2. CONTENT INTRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT FIRING BATTERY CONTROL
SYSTEM
3. INTRODUCTION Saab Bofors Dynamics' Bamse all-weather,
all-target, air defence missile system is deployed to protect fixed
and mobile assets. It can be used against a range of threats
including fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aircraft,
stand-off missiles, cruise and anti-radiation missiles and guided
bombs. Bamse is effective against very small and very fast targets
such as air-to-surface attack missiles. The system has all-weather
capability and a target range that exceeds the stand-off distance
of electro-optically controlled weapons. T he system provides a
target range of more than 15km and coverage to an altitude up to
15,000m.
4. DEVELOPMENT Bofors (later to become Saab Bofors) and
Ericsson (now Saab) Microwave Systems completed the project
definition phase in 1991 and the engineering development programme
began in 1992. In 1993 the Swedish Government placed a contract on
the then Bofors Missiles and Ericsson to carry out the full-scale
development of the Bamse system. In May 2008, the first production
system was delivered and the Swedish Armed Forces trained their
first unit and brought the system into operation in late 2008.
5. FIRING BATTERY The Bamse firing battery includes a
surveillance coordination centre and three missile control centres.
The missile control centres are towed to position by a cross-
country vehicle, which also carries a store of missiles for
reloading. The system can be deployed and prepared for firing in
less than ten minutes.
6. CONTROL The Giraffe AMB uses a 'stacked beam' antenna
arrangement, with one wide beam for transmission and multiple
narrow beams for simultaneous reception. This provides a target
update rate of one a second, with elevation coverage of more than
70. The IFF transmit and receive units are mounted on the radar
antenna. One surveillance coordination centre can coordinate up to
four missile control centres. The distance between the surveillance
control centre and the missile control centres is typically 10km,
and between missiles control centres, 20km.
7. SYSTEM The radar command-to-line-of-sight (CLOS) missile
uses solid propellant booster and sustainer rocket motors, which
give the missile high acceleration and high maintained velocity.
Nammo supplies the sustainer rocket motor and components for the
booster motor. The missile has a range of more than 15km and covers
altitudes to 15,000m. The missile has high manoeuvrability, even at
the outer range limit. The fragmentation and shaped charge warhead
is equipped with a proximity fuse and an impact fuse.