Exclusive: Australia certifies AIM-9 Sidewinder missile launch from Hawkei 4x4 NASAMS air defense armored vehicle.

Recent pictures released by the Australian Ministry of Defence at the end of May 2025 confirm that the Australian Army has successfully conducted a live-fire trial of the AIM-9 Sidewinder missile from a NASAMS (National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System) High Mobility Launcher integrated onto a Hawkei 4x4 armored vehicle. This event marks a significant step forward in Australia's efforts to enhance its short-range air defense capability, introducing a highly mobile and versatile missile platform designed to counter a broad spectrum of aerial threats.
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Australian Army test-fires an AIM-9 Sidewinder missile from a NASAMS High Mobility Launcher mounted on a Hawkei 4x4 armored vehicle during live-fire trials at the Woomera Test Range in South Australia, May 2025. (Picture source: Australia MoD)

The Hawkei vehicle, manufactured by Thales Australia, serves as the foundation for this new missile platform. Weighing approximately 7 tonnes, the Hawkei is a lightweight, protected 4x4 vehicle tailored to support rapid deployment and high survivability in high-threat environments. It provides scalable protection against ballistic threats, improvised explosive devices, and mines, while offering exceptional off-road mobility and air transportability via C-130 Hercules or CH-47 Chinook aircraft. The integration of the NASAMS High Mobility Launcher onto the rear of the Hawkei transforms it into a potent short-range air defense asset capable of deploying up to six surface-to-air missiles with fast reaction times and high operational flexibility.

The missile employed in the recent trial, the AIM-9 Sidewinder, is a combat-proven infrared-guided missile originally designed for air-to-air engagements. Its adaptation for surface launch through NASAMS provides the Australian Army with a valuable infrared homing interceptor, complementing the radar-guided AIM-120 AMRAAM already certified within the system. The AIM-9X variant in particular is equipped with a high-resolution imaging infrared seeker, thrust vectoring controls for extreme agility, and data link capabilities that allow mid-course updates. The missile has an operational range of up to 35 kilometers depending on launch parameters, and its passive homing guidance makes it particularly effective against stealthy, low-RCS aerial platforms that may evade radar detection.

The combination of the Hawkei and NASAMS with AIM-9 missiles provides several operational advantages. The launcher’s mobility enables rapid repositioning, allowing shoot-and-scoot tactics to minimize vulnerability to counter-battery fire. Its ability to operate as part of a distributed, networked air defense system ensures integration with sensor and command-and-control nodes across the battlespace. The resulting layered defense architecture can deliver precise, multi-axis intercepts against cruise missiles, manned aircraft, rotary-wing threats, and unmanned aerial systems in contested and complex environments.

This technological advancement is aligned with Australia’s National Defence Strategy and the Integrated Investment Program, which prioritize enhancing missile defense capabilities to shield military infrastructure and personnel from evolving airborne threats. The mobile NASAMS configuration will be fielded by the 16th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, currently stationed at Woodside, South Australia. The unit is expected to relocate to the Edinburgh Defence Precinct by late 2025, consolidating its operations at a modern facility optimized for advanced air defense training and deployment readiness.

By validating the AIM-9 Sidewinder missile in a ground-launched configuration from the Hawkei 4x4 armored vehicle, Australia has demonstrated a sophisticated and scalable solution to modern short-range air defense. This new capability reinforces the Australian Army’s commitment to building a flexible and responsive air defense force capable of operating in the rapidly evolving security environment of the Indo-Pacific region. It also underscores the growing importance of integrating legacy missile systems into new platforms to deliver enhanced protection, operational tempo, and strategic deterrence.