ForceShield air defense systems to be supplied to Portuguese Army by Thales
NewsNovember 19, 2024
LISBON, Portugal. Thales won a contract with the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) to supply the ForceShield air defense system to the Portuguese Army, the company announced in a statement.
The system, part of Portugal’s long-term Military Programming Law (LPM) aimed at modernizing military equipment, is designed to enhance the country’s very short-range air defense (VSHORAD) capabilities to meet NATO requirements for protecting forces and critical infrastructure, the statement reads.
The ForceShield system will include a Ground Master 200 air surveillance radar, a radio communications system, the ControlView air defense command-and-control center, portable weapon allocation terminals, and RapidRanger vehicles equipped with StarStreak high-velocity air defense missiles and Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM). According to the statement, the Ground Master 200 radar enables fast threat detection and tracking, while the ControlView center allocates appropriate firing units for effective engagement. The RapidRanger system, mounted on vehicles, provides automated, rapid-response capabilities against air and surface threats, the company says.
This contract marks the first acquisition of ForceShield by a European Union country.
