Initially delivered to Ukraine in 2022, the Raven ground-based air defence (GBAD) system is one of a pair of low-cost air defence platform designs developed by the UK for Kyiv, which have leveraged existing unwanted British military hardware for frontline use.
Detailing the intention to send a further five Raven GBAD systems to Ukraine in the coming months, adding to the eight already delivered, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated in a social media post on 10 May some details of its development and construction.
Mounted on a Supacat HMT 600 platform, the Raven fits a bespoke mount on the vehicle’s flatbed that enables the carriage of two ASRAAM short-range air-to-air missiles, adapted for the GBAD role.
The ASRAAM missiles sit on rails taken from Jaguar, Hawk, and Tornado fighters long since decommissioned from UK service. The ASRAAM missile themselves, of which more than 400 have been delivered to Ukraine by the UK, were similarly unwanted stock due for disposal.
Raven: Ukraine’s bespoke mobile GBAD system
The MoD said the system, which went from concept to initial delivery in three months in 2022 under Task force Kindred, has been fired more than 400 times by Ukrainian forces, with a purported 70% shot-to-kill ratio.
In the social media post, an MoD official described Ukrainian use of the Raven system as being “very effective” against Russian drones and cruise missiles, adding it “could also be effective” against crewed fixed- and rotary-wing platforms.
This indicates that Raven has so far only been used against uncrewed Russian aircraft and missiles.
Controls are relatively simple, with crew able to operate from inside the HMT 600 cab or from a remote location up to 50 metres away. A vehicle mounted seeker system is able to relay information to the ASRAAM missiles, which can then be cued and fired.
The operation of Raven appears similar to those of the later Gravehawk mobile GBAD system, which was revealed in 2024. However, unlike Raven, Gravehawk secures the mount, rails, and missiles inside a converted container onto the back of a host vehicle, incorporating a rail and hoist system to equip the Russian-origin R-73 missiles.
What is the demand for missile defence?
The latest disclosure of Raven follows Army Technology’s reporting in April at the Integrated Air and Missile Defence hosted by the Royal United Services Institute, which further detailed the successful adaption of the ASRAAM missile from its air-launched role to a GBAD function.
MBDA UK originally designed this infrared guided missile – which entered service in 1991 – to be fired from Typhoons and F-35 fighter jets against targets within visual range.
Ukraine has persistently called for air defence capabilities from its Western backers, as Russian continues its usage of cruise missiles and long-range strike drones against sites of critical national infrastructure.
Globally, the demand for air defence system is strong, with GlobalData Global Missiles & Missile Defense Systems market report forecasting the sector to register a compound annual growth rate of 5.3%, growing from $45.5bn in 2024 to $76.0bn by 2034.
The sector was expected to be dominated by the Platform Based MDS segment, accounting for a 33.8% share of the market.
Among geographic segments, Europe is projected to dominate the sector with a share of 34.3%, followed by North America, and Asia-Pacific with shares of 30.3% and 23.2%, respectively.
Additional reporting from John Hill.
