Bedford Rapier Laserfire - British SACLOS SAM System

[Would you like to see this in-game?]
  • Yes
  • No
0 voters


-Credit to the guys at Vauxpedia for this pic

Introduction

The Rapier missile system, developed by British Aerospace, is a versatile, mobile, surface-to-air missile (SAM) system designed to provide low-altitude air defense against aircraft and helicopters. Originally developed in the 1970s and continually upgraded, the Rapier system became a core component of British and allied air defense forces. Its primary role is point defence against low-flying aircraft. The system’s early versions were static and ground-based, but later models were mounted on mobile platforms, enabling rapid deployment. The base Rapier model has been deployed for a variety of situations, from defending RAF airfields in active combat zones, to providing air cover for domestic events such as the London Olympics or the G7 Summit.

The Rapier Laserfire variant, a significant upgrade, was developed in the 1980s. Mounted on a modified Bedford MK 4x4 truck chassis, with plans for a mounting on the Stormer APC, the Laserfire features a combination of surveillance radar and an automatic laser tracker. These components enable quick target acquisition and tracking, even in adverse weather or low-visibility conditions. The Laserfire is equipped with a Plessey surveillance radar, which integrates electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) to minimize jamming interference, and a thermal imaging tracker for day and night operations. It is also capable of firing Rapier Mk 1 and Mk 2 missiles.

The system can be operated remotely by its crew, or with a two-man crew within a cabin on the launcher. The cab of the Bedford 4x4 chassis has been modified to be able to fold down while firing, improving detection and launching angles for the system, but the system will be functional with the cab erected, with slightly reduced firing angles frontally.

The system was a private venture, with hopes of securing export contracts, particularly with clients in the Middle East. 6 prototype/pre-production units were built, and reportedly 2 production standard units, in order to partially fulfill any potential orders immediately. It was tested extensively over a 5 week period in 1988, including firing trials against towed targets and simulated hovering helicopters, as well as exhaustive mobility trials over adverse terrain. The system performed well, and met or exceeded the expected performance targets. However, as was the case with many British products at the time, relationships with potential export customers were rocky and marketing was poor, and as a result little interest was was shown in the system, and it did not enter mass production.

Specifications

Spoiler

Fire Control

Plessey surveillance radar (6399.159) with all-weather capability.

Ferranti Type 629 millimetric wave laser tracker with automatic acquisition of target data

Automatic thermal imager tracker with manual acquisition options

Gyrostabilized tracker

Rapier Mk 1

Rapier Mk 1 Specs

Chassis

BedfordMKSpecs

Images

Spoiler

RapierLaserfireInterior

Sources

Spoiler

Vauxpedia for the colour pics. Incredibly helpful guys.

Stormer Rapier Laserfire Brochure (available here - credit to Terik for this one)

Jane’s Land Based Air Defence 1994-95 (available here)

Jane’s Land Based Air Defence 1989-90 p.143 (available here)

Jane’s Defence Weekly 1989 Volume 12 Issue 5 (available here)

Jane’s Weapon Systems 1988-89 p.185 (available here)

British Army - Artillery - Rapier - Blindfire Tracking Radar - Armed Forces - a6a10

Bedford TK-MK (1959)

15 Likes

Bedford truck…+ a missile system. Absolute yes from me.

4 Likes

What br would be good for this… 9.7?

3 Likes

9.3 please XD

3 Likes

Nah, will be at 10.3 to fill the SPAA Void there :D

5 Likes

This does look like fun, We need the Raiper systems modeled in game

3 Likes

What is this?? a unique British spaa? hell no! I just want the entire Russian spaa line copied and pasted into every tree

6 Likes

Hehe glad someone’s done this a couple of images I’ve managed to wrangle over the years.
image-58
258547-3e6b8332638686ab8406b20fce8ee833
258548-c0baaccf0cacd9910f97d900ac292b71

6 Likes

Yes!
+1 for me, especially if it’s capable of firing the far superior Mk2 missile (not Hittile!), and has a better tracking setup than the Tracked Rapier!

4 Likes

You’re telling me that Britain could have gotten something unique instead of an Osa clone? WHY WASN’T I TOLD??? +1

9 Likes

You know what makes this even more annoying? Another suggestion for a rapier platform with 8 missiles was PASSED like months ago! The copy pasta is getting ridiculous lately Im starting to feel the devs have some sort of vehicle quota for each update and if they don’t have the models ready they just copy and past shit just to not get fired

4 Likes

You had me ad bedford vans, adding the rapier system is the cherry on the cake

2 Likes

Gaijin doesnt seem to do a lot of research into Britain going off of subnation additions being preferred over native designs, and when those native designs are added you get an inaccurate disaster like the Scimitar and Chieftains APDS

2 Likes

the scimitar was extremely unfinished too, there is certainly a preference

1 Like

I haven’t started on the Scimitar… what’s wrong with it?

2 Likes

IKR? I would LOVE a huge, vehicle-focused update if I believed it wouldn’t be 2/3 copypasta…

2 Likes

But ‘‘bUT bRiTIsh pLAyeRs aSkEd foR tHe OsA’’

No, we didn’t. A tiny vocal minority did, and for some reason a tiny vocal minority asking for something gets listened to, whereas the vast majority of people asking not to add something get ignored.

4 Likes

That sounds familiar, eh?

3 Likes

Probably good to link the other suggestion here

2 Likes

So there’s another similar system?? And? There’s multiple Shilka’s? Gepards? M163s? Stormers? Chaparral’s Roland’s… Who cares, folder it with the passed one, why not cas? is outa hand anyway and they’re both unique vehicles. Plus 1 billion from me XD

1 Like