QinetiQ’s Banshee to train NATO allies

Above: The NATO Missile Firing Installation or NAMFI (Greek: Πεδίο Βολής Κρήτης, ‘Crete Firing Range’) is an extensive missile firing range located at Souda Bay on the island of Crete, Greece.
Image by Paul Cowan / copyright Shutterstock

This latest certification means that all variants of QinetiQ’s Banshee aerial target, including the Jet 80+, are now fully qualified for operations at the NAMFI firing range. QinetiQ will continue to serve as a provider of targets for NAMFI range users, offering a variety of simulations and flight paths using its complete portfolio of aerial targets.

NAMFI enables European armed forces to enhance their air defence capabilities and improve rapid response readiness. By offering cutting-edge target solutions, QinetiQ is playing a vital role in strengthening Europe’s ability to defend itself against evolving threats, while also supporting NATO’s commitment to collective security.

Above: QinetiQ’s Banshee aerial targets at the NAMFI firing range, in Souda Bay, Crete.
Courtesy QinetiQ

The accreditation of the Banshee Jet 40+ also reinforces the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), a multinational effort led by Germany to enhance integrated air and missile defence across the continent. All ESSI partner nations can conduct training at the NAMFI facility, utilising QinetiQ’s training targets and other defence systems, including the IRIS-T SLM, a surface-launched air defence missile system designed to protect ground forces and infrastructure from aerial threats.

The performance requirements and specific targets used in each simulation will determine the type of threat that can be replicated. Exercises at the NAMFI range can include any combination of Air-Breathing Targets (ABTs), such as helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, cruise missiles, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, including the Banshee or Tactical Ballistic Missile (TBM) simulations, covering short-range, medium-range, intermediate-range, and intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Spyros Exarchos, Business Development Manager, QinetiQ, said: “With this latest qualification, QinetiQ is proud to offer its entire range of proven aerial and sea surface targets to support Europe’s defence forces in developing the skills and readiness they need to confront modern threats.”