Mysterious User of BRAWLR Universal Air Defense System Already Destroyed 400 Air Targets

Sierra Nevada’s BRAWLR universal air defense system has helped an unnamed country shoot down 400 air targets.

In an article for Breaking Defense, Sierra Nevada described in detail its anti-aircraft missile launcher designed to protect airspace from various threats.

It is a ground-based Battery Revolving Adaptive Weapons Launcher (BRAWLR) that can be equipped with APKWS, AIM-120, IRIS-T, and other missiles.

All this makes it a mobile air defense system that can be mounted on an off-road vehicle and used as part of a mobile group.

BRAWLR is capable of simultaneously carrying up to four types of missiles, intercepting kamikaze drones and cruise missiles.

According to the company, since its deployment in 2023, the system has already intercepted more than 400 airborne threats.

At the same time, the company refuses to specify where exactly BRAWLR was deployed, but judging by the number of intercepted targets, this country often faces threats from attack drones, such as Ukraine.

When creating BRAWLR, the company aimed to develop a highly adaptive system that would eliminate the need to deploy a large number of launchers from different manufacturers.

It is expected that this solution can be effectively used as part of an integrated air defense network.

In terms of practical application, Sierra Nevada cited quite revealing figures: the system can carry up to 46 APKWS missiles, hitting targets at a distance of up to 6 kilometers.

Given that the cost of one such missile is about $40,000, the BRAWLR is becoming an effective and cost-efficient system for combating UAVs.

Sierra Nevada refused to disclose specific buyers of the BRAWLR, but confirmed that it had delivered 20 systems and was sending another 10 for deployment. Breaking Defense speculates that Ukraine may be one of the users of this launcher, as the Ukrainian army is actively using APKWS to intercept kamikaze drones.

In September, the US Department of War signed a $15 million contract with Sierra Nevada to provide technical support for the Ukrainian Navy’s drone countermeasures under the USAI program.