Northrop Grumman modernises Baltics' air-defence capabilities

Northrop Grumman's Forward Area Air Defense system provides C2 for SHORAD missions and supports C-UAS operations. (Janes/Patrick Allen)

Northrop Grumman has successfully modernised Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania's air-defence capabilities, ensuring interoperability with NATO and US forces.

According to a company announcement on 5 June, Northrop Grumman has successfully fielded its Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control (FAAD C2) system and provided training to the Baltics' armed forces.

In December 2021 the US Army – in support of US European Command (EUCOM) – awarded the company a USD14.3 million contract to provide FAAD C2 to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. In addition to modernising the countries' air-defence and counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) capabilities, the agreement was intended to form as a framework for integration into EUCOM Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) Plan to support the NATO air-defence system architecture.

FAAD C2 provides command and control for collective short-range air defence (SHORAD) systems and receives air track data from multiple sources, including local sensors and external datalinks to create a common integrated air picture, the company said.

According to Janes C4ISR & Mission Systems, the system is capable of collecting, digitally processing, and disseminating real-time target cueing and tracking information and provides intelligence information to all Manoeuvre Air and Missile Defence (MAMD) weapon systems (Avenger and manportable air defence system (MANPADS)), and joint and combined arms systems. FAAD C2 can also support C-UAS missions.

The scope of FAAD C2 has been widened to include a counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM) capability. FAAD C2 has been modified to receive data from counter-mortar (CM) sensors (FireFinder, lightweight counter-mortar radar (LCMR), and Giraffe) as well as the AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel.

Over 20 countries operate or have ordered FAAD C2.