Air Defense

CAMM / Sea Ceptor air-defense missile

Also known as
  • Common Anti-air Modular Missile

CAMM, marketed at sea as Sea Ceptor, is MBDA's naval air-defense missile family for protecting ships and escorted shipping. The Royal Navy entered it into service in 2018 on Type 23 frigates, and HMS Richmond later used it to shoot down two Houthi drones in the 2023 Red Sea Crisis.

CAMM / Sea Ceptor air-defense missile, Naval air-defense missile, Air Defense
Image source: HMS Richmond Sea Ceptor silo image page

Role in Conflicts

What Makes Sea Ceptor Distinct

MBDA presents Sea Ceptor as a modular ship-defense missile built around the same CAMM family used on land. The value is not just reach, but easier integration across new and existing ships.

FeatureSource-backed detail
Common missile familySea Ceptor uses the Common Anti-air Modular Missile (CAMM), so naval and ground air-defense users share the same missile family.
Fully active architectureMBDA says the system does not need complex platform sensor integration or dedicated fire-control and tracking radars.
Range envelopeMBDA describes 25 km protection for the host platform and escorted vessels, with layered use extending beyond 40 km.
Launcher flexibilityThe missile is described as compatible with new or existing ships, including the Mk41 family vertical launcher system.

Sources: SEA CEPTOR - MBDA Systems; SEA CEPTOR product sheet; CAMM family brochure 10-2021 - MBDA.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United Kingdom
Built by
MBDA
Type
Naval air-defense missile
Service note
In Royal Navy service from 2018; combat use reported in 2024
Designer
MBDA
Designed
2010s
Unit cost
Not publicly stated
Produced
2010s-present
Number built
Not publicly stated

Specifications

Role
Naval air-defense missile
Range
25 km against escorted shipping; MBDA says layered use can extend beyond 40 km
Guidance
Fully active RF seeker with no dedicated fire-control radar needed
Launch
Soft-launch vertical launch system compatible with Mk41-family VLS
Variants
  • CAMM
  • Sea Ceptor
Launch Platform

Sea Ceptor entered Royal Navy service on Type 23 frigates and later saw combat use aboard HMS Richmond.

LauncherLauncher typeLaunch evidence
Type 23 / Duke-class frigate, Anti-submarine frigate class, Naval SystemsType 23 / Duke-class frigateFrigate launcher fit

Royal Navy reporting says Sea Ceptor was carried by Type 23 frigates, and HMS Richmond used it against Houthi drones during the Red Sea deployment.

Sources: £850m Sea Ceptor missile system enters service with the Royal Navy, Richmond completes Red Sea mission as Diamond resumes patrols

Timeline

CAMM / Sea Ceptor air-defense missile Key Events

  1. Sea Ceptor enters Royal Navy service

    The Royal Navy announced Sea Ceptor's in-service entry, with the missile intended to protect new aircraft carriers and Type 23 frigates.

    Sources: £850m Sea Ceptor missile system enters service with the Royal Navy

  2. First UK combat firing is reported

    The UK government said HMS Richmond shot down two Houthi attack drones with Sea Ceptor in the southern Red Sea, the first UK combat use of the missile.

    Sources: Richmond completes Red Sea mission as Diamond resumes patrols

Media

CAMM / Sea Ceptor air-defense missile Videos

CAMM / Sea Ceptor air-defense missile Images

CAMM / Sea Ceptor air-defense missile, Naval air-defense missile, Air Defense - view 1
Source: CAMM missile image page
CAMM / Sea Ceptor air-defense missile, Naval air-defense missile, Air Defense - view 2
Source: CAMM cropped image page
Related Weapon Systems
MdCN / SCALP Naval, Ship- and submarine-launched land-attack cruise missile, ArtilleryArtilleryMdCN / SCALP NavalShip- and submarine-launched land-attack cruise missileMdCN, also called SCALP Naval or NCM, is MBDA's French naval cruise missile for precision land attack from FREMM frigates and Barracuda/Suffren-class submarines. MBDA describes the weapon as a very-long-range, metric-accuracy deep-strike missile launched either from A70 SYLVER vertical cells or 21-inch submarine torpedo tubes, and French forces used it operationally during the April 2018 U.S., UK, and French strikes in the 2011 Syrian Civil War.

Sources

SEA CEPTOR - MBDA SystemsPublisher: MBDA | Note: Official product page for Sea Ceptor naval air defense role and protected-shipping mission. | Accessed: 2026-06-22CAMM family brochure 10-2021 - MBDAPublisher: MBDA | Note: Official CAMM family brochure with Sea Ceptor range, launcher flexibility, and integration notes. | Accessed: 2026-06-27SEA CEPTOR product sheetPublisher: MBDA | Note: Official MBDA brochure with Sea Ceptor performance and launch details. | Accessed: 2026-06-22£850m Sea Ceptor missile system enters service with the Royal NavyPublisher: Royal Navy | Note: Supports the 24 May 2018 Royal Navy service entry and Sea Ceptor carriage on Type 23 frigates. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Royal Navy warship shoots down Houthi missilePublisher: UK Government | Note: Supports 2023 Red Sea Crisis direct use: HMS Richmond used Sea Ceptor missiles against Houthi drones in the southern Red Sea. | Accessed: 2026-06-22Richmond completes Red Sea mission as Diamond resumes patrolsPublisher: Royal Navy | Note: Supports 2023 Red Sea Crisis direct use: HMS Richmond used Sea Ceptor in the Red Sea and the system was blooded in combat. | Accessed: 2026-06-22HMS Richmond Sea Ceptor silo image pagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Open-license image page for HMS Richmond's Sea Ceptor launcher in the Red Sea. | Accessed: 2026-06-22CAMM missile image pagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Open-license image page for the CAMM missile family image. | Accessed: 2026-06-22CAMM cropped image pagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Open-license image page for the cropped CAMM missile family image. | Accessed: 2026-06-22