Lockheed, Diehl, Saab Unveil Falcon Air Defense Weapon System at IDEX-2019

Lockheed Martin, Diehl and Saab have unveiled a new air defense weapon system, Falcon, at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi on 18 February.

According to Lockheed Martin, the Falcon is a short and medium-range air defense solution that integrates Diehl's 40-kilometer range Infra-Red Imaging System Tail/Thrust Vector-Controlled (IRIS-T) SLM interceptor and vertical launcher, Saab's 360-degree AESA Giraffe 4A radar through Lockheed Martin's flexible SkyKeeper command and control battle manager.

Falcon's open architecture allows the system to integrate into any air operations center. 

The weapon system can be used against threats such as unmanned aerial systems carrying lethal payloads, cruise missiles that can attack from any direction, and fixed and rotary winged aircraft capable of delivering ordnance at extended ranges.

The Diehl IRIS-T SLM interceptor fired from a 360-degree vertical launcher is capable of engaging multiple targets simultaneously. The Saab Giraffe 4A AESA radar offers discrimination capabilities and leverages gallium nitrate technology to detect and track both fixed and rotary-wing aircraft and drones, while simultaneously featuring an Automatic Sense & Warn functionality. Lockheed Martin's SkyKeeper command and control battle manager provides commanders with situational awareness with early warning of incoming threats and optimized engagement solutions for critical decision making, the company stated further.