Athena Air Defense System

The Athena Air Defense System is a mobile New Alexandrian self-propelled surface-to-air missile system designed and manufactured by Javelin Industries. The system provides mobile, short range air defense protection for ground units against cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, low-flying fixed wing aircraft, and helicopters. The Athena Air Defense System was designed to provide a quick and efficient air defense for military and civilian facilities, as well as for ground troops in the field. The system is known for its ability to be mounted on vehicles or trucks as well as armored personnel carriers.

History

The Athena was originally developed by Javelin Industries for the Federal Forces of Nouvelle Alexandrie after Operation Landslide in 1709 AN. The Athena was developed over a year from initial concept to delivery for testing to the Federal Army. Initial testing was conducted in 1710 AN at the Federal Army's CCI Training Center in the New Alexandrian Region of Alduria. During testing three JAV 31 Vencejo missiles were fired. During the first test firing the system achieved a direct hit while moving at 20 miles per hour (32 km/h). The second test firing, conducted at night while stationary, also achieved a direct hit. The third test firing, conducted while on the move and in the rain, did not achieve a direct hit, but did pass within the missile's kill range, so the shot was scored as a tactical kill. All three test shots were conducted by operators who had never fired the missile before. In 1713 AN, the Federal Army awarded the first production contract for 211 units. Different variants have been deployed based on the chassis of the vehicle, mainly those manufactured by ESB Susa and other Raspur Pact manufacturers.

At the personal intervention of Maximilian de Almagro, the initial batch of 211 examples of the type were sold to the Benacian Union in 1729 AN. A new major contract for 600 launchers was subsequently placed, with delivery to take place in increments across the coming decade.

System Features

The Athena Air Defense System features a highly mobile platform that can be rapidly deployed in almost all terrain and weather conditions. The system is equipped with a high-performance radar system that provides 360-degree coverage and can detect incoming aircraft at ranges of up to 200 km. The radar system can be integrated with a standalone mobile radar system also manufactured by Javelin Industries, providing an even greater coverage range and improved performance.

The system's weapons system is capable of engaging a wide range of aerial threats, including fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and cruise missiles. The system is equipped with 4x JAV 31 Vencejo short-range missiles in tranche one variants and 8x in the tranche two iterations. The missiles are guided by the radar system and can be launched from the system's platform or from a remote location.

Deployment and Use

The first operational deployment of the system occurred during Operation Purple Splendor.

Variants

Tranche One – quad mounted, single target lock and single shot firing system. In service from 1713 AN.
Tranche Two – octuple mounted, multiple target lock and salvo firing options. In service from 1733 AN.