The Ilmatorjuntaohjus 90 is the Finnish designation for the French Crotale NG short-range anti-aircraft missile system mounted on the chassis of the Finnish Patria Pasi XA-181 armored personnel carrier. The Crotale air defense missile system was developed in the 1960s by France's Thomson-CSF and the United States' Rockwell International, initially for South Africa. The system was designed to be modular and adaptable to various types of chassis. In 1986, two companies, France's Thomson-CSF and America's LTV, began modernizing the system. The updated version, Crotale NG (short for "New Generation"), was released in 1990 and received a modern VT-1 missile, as well as new radar and surveillance equipment.
Around this time, Finland needed a new mobile air defense system. Interested in the Crotale NG, the Finns signed an agreement with the French manufacturer in 1988 to modify the Finnish XA-181 Pasi 6x6 chassis for installation of the system. The first prototype was ready by 1990 and passed tests successfully. As a result, an order was placed for the production of 20 more vehicles. All were delivered to Finland by 1993 and designated ItO 90. In 2007, the vehicles were upgraded to the ItO 90M variant and received a modern thermal imager and other improvements.
The Finnish ItO 90M was introduced in Update 2.7 "Red Skies" as a part of the Swedish ground research tree. In the game, the vehicle can comfortably engage air targets within a radius of up to 12 km thanks to the long range VT1 missile. The missile has a high maximum flight speed and excellent available overload, allowing it to engage maneuvering targets. In addition to the radar, the vehicle is equipped with a thermal imaging sight that makes it easier to detect targets at night and in bad weather. The vehicle's only significant drawback is its large size, which makes finding cover from enemy aircraft or armored vehicles on the battlefield difficult.
| Ammunition | Type | Armor penetration (mm) at a distance: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1000 m | 1500 m | 2000 m | ||
| SAM | 59 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 59 | |
Mobility | |
|---|---|
Protection |
|---|
Firepower | |
|---|---|