“Few people in the defense industry are seeing the threat from low-tech, high-impact projectiles with explosive warheads that terrorists can use. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to operate such a capability that takes place in a matter of minutes,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“My concern for the Qatari World Cup 2022 is the evolving use of low-altitude mortars and rockets that is occurring as we speak is going to be an issue. Why? Because the terrorists have their own version of low-tech miniaturization that gives them a tactical surprise capacity. After all, such weapons can be launched from the back of a garbage cart or boot of a car,” Leigh said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
According to Richard Galustian, a senior security analyst, SHORAD measures are essential for Qatar to counter evolving terrorist threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“To be sure, terrorist groups like Islamic State\u00a0are likely planning to disrupt the World Cups in 2018 and 2022 already,” he said. “It is notable that violent extremists groups are already experimenting with mortars and rockets but also with armed UAVs and their lessons learned from the battlefields across the MENA region.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Russia, he said, for the 2018 World Cup, security experts consider the country’s safety measures\u00a0advanced and comprehensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leigh warned that the Islamic State group\u00a0can modify\u00a0its tactics to asymmetric warfare with short-range attacks on large events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“[An attack is]\u00a0becoming inevitable one day and will be a devil to counter unless planning for the future starts now,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since 2012, Qatar has been developing its defensive capabilities through the National Security Shield Project (NSS) to secure its vast maritime oil and gas fields, and other high-value targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The project consists of constructing an integrated control-and-protection network operated through\u00a0electronic surveillance and reconnaissance stations along\u00a0Qatar’s sea, coastal and land borders,\u00a0all connected to a headquarters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since 1989, Qatar has been operating the Roland\u00a0\u2014 a\u00a0legacy Franco-German mobile short-range surface-to-air missile system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last month,\u00a0as part of NSS,\u00a0the Qatar Emiri Naval Forces signed a memorandum of understand\u00a0to acquire a coastal defense system from French defense supplier MBDA, equipped with Exocet MM40 Block 3 and Marte extended-range missiles. Upon signing,\u00a0this contract will be valued at \u20ac640 million (US $718 million).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking with Defense News, Galustian said it is unclear what the full scope of NSS\u00a0is and whether it includes a provision for the detection and destruction of very low-level, unsophisticated SHORAD\/VSHORAD threats, or very short-range air defense systemsSHORRAD\/VSHORRAD threats<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635971662715509179-world-cup-2022jpg.jpg\")