Documents
United Kingdom MBDA
Sky Sabre
British Army ground-based air-defense system that replaced the Rapier missile, combining the Giraffe AMB radar with CAMM (Common Anti-Air Modular Missile) interceptors to defend against aircraft, drones and precision munitions. It has been deployed operationally to protect UK airspace, including around London.
In service since 2021 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
25
km range
10,000
m altitude
24
targets
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
UK export-licensed
Subject to UK SPIRE licensing (ECJU); generally available to allied states.
Channel: Government-to-government or direct
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2021. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Compatible munitions & weapons
Publicly reported weapons the Sky Sabre can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Engagement range
Maximum distance at which an air-defense system can intercept targets. Higher covers more airspace.
- 25 km Stronger than 39% of air-defense systems
- Engagement altitude
Maximum target altitude the system can reach.
- 10,000 m Stronger than 25% of air-defense systems
- Simultaneous targets
Number of targets the system can engage at once. Higher resists saturation attacks.
- 24 Stronger than 87% of air-defense systems
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- CAMM vertical-launch interceptor missiles
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 4
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Radar
Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.
- Saab Giraffe AMB 3D surveillance radar
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- command and control post, electro-optical tracker
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 19% of air-defense systems
Specifications compiled from public MBDA and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
KBP Instrument Design Bureau Pantsir-S1 
Diehl Defence IRIS-T SLM 
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Iron Dome Frequently asked questions
What is the engagement range of the MBDA Sky Sabre? +
The MBDA Sky Sabre has a maximum engagement range of 25 km.
How many crew does the MBDA Sky Sabre require? +
The MBDA Sky Sabre requires a crew of 4.
What is the main armament of the MBDA Sky Sabre? +
The MBDA Sky Sabre's primary weapon is the CAMM vertical-launch interceptor missiles.
What is the MBDA Sky Sabre used for? +
The MBDA Sky Sabre is a air defense system typically used for air defense.
How many countries operate the MBDA Sky Sabre? +
The MBDA Sky Sabre is operated by 1 countries.
Similar systems
MBDA
Land Ceptor (CAMM)
Almaz-Antey
S-500 Prometheus
Aselsan
HISAR-O
Diehl Defence