Air and Missile Defense Comparison Matrix

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Air and Missile Defense Systems

Dense side-by-side comparison of 11 systems across role, range, altitude, interceptors, radar, and operational provenance — built for export into decks and memos. For a lighter entry point, browse the system cards instead.

Verified Reported Unavailable

Point Defense

Short-range site defense and C-RAM floor for fixed assets and populated areas

System	Type / Role	Range	Altitude	Interceptor(s)	Radar	Key Operators
Iron Dome Iron Dome	Short-range point defense / C-RAM / VSHORAD	4-70 km (Tamir engagement envelope) VERIFIED	Not published in official sources reviewed UNAVAIL	› Tamir › SkyHunter (U.S. production line)	Battlefield radar (specific model not published in official pages reviewed)	Israel

Short-Medium Distributed Defense

Distributed medium-layer systems for aircraft, cruise missiles, drones, and lower-altitude threats

System	Type / Role	Range	Altitude	Interceptor(s)	Radar	Key Operators
NASAMS AMRAAM / AMRAAM-ER / AIM-9X UKR combat	Short-to-medium-range ground-based air defense	~25 km class (AMRAAM baseline); larger envelope with AMRAAM-ER REPORTED	Lower-to-medium altitude band REPORTED	› AMRAAM › AMRAAM-ER › AIM-9X	AN/MPQ-64F1 Sentinel; GhostEye in development	Norway United States Ukraine Australia
Sky Sabre CAMM / Land Ceptor / CAMM-ER / Narew	Short-to-medium-range ground-based air defense	25 km class with CAMM; 40+ km class with CAMM-ER in Narew pathway VERIFIED	Not published in official sources reviewed UNAVAIL	› CAMM › CAMM-ER (Polish Narew pathway)	Saab Giraffe AMB 3D radar in UK Sky Sabre configuration	United Kingdom Poland
IRIS-T SLM IRIS-T SLM / IRIS-T SLS UKR combat	Medium-range air-defense system	Up to 40 km VERIFIED	Up to 20 km VERIFIED	› IRIS-T SLM guided missile	TRML-4D (Diehl/HENSOLDT/Airbus configuration)	Germany Ukraine Egypt Estonia
SPYDER SPYDER SR / SPYDER ER / SPYDER MR / SPYDER LR	Mobile short-to-medium-range air-defense family	20-80 km family envelope depending on SR / ER / MR / LR variant configuration VERIFIED	6-12 km in the current AiO SR/ER brochure; no clean family-wide normalized altitude figure is published for all variants VERIFIED	› Python 5 › I-Derby › I-Derby ER › booster-assisted MR/LR derivatives	SR/ER variants mount radar sensor on the C2 unit; MR/LR use separate truck-mounted radar; launchers embed TopLite EO sensor	Philippines Czech Republic

Area Defense Backbone

National or regional backbone systems for lower-tier air and missile defense

System	Type / Role	Range	Altitude	Interceptor(s)	Radar	Key Operators
Patriot PAC-2 GEM-T / PAC-3 CRI / PAC-3 MSE UKR combat	Lower-tier integrated air and missile defense	~70 km class against ballistic threats (PAC-3 MSE); longer against aircraft REPORTED	High-altitude lower-tier BMD bracket REPORTED	› PAC-2 GEM-T › PAC-3 CRI › PAC-3 MSE (hit-to-kill)	Patriot radar family; LTAMDS integration underway	United States Germany Ukraine Japan
SAMP/T SAMP/T / SAMP/T NG UKR combat	Long-range air and missile defense	100+ km class (public legacy Aster 30 descriptions) REPORTED	Medium-high / lower-tier BMD class REPORTED	› Aster 30 (legacy) › Aster 30 B1 (NG) › Aster 30 B1NT (NG)	Arabel (legacy); Ground Fire or Kronos Grand Mobile HP (NG)	France Italy Ukraine
Barak MX Barak MR / Barak LR / Barak ER	Multi-layer air and missile defense	Interceptor family spans 35 km, 70 km, and 150 km classes; overall defended envelope depends on selected missiles and sensors VERIFIED	Not published in official sources reviewed UNAVAIL	› Barak MR › Barak LR › Barak ER	Multiple IAI/ELTA AESA radars including MMR, MF-STAR, and ALPHA; customer-preferred sensors can be integrated	Slovakia (contracted)

Mid-Tier Bridge

Bridge systems between lower-layer air defense and upper-tier strategic interceptors

System	Type / Role	Range	Altitude	Interceptor(s)	Radar	Key Operators
David's Sling David's Sling / SkyCeptor	Mid-tier / medium-range regional missile defense	Not published in official sources reviewed (emphasis on target classes) UNAVAIL	Finland requirement: minimum 15,000 m; maximum ceiling not published VERIFIED	› Stunner / SkyCeptor (multi-pulse, two-stage, hit-to-kill, no warhead)	AESA multi-mission radar	Israel Finland (procuring)

Upper-Tier BMD

Strategic ballistic-missile-defense systems shown separately from the lower-layer GBAD backbone

System	Type / Role	Range	Altitude	Interceptor(s)	Radar	Key Operators
THAAD THAAD	Upper-tier ballistic-missile-defense system	Not published in official sources reviewed (emphasis on threat class, not horizontal range) UNAVAIL	Endo/exoatmospheric intercept capability VERIFIED	› THAAD hit-to-kill interceptor	AN/TPY-2	United States UAE Saudi Arabia
Arrow 3 Arrow 3	Strategic exo-atmospheric ballistic-missile-defense system	Not published in official English-accessible sources reviewed UNAVAIL	Exo-atmospheric intercept (protects against short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles) REPORTED	› Arrow 3 interceptor (upper-tier, exo-atmospheric)	Not clearly published in official English material reviewed	Israel Germany (delivery path)

Point Defense

Iron Dome

Type / Role Short-range point defense / C-RAM / VSHORAD

Range 4-70 km (Tamir engagement envelope) VERIFIED

Altitude Not published in official sources reviewed UNAVAIL

Interceptor(s)

› Tamir
› SkyHunter (U.S. production line)

Radar Battlefield radar (specific model not published in official pages reviewed)

Key Operators

Israel

Short-Medium Distributed Defense

NASAMS

AMRAAM / AMRAAM-ER / AIM-9X

UKR

Type / Role Short-to-medium-range ground-based air defense

Range ~25 km class (AMRAAM baseline); larger envelope with AMRAAM-ER REPORTED

Altitude Lower-to-medium altitude band REPORTED

Interceptor(s)

› AMRAAM
› AMRAAM-ER
› AIM-9X

Radar AN/MPQ-64F1 Sentinel; GhostEye in development

Key Operators

Norway United States Ukraine Australia

Ukraine Relevance Deployed to Ukraine since 2022; NASAMS munitions included in July 2024 U.S. DoD package

Sky Sabre

CAMM / Land Ceptor / CAMM-ER / Narew

Type / Role Short-to-medium-range ground-based air defense

Range 25 km class with CAMM; 40+ km class with CAMM-ER in Narew pathway VERIFIED

Altitude Not published in official sources reviewed UNAVAIL

Interceptor(s)

› CAMM
› CAMM-ER (Polish Narew pathway)

Radar Saab Giraffe AMB 3D radar in UK Sky Sabre configuration

Key Operators

United Kingdom Poland

IRIS-T SLM

IRIS-T SLM / IRIS-T SLS

UKR

Type / Role Medium-range air-defense system

Range Up to 40 km VERIFIED

Altitude Up to 20 km VERIFIED

Interceptor(s)

› IRIS-T SLM guided missile

Radar TRML-4D (Diehl/HENSOLDT/Airbus configuration)

Key Operators

Germany Ukraine Egypt Estonia

Ukraine Relevance First unit delivered October 2022; second May 2023. Combat-proven in Ukrainian service.

SPYDER

SPYDER SR / SPYDER ER / SPYDER MR / SPYDER LR

Type / Role Mobile short-to-medium-range air-defense family

Range 20-80 km family envelope depending on SR / ER / MR / LR variant configuration VERIFIED

Altitude 6-12 km in the current AiO SR/ER brochure; no clean family-wide normalized altitude figure is published for all variants VERIFIED

Interceptor(s)

› Python 5
› I-Derby
› I-Derby ER
› booster-assisted MR/LR derivatives

Radar SR/ER variants mount radar sensor on the C2 unit; MR/LR use separate truck-mounted radar; launchers embed TopLite EO sensor

Key Operators

Philippines Czech Republic

Area Defense Backbone

Patriot

PAC-2 GEM-T / PAC-3 CRI / PAC-3 MSE

UKR

Type / Role Lower-tier integrated air and missile defense

Range ~70 km class against ballistic threats (PAC-3 MSE); longer against aircraft REPORTED

Altitude High-altitude lower-tier BMD bracket REPORTED

Interceptor(s)

› PAC-2 GEM-T
› PAC-3 CRI
› PAC-3 MSE (hit-to-kill)

Radar Patriot radar family; LTAMDS integration underway

Key Operators

United States Germany Ukraine Japan

Ukraine Relevance One Patriot battery provided to Ukraine as part of allied package (July 2024)

SAMP/T

SAMP/T / SAMP/T NG

UKR

Type / Role Long-range air and missile defense

Range 100+ km class (public legacy Aster 30 descriptions) REPORTED

Altitude Medium-high / lower-tier BMD class REPORTED

Interceptor(s)

› Aster 30 (legacy)
› Aster 30 B1 (NG)
› Aster 30 B1NT (NG)

Radar Arabel (legacy); Ground Fire or Kronos Grand Mobile HP (NG)

Key Operators

France Italy Ukraine

Ukraine Relevance Franco-Italian SAMP/T battery provided to Ukraine; included in July 2024 U.S. DoD allied package

Barak MX

Barak MR / Barak LR / Barak ER

Type / Role Multi-layer air and missile defense

Range Interceptor family spans 35 km, 70 km, and 150 km classes; overall defended envelope depends on selected missiles and sensors VERIFIED

Altitude Not published in official sources reviewed UNAVAIL

Interceptor(s)

› Barak MR
› Barak LR
› Barak ER

Radar Multiple IAI/ELTA AESA radars including MMR, MF-STAR, and ALPHA; customer-preferred sensors can be integrated

Key Operators

Slovakia (contracted)

Mid-Tier Bridge

David's Sling

David's Sling / SkyCeptor

Type / Role Mid-tier / medium-range regional missile defense

Range Not published in official sources reviewed (emphasis on target classes) UNAVAIL

Altitude Finland requirement: minimum 15,000 m; maximum ceiling not published VERIFIED

Interceptor(s)

› Stunner / SkyCeptor (multi-pulse, two-stage, hit-to-kill, no warhead)

Radar AESA multi-mission radar

Key Operators

Israel Finland (procuring)

Upper-Tier BMD

THAAD

Type / Role Upper-tier ballistic-missile-defense system

Range Not published in official sources reviewed (emphasis on threat class, not horizontal range) UNAVAIL

Altitude Endo/exoatmospheric intercept capability VERIFIED

Interceptor(s)

› THAAD hit-to-kill interceptor

Radar AN/TPY-2

Key Operators

United States UAE Saudi Arabia

Arrow 3

Type / Role Strategic exo-atmospheric ballistic-missile-defense system

Range Not published in official English-accessible sources reviewed UNAVAIL

Altitude Exo-atmospheric intercept (protects against short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles) REPORTED

Interceptor(s)

› Arrow 3 interceptor (upper-tier, exo-atmospheric)

Radar Not clearly published in official English material reviewed

Key Operators

Israel Germany (delivery path)

Methodology

Matrix 17 v2 inherits its figures from the published system-card archive instead of maintaining a separate standalone fact surface. The live frame now covers allied and export-reference systems with stronger public-source footing, while benchmark peers and Aegis BMD / Ashore stay outside the table until a separate comparison frame is warranted. No classified, export-controlled, or operationally sensitive data is used.

Verified

Confirmed by official manufacturer or government publication.

Reported

Widely cited in credible open-source analysis but not officially confirmed.

Unavailable

No reliable open-source figure identified. Marked for future verification.

Last reviewed: 2026-03-28 — Matrix version 2.0 — Foundry Brief editorial methodology applies to all cells.