The Australian Army has fired air-to-air missiles from a National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) launcher and Hawkei 4×4 high-mobility launcher (HML) armoured vehicle.
The live-fire certification activity took place at the Woomera Test Range in South Australia in May 2025.
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The Hawkei vehicle, operated by the Australian Army 16th Regiment, was adapted to transport up to six Sidewinder missiles or AIM-120 Advance Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM).
While the Sidewinder provides greater manoeuvrability, it is designed for shorter range engagements compared to the AMRAAM, said the Australian Department of Defence (DoD).
The trial marked the first instance where both canister and high-mobility launchers were used against a same target in a “ripple fire” scenario.
This follows on from the regiment’s initial NASAMS live-fire exercise with an AIM-120 AMRAAM earlier in 2023.
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By GlobalData111 Battery HML detachment Bombardier Luke Dunbar said that his team have been preparing for NASAMS operations since their inception at the Adelaide ground-based air defence unit.
The NASAMS troops can operate with a mix of HML and canister launchers, all coordinated through a fire distribution centre (FDC).
Within the FDC, tactical control officers and assistants monitor distant targets, evaluating speed, altitude, and flight patterns to identify potential threats such as enemy cruise missiles or aircraft, said the DoD.
The system then advises on the optimal munition and launcher for engagement.
With these successful trials, the 16th Regiment has enhanced its capabilities, now able to deploy both AMRAAM and Sidewinder missiles using various launchers.
111 Battery commander major Fernando Tula Recinos highlighted that this advanced capability elevated the regiment’s strategic and tactical standing within the army.
With this firing, Australia is now one of only three nations to have successfully fired an AIM-9 Sidewinder from a NASAMS platform and the only country to launch it from a HML.
