Forsvarer (Missile System)

Forsvarer (Anglic: Defender) is a Ringeriker Surface-to-Air missile system, comprising a full suite of platforms and systems at the unit and sub-unit level providing long range defense against aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. The main armament of the system is the MASCURA Weapon System, primarily the MASCURA-LP series, however it is capable of mounting alternate missile types for roles such as countering cruise missiles and close in defense of the firing unit.

Development
The program to develop the system began with the 1980 Defence Command Paper, which identified the need to replace the aging LvM m/58 missile system, a fixed emplacement missile used for point defense of key strategic areas, the system lacked the ability to be easily transported to provide cover to deployed forces or cover any emerging threats, it was also thought to have reached it's inherent design limits with further efforts at modernization being fruitless at best. The decision was made early on in the concept phase to make use some use of MASCURA system components in order to keep some level of manufacturing and systems compatibility, reducing costs and increasing interoperability. This lead to the development of the MASCURA VL missile family. Parallel to this the development of the fire control, targeting and power systems was initiated with the components being integrated for full system capacity firing trials beginning in 1988.

MASCURA VL Program
The system employs the MASCURA missile family, which was in service with the Ringeriker Navy, with one key variation; the missiles are configured for vertical launch as opposed to the standard arm launcher configuration it was developed for, the work to make the necessary adaptations was carried out in Chezzetcook in under a Ringeriker government contract, before bringing production of the variant to Ringerike for serial production runs and maintenance. Firing trails in this configuration began in 1985 and ran for two years. The MASCURA VL has since gone on to replace the Arm-Launched variants in Naval service from the early 2000s onwards.

Major Equipment Pieces
The System has seen an number of upgrades across it's service life, these are broken into two generations, which delineate the most major overhaul wherein a series of the large scale components and systems were either completely overhauled or outright exchanged. As well as the pieces shown below the batteries are also served by a number of other vehicles used for transport, security, stores, ammunition supply and repair functions.

RaS m/92 Radar Set
The Radar set of the generation 1 system consisted of a large Passive Electronically Scanned Antenna (PESA) equipped with IFF, Track by missile and Counter-Countermeasure systems designed to counter jamming, mounted on a trailer.

KoV m/92 Engagement Command Vehicle
The Engagement command vehicle serves as the center of the battery's operations, outfitted with the main fire control station, data link and a communications station, it is mounted on the back of a Lv m/48 4x4 truck.

KokV m/92 Mobile Network Station
The mobile network station is paired with the engagement command vehicle and provides communications from it to the individual engagement units, this can be achieved either by fibre-optic cables or UHF Datalink.

Mobile Power Generation Station
The Power generation station serves the radar set and engagement control vehicle and is mounted on a trailer.

MiK m/92 Transporter-Erector-Launcher
The MiK m/92 is a based on a trailer, it consists of the TEL mechanism itself, capable of mounting up to four MASCURA VL missiles, the necessary onboard electronics and a generator.

Generation 2 (Forsvarer F2)
Generation 2 entered service in 2017, featuring vastly improved digital systems, more efficient power generation capacity and the capability to integrate the LvM m/17 Short-Medium range air defense missile for close in defense of the launcher site and interception of low/close targets.

RaS m/17 Radar Set
The Radar set of the generation 2 system consists of a new fully digital active electronically scanned array long-range air defense 3D radar, with a 390km search radius, unlike the previous model, it is directly mounted to a Bjering LHM via a demountable sled rack which can be used while mounted to the vehicle.

KoV m/17 Engagement Command Vehicle
The new model Engagement command vehicle features a new suite of digital systems and the ability to connect to the Hermod tactical data-link system, enabling the battery to become part of the integrated battlespace. It also assumes the functions of the now redundant Network vehicle due to it's increased size and miniaturized electronics. It is mounted on the back of a Bjering LHM.

Mobile Power Generation Station
The Power generation station remains to serve the radar set and engagement control vehicle and is still mounted on a trailer towed by a Bjering LHM truck however features considerably more efficient generators.

MiK m/17 Transporter-Erector-Launcher
The MiK m/17 remains based on a trailer towed by a Bjering LHM truck, however features a more efficient power unit and significantly more powerful, while still more compact electronics.