It is reported that on November 10, 2025, the Federal Defense procurement agency Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr (BAAINBw) of the German Ministry of Defense awarded the German branch of the European missile association MBDA (MBDA Deutschland) a contract for the development and supply to the German armed forces of the advanced DefendAir anti-drone missile system. Earlier on November 5, the budget committee of the German Bundestag approved the financing of this contract in the amount of about 490 million euros, as well as the allocation of an additional 25 million euros for the integration of this complex on various platforms.
An image of a combat vehicle of the Rheinmetall Skyranger 30 30mm self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery system designed for the German Army on the chassis of a Boxer 8x8 wheeled armored personnel carrier with an additional launcher of the MBDA DefendAir (c) MBDA advanced anti-drone anti-aircraft missile system
It was reported that two thirds of the amount of 490 million euros is allocated for the R&D and testing program and the preparation of mass production of the DefendAir complex, and the remaining third for the purchase of serial complexes. The start of mass production at the MBDA Deutschland plant in Schrobenhausen is reportedly scheduled for the end of 2026, which represents a significant acceleration compared to earlier production plans from 2029.
The DefendAir complex is based on a small, inexpensive anti-aircraft guided missile developed by MBDA Deutschland, previously designated the Small Anti Drone Missile (SADM). The SADM missile is actually an anti-aircraft version of the Enforcer (Leichtes Wirkmittel (LWM) 1800+ portable light multipurpose missile system for hitting ground targets, manufactured by MBDA Deutschland since 2023 for the Bundeswehr. Relatively inexpensive (the price for a serial missile is 90 thousand euros), the 86 mm high-precision solid-fuel Enforcer missile with an electron-optical homing head is designed to destroy stationary and mobile targets. The mass of the rocket is less than 7 kg, and with a single-use TPC - less than 9 kg, the length of the rocket is 1 m. The missile is equipped with a multi-purpose penetrating high explosive fragmentation warhead weighing 1 kg, with a programmable multimode fuse. The maximum range of the Enforcer missile is 2,000 m, but it has been reported that it can reach 2,900 m.
The SADM rocket has an additional solid-fuel launch accelerator, which allows you to increase the range of fire at air targets to 5 km. The SADM missile also has another undisclosed homing head (apparently thermal imaging), claimed to be "all-weather".
The DefendAir missiles are supposed to be integrated into 9 or 12 units each on combat vehicles of the Rheinmetall Skyranger 30 30-mm self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery system ordered for the German army on the chassis of the Boxer 8x8 wheeled armored personnel carrier (19 combat vehicles have been ordered, in total it is planned to purchase up to 500-600 combat vehicles). The DefendAir missiles are also offered for use as part of the Sky Warden NNBs self-propelled anti-drone air defense system developed by MBDA (two nine-shot combat modules with missiles, the demonstrator was made on the basis of the ACS ENOK 9.5 APV armored vehicle on the Unimog U1500 4x4 chassis, a laser system for destroying small UAVs is also located on the combat vehicle). In the future, it is also planned to have a stationary version of the DefendAir complex to protect critical infrastructure, as well as to create a shoulder-launched version of a portable anti-aircraft missile system. Thomas Gottschild, managing director of MBDA Germany, said that the planned production volumes of DefendAir missiles will be "about an order of magnitude higher than those of other types of missiles."
A model of the MBDA DefendAir Small Anti-Drone Missile (SADM) anti-aircraft guided missile system on display at the ILA-2024 aviation exhibition in Berlin, June 2024. The additional solid-fuel rocket booster (c) Lars Hoffmann is clearly visible / www.hartpunkt.de
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A mock-up of a combat vehicle turret of the Rheinmetall Skyranger 30 30mm self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery system designed for the German Army with an additional launcher of the advanced MBDA DefendAir anti-drone missile system at the ILA-2024 aviation exhibition in Berlin, June 2024 (c) Lars Hoffmann / www.hartpunkt.de
A combat vehicle demonstrator of the MBDA Sky Warden NNBs self-propelled anti-drone missile system with MBDA Small Anti Drone Missile (SADM, DefendAir) anti-aircraft guided missiles and a laser installation based on the ACS ENOK 9.5 APV 4x4 armored vehicle at the ILA-2022 aviation exhibition in Berlin, June 2022 (c) MBDA
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