As part of its continuing quest to provide customers with cutting-edge solutions defence and security company Saab has successfully tested a third generation high speed directed launcher (HSDL-306). The directed launcher is an important sub-system of the land electronic defence system (LEDS) that enables the system to guarantee hemispherical coverage and multiple shot capabilities to the installed platform.

The tests were carried out mid-March in Centurion, South Africa, and mark an important milestone in enhancement of Saab’s active protection offer for ground vehicles.

“The tests went very well and the evaluation showed good result. All our test objectives were met which verifies we are on the right track and that our efforts to remain the international benchmark active protection concept have been successful”, says Cobus van der Merwe, Executive Manager, Business Development for LEDS at Saab.

The tests included deployment of GALIX 13 multispectral smoke from Etienne Lacroix, France. The tests included a combination of coverage angles and different dispensing sequences.

The HSDL was mounted on a Piranha protected vehicle variant to also test integration design and monitor aspects like recoil and power consumption reduction. It also offers future design flexibility in terms of different payload options and operational mission applications. The HSDL-306 is a joint effort by Curtiss-Wright Antriebstechnik GrnbH of Switzerland and the Saab business area Electronic Defence Systems.