Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile ASTER 30 SAMP/T is a new generation of ground based Medium Range Air Defence system providing self-defence, projected force protection and national or allied asset defence. It is the main anti-aircraft mobile defence weapon for theatre protection, protecting sensitive sites and moving forces against missile threats (TBM, stand off, cruise missiles, ARM) and aircraft.
The ASTER family
The current Aster family is a set of two missiles originally designed as anti-missile missiles, capable of defeating Air Breathing Threat. This family is characterised by a common kill vehicle, the booster (15 or 30) depending on the operational requirement. Both variants are delivered as a full up round of missile within their nitrogen pressurised canister. Vertically launched to ensure 360° coverage, they can operate with new generation radars, subject to implementation of an up-link in one of the following bandwidths : I/J, G or F. The kill vehicle control relies on an innovative combination of strong aerodynamic control (‘PAF’) and pyrotechnic control (‘PIF’). The latter operates at the centre of gravity of the vehicle to provide the highest agility and the highest probability of achieving a ‘Hit-to-Kill’ intercept (even against highly manoeuvring targets) within a large intercept domain. Fitted with an active RF seeker, a proximity fuze and a blast fragmentation warhead, the kill vehicle provides a proven multi-engagement, multi-environment and multi-target capability, satisfying land and naval requirements. These full up rounds are developed within the ‘Future Surface-to-Air Family’ (‘FSAF’) and the ‘Principal Anti-Air Missile System’ (‘PAAMS’) programmes, developed by three European nations.
The Aster-based systems are : ASTER 15-SAAM (Surface-to-Air Anti-Missile) for naval anti-air self defence and consort ship protection, ASTER 30-SAMP/T (Ground-to-Air Medium-Range/Land) for ground based anti-air self-defence, projected force protection and national or allied asset defence, with an Anti-Tactical Ballistic Missile capability, ASTER 15 & 30 - PAAMS (Principal Anti-Air Missile System), the only system able to integrate three operational naval missions: self-defence, local area defence of nearby vessels and fleet area defence.
The intercept capability from a few meters above ground and at high altitude (15 – 20 km) has been validated. The French and Italian Hawk replacement programme is currently in the final qualification phase and two units will soon be delivered for operational evaluation. 18 ASTER 30 – SAMP/T systems have already been ordered with more than 800 weapons.
Hypersonic Missile German hypersonic missile technology programme Because of the cutting-edge requirements regarding speed, agility and manoeuvrability, the design of state-of-the-art missiles requires the application of new technologies for a variety of system components.
LFK has conducted successful flight tests with the experimental HFK hypersonic missile to evaluate the limits of relevant technologies in a realistic flight environment.
All previous calculations concerning flight trajectory and flight behaviour have been fully confirmed.
Potential applications
Hypersonic technologies for the military applications of tomorrow
Advanced local air defence system for the protection of sensitive assets The JERNAS area air defence system is based on RAPIER FSC which is in full UK operational service with the Royal Artillery and the Royal Air Force. The system is in production for the Malaysian Army.
JERNAS is designed to engage and defeat the most sophisticated targets, particularly multiple Cruise Missiles delivered from stand off ranges.
57 RAPIER FSC weapons systems have been produced to equip two air defence units in the Royal Artillery and three squadrons in the Royal Air Force. RAPIER FSC entered service in 1996 and a second phase for the supply of 14 additional Radar Trackers to the MoD plus support equipment and spare parts, has since been delivered.
In 1999, the UK MoD signed a contract for the supply of additional RAPIER Mk 2 missiles, allowing the UK Armed Forces to maintain their Short Range Air Defence capability for the foreseeable future. RAPIER FSC will remain in UK operational service until at least 2020.
RAPIER FSC in the export market is called JERNAS and was sold to Malaysia in 2002
Various versions of RAPIER are in operational service in 10 countries worldwide. Several of these countries, including Oman, Singapore, Switzerland, Turkey, Australia, have modernised their systems to the RAPIER B1X standard. Many have placed orders for the new RAPIER MK2 missile.
New Generation VSHORAD Missile The missile is optimized for vertical takeoff, direct hits and engagement capability beyond visual range (NLOS “None-line-of-sight”-capability) as well as for use as future SHORAD missile (SysFla).
The weapon system design profits from the complementary capabilities of the team partners LFK and DBD, which allow great synergies to be made available for reduction of development risks of the LFK NG weapon system.
Medium extended air defence system The ground-based tactical air defence system MEADS (Medium Extended Air Defence System) provides troop protection during out-of area-missions, NATO territory and homeland defence and international crisis management support.
Equipped with two 360° radars (for surveillance and fire control), a state-of-the-art tactical operations centre and up to 72 “hit-to-kill” missiles, the system is operationally capable of covering the entire threat suite up to an altitude of 35km, including cruise missiles and tactical ballistic missiles up to 1000km.
The programme is a joint cooperation between the United States, Germany and Italy. After completing the risk reduction effort phase with a successful system demonstration in 2004, the three participation nations awarded in 2005 MEADS International Inc. to perform the system development. MEADS International Inc., a joint venture between euroMEADS (LFK and MBDA IT) and Lockheed Martin, is located in Orlando, FLA. After the successful break down of all system requirements, the programme is on track to perform its preliminary design review in June 2007.
Low altitude air defence missile designed for all three services MISTRAL 2 is a short range, Fire and Forget surface-to-air missile, which can be fired by various launching systems. It is fully autonomous after firing.
MISTRAL is an international programme, benefiting from close industrial cooperation with many customer countries.
More than 1 500 MISTRAL 1 and MISTRAL 2 missiles have been fired by many armed force units under realistic operational conditions with a 93% success rate on a large range of targets (from hovering helicopters to high-speed jet-drones).
More than 15,000 MISTRAL 1 and MISTRAL 2 missiles and the associated firing systems have been ordered by 37 armed forces in 25 different countries including eight in Europe, eight in Pacific Asia, four in the Middle East and five in South America.
Ground based air defence missile system A system capable of protecting of vital assets from air attacks conducted in a dense ECM and clutter environment, including precision guided munitions and tactical missiles.
Vertical launch short range air defence system Vertical Launch Mica is able to respond to all of the requirements of the new generation SHORADS. Based on the recently qualified MICA air-to-air missile, it combines : · multi-target capability provided by its Fire and Forget guidance mode; · very high level of resistance to countermeasures thanks to the possibility to fire missiles fitted either with an active RF or with a passive IIR seeker from the same launcher; · vertical launch with 360° coverage, due to the Thrust Vectoring Control system (TVC); · outstanding manoeuvrability, including a possible 30 g at ranges exceeding 12 km, due to the missile’s long chord wings and to the TVC; · easy integration to launching vehicles, made possible by a storage / launch container; · the capability to intercept targets at altitudes in excess of 9000 metres.
The VL Mica ground based system is based on an open, distributed architecture, composed of the following modules: · a 2-man crew, vehicle-mounted launcher, installed on a standard 5-ton class vehicle, which transports and fires 4 missiles, · a radar, which can be any 3-D, track-while-scan system having a range of 50 km, covering altitudes up to 9000 m and fitted with an IFF, · a Tactical Operations Centre (TOC), from which the launchers and the radar are remotely controlled and which performs threat analysis, target assignation and system monitoring.
The two versions of the MICA air-to-air missile (IR and RF) are fully qualified and in mass production, thus eliminating all development-related risk.
The design of the vertical launch container has already been validated through live firings.
European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS N.V. Le Carré · Beechavenue 130-132 · 1119 PR Schiphol Rijk · The Netherlands
EADS Deutschland GmbH · 81663 Munich · Germany EADS France S.A.S. · 37, boulevard de Montmorency · 75781 Paris Cedex 16 · France EADS CASA · Ava. de Aragón, 404, 28022 Madrid · Spain
