Very Low Level Air Defence Weapon (VLLAD)

VLLAD Automatic Cueing System (VACS)

The Mistral system is designed to provide Very Low Level Air Defence (VLLAD) to ground forces.  Each system is manned and operated by either a two or four person detachment and can be man-packed over short distances by this detachment. The system can be made ready in less than 5 minutes, and is even quicker to dismantle so that it is ready to be moved to its next location. It then takes less than 45 seconds to acquire and then engage a target.

The Mistral VLLAD system has been operated by soldiers of the Royal New Zealand Artillery (RNZA) since its introduction into service in 1997.

The Mistral weapon has a planning range of 6000m and an affective altitude of 3000m. The firing station is mounted on a 360º pintle mount, and can be elevated between -15º to +60º. The day sighting system is made up of a clear collimator having zero magnification and a sight that has a 3X magnification with a 50º field of view (FOV). The night sight has a 4.5X magnification with a 12.4º FOV.

The command and control elements of this weapon system have been vastly improved by the introduction of the VLLAD Automatic Cueing System (VACS).  This system includes both Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) and RADAR automatic cueing capabilities.

Together the Mistral/VACS system enables in-coming threats out to 20km to be identified, tracked, and then subsequently destroyed.  This system is currently in service with the Spanish forces.