German government awards development contract for new SHORAD/VSHORAD system

The German government signed a contract with ARGE NNbS on 25 January, authorising development of the Short and Very Short Range Air Defence System (SHORAD/VSHORAD) programme, known in Germany by the acronym LVS NNbS.

ARGE NNbS is a consortium established in 2021 between Rheinmetall Electronics, Diehl Defence and Hensoldt Sensors. The contract is valued at approx. Euro 1.2 billion, representing amounts of 607, 339 and 284 million respectively to the partners, reflecting their workshare.

Ensuring Germany lives up to its role as NATO’s lead nation in ground-based air defence and the European Sky Shield Initiative, the launch of the LVS NNbS is a decisive step, closing one of the Bundeswehr’s significant capability gaps. The development programme’s core objectives include optimisation of medium-range air defence and development of high-mobility air defence capabilities to protect manoeuvre forces – even when on the move. Key to the programme’s success will be 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 mobile air defence system, to be procured in
future.

By bundling complementary core capabilities – including those of other German defence
contractors – ARGE NNbS brings together the foundational knowledge, capabilities and
expertise needed to meet the requirements, while preserving and further developing sovereign capability.