The British Army has announced that it has adopted the new Sky Saber air defense system to counter threats allegedly posed by Russian fighters. This was reported by the Times newspaper, citing sources in the UK Department of Defense.
According to the publication, the new system replaced the Rapier missiles that had been in use since the 1970s. The upgraded rockets can hit a tennis ball-sized target that travels at the speed of sound. It is also indicated that the Sky Saber system can control the flight of 24 missiles at the same time, which are capable of destroying fighters, drones and laser-guided smart bombs.
According to the sources of the publication, the department wants to launch a new system in order to “reflect the threats posed by stealth fighters of the Russian Federation, such as the Su-57, which NATO has given the codename Felon.” “The latest air defense system is a vivid demonstration of our combat capabilities to those who want to harm us,” – said British Defense Procurement Secretary Jeremy Quinn.
In November, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace spoke about the interceptions of Russian aircraft. According to him, Russia used aircraft to spy on the carrier strike group (AUG) of the Royal Navy (Navy) of Great Britain, led by the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth. He noted that F-35 carrier-based fighters from the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth intercepted Russian aircraft 30 times that took off from Syrian airfields.
