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Aster (Kobra) Air Defence System 
Note 1 : Not to be confused with the Franco-Italian SAM system. The “Aster ADS” is the designation given to the Polish Kobra Air Defence System in Indonesian service. Unlike the Polish version (mounted on the AMZ Żubr), Indonesia’s version uses a polish-modified land rover defender dubbed the Huzar 6x6.
Note 2 : While this suggestion covers the entire Air Defence System, the Missile Launcher can also be implemented standalone, this is because it can be used independently without the whole system (does not need the radar to fire).
Hello everyone! Today I would like to suggest the Indonesian-operated variant of the Grom POPRAD, namely the Huzar 6x6 Grom Poprad as a part of the Kobra Air Defence System (Indonesian designation of “Aster ADS”).
The Aster (Kobra) ADS is the Indonesian designation for the Polish short-range air defence and artillery system which includes a 3D radar, Battery control vehicle, mobile missile launchers, and towed anti-aircraft guns. the mobile components are mounted on a modified Land Rover Defender 130 chassis. The poprad itself is a self-contained mobile AA platform equipped with 4x launchers which fires the Polish Grom missiles. the system has thermal imaging, optoelectronic tracking and laser rangefinder. It can also act independently without the Radar system and also receive directions from the Radar without the need for the Battery Control Vehicle
In terms of performance, the missiles are the same as the ZSU-23-4M4 Shilka, since Indonesia uses the older GROM missiles and not the GROM-M. The launcher itself can be implemented alone, but in doing so it would be without a gun nor radar and as such would be lower in BR compared to the aforementioned shilka. For that reason, this could be put at Rank VI with a BR of ~9.0 in the Japanese tree. Of course if given the full multi-vehicle AA system with radar then it would be placed higher if need be.
This suggestion is primarily made to complement the already suggested Indonesian Ground Forces Sub-Tree as well as the Expanded List of Indonesian Ground vehicles
A. Background
Details
The defence relationship between Poland and Indonesia had started very early after world war 2, where Indonesia was the first non-socialist bloc country which Poland sold equipment to. After the cold war, the cooperation was minor for atleast 40 years. However, this changed in 2002, when a trade mission was organized by the Polish Chamber of National Defence Manufacturers. Soon after that, high level diplomatic visits followed, including then-President Megawati visiting Poland in April 2003 and her counterpart Aleksander Kwaśniewski visiting Indonesia in February 2004. The Polish President’s visit resulted in many different bilateral industrial agreements. These included many different agreements with a whole host of companies.
Members of the Polish Defence Industry Mission to Indonesia right after a meeting in the Ministry of Defence, August 2003.
During a visit in 2005 by the then-Prime Minister Marek Belka, a contract was signed in Jakarta between the Indonesian Defence Ministry and Polish’s Bumar Group for the delivery of the Aster short-range air defence missile and artillery system. This system was marketed by CNPEP Radwar as the Kobra ADS. The contract (approx. $35 million worth) included 1x 3D short range MMSR Radwar Radar, 2x WD-95 BCCV battery command vehicle, 4x (2x per battery) Grom Poprad Self-propelled Anti-aircraft missile system, as well as 12 (6x per battery) towed ZUR-23 anti-aircraft gun+missile system. This contract was conducted again the next year in August for the delivery of a second batch of equipment (approx. $40 million worth). While CNPEP Radwar acts as the system integrator, there are also other equipment obtained from other companies which was included in the sale, namely products by ZM Tarnów, PREXER, & ZM Mesko.
All of the Air Defence components (barring the stationary ZU-23-2) uses the Land Rover Defender 130 off-road chassis which was specifically modified. The modifications include an extended third axle. During assembly, most components were of ready-made parts, some components of the “Loara” Anti-air program was also used, namely the Sola MMSR radar, which is a variant of the PZA Loara’s radar. In regards to the BCCV, the Indonesian version uses a combination of the WD-95 Blenda command vehicle & the OPL WD-2001. The command vehicle has an integrated thermal imaging & day camera as well as a laser rangefinder. Some of the components was supplied by PCO Warsaw.
Huzar 6x6 light armoured patrol vehicle, created by Polish Companies Team & AMZ Kutno based on the chassis of the Land Rover Defender
For the missile, the Grom was originally developed on the basis of the Russian Igla & Igla-1. The project started at the end of 1992 and went into service with the Polish Army in 1995. These would receive the designation Grom-1. A further improvement was carried out which resulted in the Grom-2. This project was conducted from 1995-2004 and was helped by the Russians via technical assistance, namely Russian components and materials (such as the 9E410 Homing head were supplied). Series production of this new variant started in 2000, however a full domestic production only started in earnest in 2004. Given its origin and design history, the Grom missile and the Igla can be described as quite similar.
This design was further refined by polish engineers, this was done by designing a new contact fuze, modified rocket motor, as well as a heavier and mroe destructive warhead. With the upgrades the missile’s maximum range and altitude was increased. Another further improvement was conducted where the Military Technical Academy team up with BUMAR and ZM Mesko to create the successor of the Grom, called the Grom-M or Piorun (Lightning). This new missile was designed against modern threats like inmanned drones. It has a night-sight, programmable non-contact fuse, and a heavier warhead.
Note: since Indonesia got the system in 2007, it uses the older Grom missiles and not the Piorun
Grom missile
With the basis of the Grom AA Missiles, CNPEP Radwar developed a mobile system dubbed the Poprad. The system itself is a self-contained PP-G (Platforma Przeciwlotnicza - Grom / Anti-aircraft Platform - Grom ) with four launchers, optoelectronic detection system, laser rangefinder, and IKZ-02 IFF system. the platform can be mounted on various different vehicles, and is equipped with a hydraulic lift, which can reduce the vehicle’s silhouette while in a stationary position. The system can receive target designation via radio channel from the BCCV (battery control vehicle), or directly from the Sola MMSR Radar system.
PP-G Poprad Launcher
The design and development work of the system was completed in the spring of 2007, and in summer the vehicle was extensively tested in Poland, with the firing tests conducted at Drawsko Pomorskie. In July, the system including was shipped by sea to Indonesia, and by September the system had arrived in Indonesia. Soon after the Indonesian crews began training on the vehicle, after ~2 months of training, the acceptance tests were conducted in November 2007, with representatives of both Polish arms industries and Indonesian Army personnel in attendance.
A Pair of Poprad Launchers beside the Radar Vehicle
Presumably the reason why the system rarely appears is because it has several issues, either mechanically, operationally, or logistically. For example, in 2023, the 003 Air Defence Detachment stationed in Banten, reported that 4 Units of the MML had become completely inoperable due to damages to its firing components. This issue persists due to a shortage of available spare parts and a lack of repair support from the higher-ups. This has disrupted troop training with the system severely. Another Key problem is that, due to Indonesian heat, the Grom missiles would randomly explode without hitting the target. During the first firing trials in Bogor (2007) there were no issues, but in the 2nd trial conducted in Kebumen the same year, 4 missiles were fired at a remote-controlled target, all 4 missed. Another firing trial was conducted in 2010, 3 missiles were fired, and yet again all 3 fails to destroy the target. This problem was chalked down to the fact that its a small target, additionally it was noted that the Indonesian weather caused some disruption to the missile’s IR guidance.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that the vehicle isn’t used at all, It was used in an exercise by the detachment in 2023, so its still in service. Another example was in 2024 where the system was deployed by the 7th Air Defence Battalion in Kalimantan to protect the skies of the New Capital Nusantara on the prelude of the Armed Forces Anniversary. But due to its age, its not being placed as the primary air defence system, with the Starstreak and Mistral system ahead of the Grom in terms of its current use.
Indonesian soldiers on guard with the MML Poprad in Kalimantan
B. Specifications
Details
I.) Vehicle Specifications
Details
- Missile Vehicle Crew (Radar) = 2 (4)
- Length = 6.15m
- Width = 1.79 - 2.2 m
- Height = 2.1m
- Weight (Max Load) = 3.4 t (5.2t)
- Engine = Land Rover Td5 2.5 Litre Diesel
- Power = 90 kW (@ 4200 rpm)
- Max Speed = 120 km/h
Aster Air Defence System Vehicles
Sola MMSR (Mobilna Małogabarytowa Stacja Radiolokacyjna) Radar
WD-95 BCCV (Battery Command & Control Vehicle)
Poprad MML (Mobile Missile Launcher)
II.) Armament
Details
Note: While the launcher can fire the piorun (GROM-M) missiles, Indonesia never acquired them.
- Retractable Poprad Surface-to-Air Missile System
- 4x 72mm PZR Grom Missile (4x storage)
- Range of Fire
- Minimum = 500 m
- Maximum = 5,500 m
- Height of Target
- Minimum = 10 m
- Maximum = 3,500 m
- Dimensions
- Caliber = 72 mm
- Length = 1648 mm
- Average Flight Speed = 580 m/s
- Weight in Combat position = 18.5 kg
- Mass of Rocket = 10.25 kg
- Weight of combat unit = 1.27 kg
- Self-destruction time after firing = 14-17 s
- Range of Fire
- Optoelectronic detection system
- Laser Rangefinder
- Thermals
- IKZ-02 IFF system
- can receive target designation from the radar alone without the BCCV
Missile schematics
III.) Radar
Details
- Sola MMSR Radar System
- Radar Range
- Max Distance = 20 km
- Max Altitude = 40 km
- Physical Height = 3.5 m
- Radar Range
- Radar is retractable
- Can operate without command vehicle to acquire target up to medium range
- Effective at targeting targets with small RCS (Radar Cross Section) & has ECCM (Electronic Counter-Counter Measure) capabilities
- Operate in the S-Band frequency
- uses a low-peak power TWT transmission (10 kW)
- Has IFF & Thermals
IV.) Battery Command & Control Vehicle
Details
- Can control up to 6x ZU-23 cannons
- Has an Optronic sighting system for the missiles
- Detection range of up to 20 km
- Equipped with laser range finder, TV camera, & Optical director
- Can be powered by Generators, Standard grid electricity, and batteries
V.) ZUR-23-2KG Stationary AA system
Details
Basically the same as the standard ZU-23-2 but with a Missile launcher system. This system is mounted on the ground, and as such most likely wouldn’t be implemented in-game
- 2x 23mm 2A14 Autocannons
- 2x GROM AA missiles
- Used for stationary defence
- Equipped with a control panel, a cradle, upper carriage, as well as a platform with chassis and electromechanical drives for both azimuth and elevation angles.
- Has an advanced CKE-2 Sight, NVDs, & Laser Rangefinder
- Can destroy moving air targets at a speed of up to 300m/s at an altitude of up to 1,500 m and range of up to 2,500 m.
- It can attack ground targets up to 2,000 m
AA gun image
C. More Images
Details
VIDEOS
Details
Walkaround
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSGOCoktxTM
Gunner’s view of firing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eB6v2gLPpbs
Outside view of firing
IMAGES
D. Sources
Details
- Kiński, A. (2008). Kobra wychodzi z cienia [Cobra emerges from the shadows]. Nowa Technika Wojskowa, #1.
- Chudek, G., Gadkowska, S., Janiak, I., Jaworski, J., Kowalczyk, K., Kułakowski, S., & Lichterowicz, J. (Eds.). (2006). Polish Defence Industry (no.4(19)). Polska Izba Producentów na Rzecz Obronności Kraju.
- Sughoro, S. B., Kutanegara, P. M., & Listyaningsih, U. (2023). Implementation of exemplary leadership in the unit development in ARHANUD 003/Ark Detachment, CIKUPA, Tangerang. Populasi. 31(2). 128.
- Sola MMSR: Radar Penjejak Sasaran Pada Kobra Air Defence System Arhanud TNI AD – Indomiliter.com
- Grom: Rudal Utama Arhanud TNI AD – Indomiliter.com
- Lama Tak Terdengar Kabar, Rudal Grom Kembali Diuji Tembak di Pantai Sekerat – Indomiliter.com
- Kobra Modular Air Defence System Arhanud TNI AD Ikut Digelar Dalam Pengamanan Udara IKN
- DEFENSE STUDIES: Indonesia Boosts Air Defence Capability
- DEFENSE STUDIES: The Modernisation Of Indonesia’s Armed Forces (2)
- Bumar przyspiesza w 2012 - DziennikZbrojny.pl
- Portable anti-aircraft missile system Grom ("Thunder") | Missilery.info
- Sola MMSR 3D Radar
- Huzar (samochód) – Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia
- SPZR Poprad – Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia
- PPZR Grom – Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia
- Poprad (self-propelled anti-aircraft missile system) - Wikipedia
Thank you for reading! Any suggestions or corrections would be highly appreciated!Additionally, you can check out more Indonesian suggestions below!