges
