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Rapier missiles of the Royal Artillery, Gulf War, 1991
1991: Rapier is a surface-to-air missile developed for the British Army to provide area, Low-Level Air- Defence, and entered service in 1971. It was operated by 12 and 22 Air Defence Regiments RA based at Napier Barracks near Dortmund; and by 16 AD Regt RA based in the UK.
The original Rapier took the form of a two-wheeled launcher carrying four missiles, an optical tracker unit, a generator, and a trailer of reserve missiles. The launcher consists of a vertical cylindrical unit carrying two missiles on each side. Royal Artillery batteries comprised three troops each of four fire units. A Fire Unit is deployed in the left of the picture, and the Blindfire radar has been set up. Gunners operate the optical tracker and the sighting stick.
Tracked Rapier entered service in 1983. During the Gulf War, tracked batteries of 12 and 16 Air Defence Regiments RA, quickly fitted with sat-nav for desert use, combined to provide Tracked Rapier support to deployed armoured regiments. Tracked launchers, each accompanied by its Missile Resupply Vehicle (a modified M548), can be seen at right.
I was in the theatre of war in the Gulf and sketched the men and Rapier system of T (Shah Sujah’s) Battery RA, commanded by Major Andy Astbury RA. The chevron on each side door and at the rear identified Allied assets. An orange coloured air identification panel was on the top of each launcher (to the rear of the missiles). Most launchers and support vehicles were painted ‘desert pink’, a slightly purplish mushroom colour; however, I saw one launcher that was sand-coloured.
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Printed image size(s): B2 only (58 x 38 cm)
Owner: 12 Air Defence Regiment Royal Artillery
Price(s): £70
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