France Thales Group
Crotale NG
All-weather short-range air defense system using the VT-1 missile at Mach 3.5, with fast reaction time against aircraft, helicopters, and cruise missiles.
In service since 1990
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-04
11
km range
6,000
m altitude
20
km radar
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
French export-licensed
CIEEMG inter-ministerial approval; broadly export-oriented.
Channel: DGA / direct commercial
Fielded & proven
Operator data not public
In service since 1990. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
| Engagement range Maximum distance at which an air-defense system can intercept targets. Higher covers more airspace. | 11 km |
|---|---|
| Engagement altitude Maximum target altitude the system can reach. | 6,000 m |
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Warhead Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range. | 13 kg |
|---|
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
| Radar Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art. | S-band pulse-Doppler surveillance radar with Ku-band TWT tracking radar |
|---|---|
| Radar range Published detection range against a typical fighter-sized target. Higher sees first. | 20 km |
| Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights. | S-band pulse-Doppler surveillance radar (20 km), Ku-band TWT tracking radar (30 km), Thermal camera (19 km), Daylight CCD camera (15 km), Infrared localiser |
| Thermal imaging Thermal sights for night and obscured-visibility operations. | Yes |
Specifications compiled from public Thales Group and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-04.
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What is the engagement range of the Thales Group Crotale NG? +
The Thales Group Crotale NG has a maximum engagement range of 11 km.
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