Germany’s military procurement agency, the Federal Office for Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw), signed a development contract today with the Short- and Very Short-Range Air Defence System Consortium (ARGE NNbS) for the “Air Defence System, Short- and Very Short-Range”, or LVS NNbS. Set up in 2021, ARGE NNbS has three member companies: Rheinmetall Electronics GmbH of Bremen, Diehl Defence GmbH & Co. KG of Überlingen, and Hensoldt Sensors GmbH of Taufkirchen. The contract is worth around €1.2 billion (including VAT), with Rheinmetall accounting for €607 million, Diehl for €339 million, and Hensoldt for €284 million, reflecting their respective workshares.

The core objective of the LVS NNbS development project is to optimize medium-range air defence as well as develop high-mobility air defence capabilities for protecting maneuver forces from aerial threats – even when on the move. Key objectives include achieving the necessary networking of individual components; integration of the medium-range IRIS T-SLM guided missile; assuring interoperability; and extending the intercept zone to include short-range threats. Networking will enable connection to the IRIS T-SLM fire units currently under procurement as well as to the Skyranger 30 ground-based mobile air defence system to be procured in the future.