The FlaRakRad (Waffensystem auf Lkw 15 t MAN), short for Flugabwehrraketensystem Roland auf Radkraftfahrzeug, is a German self-propelled Roland 3 surface-to-air missile system mounted on an 8x8 MAN truck chassis. In the early 1980s, the Luftwaffe required 200 Roland 2 systems to defend airfields directly, in addition to the older MIM-23 HAWK air defense missile systems. To this end, the Luftwaffe purchased 95 Roland systems mounted on MAN trucks with an 8x8 wheel configuration in the mid-1980s. Twenty-seven of these systems were used by the U.S. Armed Forces to protect American air bases in Germany as part of the 42nd Air Defense Missile Group (FlaRakGrp 42). At the end of the 1990s, one of the last programs to modernize the system began, which included the use of Roland 2 and Roland 3 missiles as well as the promising VT1 long-range missile. However, the modernization work was not completed, and Germany abandoned the Roland system in favor of more modern systems by 2003. The FlaRakRad system was decommissioned in 2005.
The FlaRakRad was introduced in Update 2.1 "New Power". Thanks to the promising VT1 extended-range missile, the vehicle can reliably engage air targets within a radius of up to 12 km. Its high maximum flight speed and excellent maximum overload allow it to engage even 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. Its disadvantages include its large size, lack of cannon armament, and effectively zero armor. Because of these factors, it will be difficult for the vehicle to find a position that provides cover from enemy attacks while allowing it to fully utilize the range of its missiles.
| 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 | ||
|---|---|---|