What is known about the British Terrahawk Paladin air defense system?

In a new package of military support, Great Britain will transfer the Terrahawk Paladin air defense system to Ukraine. It will help repel drone attacks thanks to a tracking system with artificial intelligence that even recognizes birds.

RBC-Ukraine talks about the features of the Terrahawk Paladin system.

When preparing the material, the following were used: a statement from the official website of the British government, publications of the Defense Express, "Military" portals, the Military Media Center telegram channel, and data from the MSI Defense Systems website.

Terrahawk Paladin from Great Britain

On October 11, 2023, the government of Great Britain announced the provision of another package of support to Ukraine in the war with the Russian Federation. Among the announced equipment is the Terrahawk Paladin mobile anti-drone air defense system, manufactured by the British company MSI Defense Systems.

It is a leading manufacturer of remote-controlled installations. MSI Defense Systems gun installations are actively used all over the world, providing reliable protection for ships against surface and air threats. The Terrahawk Paladin was first demonstrated a year ago, and in the fall of 2023, the company released its updated version.

According to the announcement of the British government, the Terrahawk Paladin air defense system should help the Armed Forces track and destroy drones and protect critical national infrastructure. How many systems Ukraine will receive is currently unknown.

Installation Characteristics

Terrahawk Paladin is called a classic anti-drone tool. It combines an automatic gun with a digital fire control system and a radar system.

The installation from MSI Defense Systems is a mobile platform. It can be transported by truck to the deployment point. It can also be used stationary.

Terrahawk engages targets at a range of up to 2 km. A cannon is used for this. It comes standard with the Mk44 Bushmaster II 30mm autocannon. It is equipped with a dual power supply system. Thanks to this, it is possible to use two different types of ammunition, including projectiles with programmable detonation, and missiles with semi-active laser guidance of the APKWS type.

Tracking of potential threats is carried out 360 degrees using radar with active phased antenna arrays.

Additionally, an optical target search and capture system with a day and night channel is installed, which ensures the destruction of enemy targets in any weather. This is a SATOS optical aiming station of MSI's own development, which includes a thermal imager and a laser range finder.

The Terrahawk Paladin system is self-contained. The power supply of the installation and the control set is provided by a generator.

Direct control is carried out remotely using remote controls. The system requires only two operators, one of whom is responsible for inspecting the targets, and the second for their destruction.

Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 12/10/2023