Basic Information

Name

Roland-1 French Short-Range Air Defense (SHORAD) System

Designation

Roland-1

Alternate Designation

Roland-1

Equipment Type

Short-Range Surface-to-Air Missile System

Manufacturer

The main work on the complex was carried out by the German company "Messerchmitt-Bolkow-Blohm" (MIB) and the French company "Aerospatiale-Matra".

Date of Introduction

1977

Description

The Roland-1 French Short-Range Air Defense (SHORAD) System developed by France and Germany, which consisted of a missile and launching system that was mounted on the AMX-30 chassis in French Army service, and on the Marder-1 chassis in German Army service. The Roland-1 SAM system only used the Roland-1 missile. In Bundeswehr "Roland" SAM was placed on the chassis of the infantry fighting vehicle "Marder", produced by "Thyssen Henshel". The first tests of "Roland" complexes for the German Armed Forces were held in 1978, they were replaced by 40 mm L/70 anti-aircraft guns from Bofors. Totally about 650 Roland systems of various modifications and over 25000 missiles were produced. The complex was widely exported and is in service with the armies of France, Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Nigeria, Qatar, Spain, the USA, and Venezuela.

Ground Specifications

Crew 3

Mobility Type Tracked

Variants

Roland-1 The original version of the system (later designated "Roland-1") was semi-automatic and non-weather. During the years of its service the complex was repeatedly upgraded. In 1981, the all-weather SAM system "Roland-2" was adopted for service and the program of modernization of some previously produced complexes "Roland-1" to the level of "Roland-2" was carried out (which increased the cost of the complex by 40%). In 1988 the improved automatic "Roland-3" was tested and put into production.

Roland-2 All-weather self-propelled anti-aircraft missile system "Roland-2" with a radar tracking system for target and missile tracking was developed by the company "Messerchmitt-Bolkow-Blohm" (Germany) together with "Aerospatiale-Matra" (France) and is capable of destroying targets flying at speeds up to M=1.2 at altitudes from 15m to 5.5 km and ranges from 500m to 6.3 km. Originally the complex was designed to meet the needs of the Bundeswehr, however, due to the obvious advantage of the new complex over the previously released Roland-1 SAM system, the French Army command decided to convert part of its Roland-1 systems into the Roland-2 version. Such a possibility was envisaged by the developers even at the stage of the complex creation.

Roland-3 All-weather self-propelled short-range air defense system "Roland-3" is designed and manufactured by EADS Euromissile and MBDA. Roland-3" SAM system is the result of consistent modernization of the family of anti-aircraft systems "Roland". It was adopted for service in 1988. The first serial models of the complex entered into service of the German Air Force air defense units and were used to cover German and American military airfields. 20 "Roland-3" complexes are in service with the German Airborne Division of the German Navy and are used for air defense of airfields, on which the Tornado fighter-bombers and Atlantic base patrol aircraft are based.

American Roland This variant was built in the United States. The launcher on pallet can be fitted to XM795 chassis (based on M109 self-propelled howitzer chassis). It is deployed on M812 6 x 6 trucks. There were Hughes Aircraft manufactured radars and electro-optical sight and missile electronics. Boeing Aerospace produced the launcher, warhead, aft section of missile.

AMX-30 chassis The variant is a standard AMX-30 tank chassis with a Roland launcher. France, Nigeria, Iraq, Qatar and Spain operated this system.

Marder chassis This is a standard Marder APC chassis with Roland launcher. It is in service in Brazil and Germany.

Shelter-mounted systems These systems were exported to Argentina, Iraq and Venezuela.

MAN 8 x 8 FlakRakRad This variant is an eight-wheel-drive vehicle with a shelter mounted on chassis between front and rear sets of axles. There is a digital fire-control processor and four launch tubes.

Paladin The Paladin was a competitor in the 1987 line-of-sight-forward-heavy (LOS-F-H) component trials of the U.S. Forward Area Air Defense System (FAADS). It was tested on a modified M109 self-propelled gun chassis. It could be combined with a Euromissile launcher and missile with Hughes Aircraft surveillance and tracking radars.

Glaive Glaive was a Franco-German programme under which Euromissile would develop a revised Roland fire unit for use with the RM5 missile. This would add an integrated thermal sighting system with laser rangefinder allowing for night/all-weather operation without using the radar. Contracts were issued in 1989 with the system intended to enter service in 1996. However, development of RM5 was cancelled in 1991

Roland M3S (upgrade) This variant prototype was offered to Thailand and Turkey, though it was not procured. It utilizes a Dassault Electronique Rodeo 4 radar or a Thomson-CSF radar system. The M3S is operable by one person, preferably two.

Roland NDV NDV, NutzungsDauerVerlängert, Extended Service Life. This was a German parallel to the French M3S, being developed by LFK GmbH for the German government. The control system was to be digitized and integrated into the HFLaAFüSys air-defence command and control system, with Roland 3 missile integration. Germany had a requirement to upgrade 84 Army (FlaRakPz 1A2) and 40 Luftwaffe (FlaRakRad) fire units. Trials had been completed in 2003 when Germany decided to withdraw Roland from use.

Roland Carol Conversion of existing French Roland 2 systems into a shelter-mounted version of the M3S standard. France procured 20 trailer-borne systems. France intended the shelterised variants for use with air-transported rapid-deployment forces. The upgraded fire unit could use either the existing Roland missile or the new Roland 3 missile.

Roland MX/Jason From 1969 Euromissile studied Roland as a possible naval weapon for shipboard installation. Originally known as Roland MX and later as Jason, the standard twin launcher (without search radar) with two below-decks 8-round reloading drums could be installed on a standard sized module that was featured in several Blohm & Voss MEKO frigate proposals of the 1970s. No prototype or production systems were built with attention turning early on to an abortive vertically launched missile.

System

Alternative Designation Roland-1

Type Short-Range Air Defense (SHORAD) System

Manufacturer The main work on the complex was carried out by the German company "Messerchmitt-Bolkow-Blohm" (MIB) and the French company "Aerospatiale-Matra".

Chassis AMX-30

Chassis Note The Roland-1 French Short-Range Air Defense (SHORAD) System developed by France and Germany, which consisted of a missile and launching system that was mounted on the AMX-30 chassis in French Army service, and on the Marder 1 chassis in German Army service. Additionally, the Roland 1 French Short-Range Air Defense (SHORAD) System has been known to be installed on MAN SX90 (8x8) High-Mobility, Cross-Country Truck Chassis, and mobile shelter units that are trailer compatible.

Crew 3 (a gunner-operator, a commander-operator and a mechanic-driver).

Composition The main equipment of the complex is assembled on a universal rotating tower unit and includes a radar antenna to detect air targets; a binocular telescopic sight; an infrared direction finder; a radio command transmission station aboard ZUR; two automatically controlled guides.

Unit Structure The Roland-1 is typically operated as part of an air defense regiment, which consists of four batteries with eight Roland launch vehicles each, as well as a command and maintenance unit.

Dimensions (Chassis: AMX-30)

Length, Overall 6.59 m

Height, Hull Top 1.5 m

Height, Searchlight 2.86 m

Width 3.10 m

Track Length 2.53 m

Track Width 0.57 m

Weight, Unloaded INA

Weight, Combat 33 tons

Ground Pressure 0.77 kg/cm sq

Ground Clearance 450 mm

Automotive (Chassis: AMX-30)

Engine Name Hispano-Suiza HS 110

Engine Type 12 cylinders, supercharged, water-cooled, multifuel engine

Engine Power 720 hp at 2,000 rpm

Power-to-Weight Ratio 18.91 hp/t

Fuel Capacity 970 liters

Amphibious No

Electrical System 28 V

Batteries 8 × 12 V, 100 Ah

Steering Triple differential

Clutch Centrifugal

Maximum Speed 65 km/h

Range 400 km

Gradient 60%

Side Slope 30%

Vertical Obstacle 0.93 m

Trench 2.9 m

Main Weapon System

Note The Roland-1 SAM system only uses the Roland-1 missile.

System

Name AMX-30 TELAR

Type Transporter Erector Launcher and Radar (TELAR) System.

Elevation INA

Traverse INA

Rate of Fire 1st shooting: 8 to 10 seconds; later shooting: 2 to 6 seconds.

Reload Time 10 seconds.

Guidance System Roland-1 is guided using a semi-automatic command to line-of-sight (SACLOS) guidance principle.

Feed System The drum-type magazines are located on the sides in the PU housing, each of them accommodates four ZUR containers and is equipped with a hydraulic drive. There are 10 missiles in a portable PU ammunition set.

Missile

Name Roland-1 Surface-to-Air Missile

Type Surface-to-Air Missile

Length 2.4 m

Diameter 160 mm

Wingspan 0.5 m

Weight 66.5 kg

Warhead HE-FRAG Warhead

Warhead Weight 6.5 kg, including 3.3 kg of explosive that is detonated either by impact or a TRT electromagnetic continuous wave radar-type proximity fuze.

Engine The rocket propulsion system consists of a booster SD1156 and a marching engine Epictete 120IA.

Guidance System SACLOS radio command guidance.

Flight Control The ZUR flight control is gas-dynamic and is provided by the jet deflection of the marching engine.

Fuze impact, proximity.

Maximum Speed 1,800 km/h

Maximum Range 6.3 km

Minimum Range 0.5 km

Minimum Altitude 10 m

Maximum Altitude 5,500 m

Shrapnel Impact Radius up to 5 m

Basic Load 2 x missiles are carried ready to launch and another eight are carried in two revolver-type magazines, each of which holds four rounds. The missile container also serves as the launch tube.

Radar System

Name 1 x Siemens MPDR 16 Pulse-Doppler Surveillance Radar.

Type Pulse-Doppler Surveillance Radar.

Frequency D-Band

Rotation Rate 60 rpm

IFF Interrogator 1 x Siemens MSR-400/5 (German vehicles) or 1 x LMT NRAI-6A (French vehicles) IFF system.

Automatically Suppresses Fixed Echoes Yes

Time of Target Detection does not exceed 4 seconds.

AIr Target Detection Speed 30-500 m/s at a range of up to 18 km (with an effective reflecting area of 1 m2).

Acquisition Range 1.5 to 16.5 km for a 1 m2 target operating between speeds of 50 and 450 m/s and can be folded down behind the turret rear for transport.

Note The radar is capable of detecting hovering helicopters.

Fire Control System

Name INA

Type Command guidance with dual tracking mode.

Tracking Mode Fire control radar with optical tracker.

Protection

Hull Armor The Roland-1 has a welded steel hull and cast steel turret. Its development was focused on firepower and mobility rather than protection. It could be penetrated by all contemporary anti-tank weapons. The Roland-1 was regarded as the least protected main battle tank ever built. Hull Front: 79.0 mm; Hull Sides: 30-57 mm.

Turret Armor INA

Applique Armor INA

Explosive Reactive Armor No

Mine Clearing No

Self-Entrenching Blade INA

NBC Protection 1 x AMX-30B2 full-filtration NBC.

Smoke Equipment 2 x 2-barrel 80 mm smoke dischargers on turret rear.

Image Sources

Notes https://en.missilery.info/missile/roland-1; https://cmano-db.com/facility/57/; https://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=871723; ;