As part of a new series of exercises aimed at strengthening its capabilities in the South Atlantic, the British Army carried out the evaluation of the Sky Sabre air defense system, deployed in the Malvinas Islands. The maneuvers, called Exercise KOP SHIELD, were conducted by the 7th Air Defence Group with the technical support of the Swedish company Saab and its subsidiary BlueBear Systems, in an operational environment designed to reproduce real threat scenarios.
During two intensive days, British operators conducted a series of tests and simulations with the Sky Sabre system, which includes Saab’s Giraffe AMB radar, Rafael’s MIC4AD control center, and the CAMM (Common Anti-Air Modular Missile) launcher developed by MBDA. Through five simulated missions, BlueBear’s training drones acted as aerial targets, allowing the testing of the reaction, coordination, and command capabilities of the units deployed in the occupied archipelago.
The exercise also included the participation of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets from the Royal Air Force, also stationed in the Malvinas Islands, and significantly expanded the training range. According to Saab, the integration of BlueBear’s target system made it possible to extend simulation distances to over 500 kilometers, strengthening crew training and their ability to respond to air incursions in a high-demand scenario.
Saab UK’s Managing Director, Andy Fraser, highlighted that Exercise KOP SHIELD represented “a remarkable demonstration of the capabilities of the Sky Sabre system and of the effectiveness of BlueBear’s support team,” emphasizing the company’s commitment to improving the operational readiness of its clients. In the same vein, Officer Dan Anderson, from the counter–unmanned aerial systems training team, noted that the exercise “made it possible to validate the performance of the Sky Sabre and expand the limits of training against new threats.”
The Sky Sabre replaced the old Rapier systems, which had been deployed by the United Kingdom since the postwar period of 1982 in the Malvinas Islands. Its introduction was confirmed by the British Forces South Atlantic Islands (BFSAI) at the end of 2021, after the Rapier retirement ceremony held in the presence of the British Secretary of Defence, Ben Wallace. With an effective range of 25 kilometers, the new system triples the performance of the Rapier and provides 360° coverage, integrating state-of-the-art sensors, radars, and missiles for short- and medium-range air defense.
This deployment constitutes a new example of the British military usurpation in the Malvinas Islands, a situation that continues to be the subject of diplomatic protest by the Argentine Republic. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom continues consolidating its military infrastructure in the archipelago, deepening a presence that remains in open contradiction with international resolutions.
*Images used for illustrative purposes.
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