Aspide
| Aspide | |
|---|---|
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|
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| General Information | |
| Type | Medium-range air-to-air missile |
| Manufacturer | Selenia |
| development | from 1969 |
| Commissioning | from 1978 |
| Unit price | approximately $ 100,000 (1977) |
| Technical specifications | |
| length | 3650 mm |
| diameter | 210 mm |
| Combat weight | 230 kg |
| span | 1002 mm |
| drive | Solid rocket motor |
| speed | 4680 km / h |
| Range | 35 km |
| Furnishing | |
| Target location | have active monopulse Doppler radar |
| Warhead | 33 kg high explosive fragmentation warhead |
| Detonator | Proximity, impact fuse |
| Weapon platforms | Fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft |
| Lists on the subject | |
The Aspide is a medium-range air-to-air and surface-to -air missile that has been used by the Italian armed forces since 1978.
It is a further development of the AIM-7E Sparrow , which Selenia has already built under license in around 1000 copies. Thanks to the experience gained in the technical and operational areas, various improvement opportunities were identified at Sparrow, which led to the development of the new Aspide. Among other things, a more powerful solid rocket motor and an improved seeker head were installed, which were later also used in the AIM-7M. The Aspide was exported in various versions to 17 countries.
History and technology
1969 began with the development of the Aspide, then still called Aspide 1A. It was nothing more than the Italian version of the AIM-7 Sparrow, but nowhere near as powerful as its counterpart. The first flight (without launch) on a Lockheed F-104 S and the first test kills from the ground took place from July 1974. But the first kills without steering, from an F-104S, did not occur until 1984 and with steering they did not take place until between 1985 and 1986.
In 1973 the Italian Navy tested the Albatros (air defense system) for the first time on board a Lupo-class frigate . It's practically the ship-based version of the Spada. There are two versions of the Albatros, a light one (four launch containers) and the standard version with a launcher that has eight launch containers. The Italians made it easy for themselves, so they use the same Mk.29 starter as the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow . Therefore it is possible to launch the RIM-7H Sea Sparrow with the Albatros. The Italian Navy put it into service in 1976, when an Albatros system cost around 2.3 million US dollars. The Albatros anti-aircraft system has a hit probability of around 83%.
The development of the Spada anti-aircraft system began in 1976. The same Aspide missiles are used as the air-to-air version. But due to the take-off from the ground, it can only achieve a range of approx. 15 km at a maximum altitude of approx. 6 km. By 1986, 12 Spada were put into service with the Italian armed forces, but in 1991 four more were ordered. It was also offered for export. The further development to the Spada 2000 began in 1994. The Aspide Mk.2 was also improved, now as a pure ground-to-air version Aspide 2000. This included a new solid rocket engine and revised software. Unlike the Mk.2, it again has a semi-active radar seeker head and it weighs 241 kg. It has a maximum range of approx. 24 km at a maximum altitude of approx. 8 km.
Around 1981, Selenia and Oto Melara offered an expansion of the existing Skyguard air defense system based on the Aspide (Skyguard / Aspide). The Aspide uses the Skyguard's fire control radar.
In 1983 Selenia began developing the IDRA. It was presented to the public for the first time in 1988. The IDRA concept envisaged a missile with an active monopulse Doppler radar seeker which worked on the J-band (10-20 GHz). The electronics were also converted to digital signal processing and the software was revised so that it could be locked onto a target even after it was shot down. An air-to-ground version was also planned, which should have a thrust vector control . The IDRA's first test kills were in 1995 and commissioning was scheduled for 1995. The project was canceled. Many IDRA developments were later found in the Aspide Mk.2.
The Aspide Mk.2, developed from 1991/92, has been in service with the Italian armed forces since 1996. With her, the cell was taken over from the Aspide but also many technologies from the IDRA. It therefore also has its active radar seeker head, but the same dimensions as the Aspide. Only the range is higher, now 40 km. The Aspide and the Mk.2 were originally intended for the Italian Eurofighters. But those plans were dropped in 1992, as were plans to incorporate the Aspide into the Italian tornadoes . There were massive problems with the integration, especially with the external load stations , and it was abandoned.
Versions
- Aspide
- IDRA - The IDRA project has been canceled, many technical developments have been used in the Aspide Mk. 2.
- Aspide Mk.2 - Improved version with active radar seeker head, which competes with the AIM-120 AMRAAM .
- Aspide 2000 - The current surface-to-air version of the Aspide, which is used in the Skyguard and Spada air defense systems. The MBDA Aster is intended as a replacement , but the Spada 2000 will continue to be offered and exported.
States of operations
Since the Aspide and the AIM-7 Sparrow cannot be distinguished from the outside, it often happens that both are mixed up. So there may occasionally be deviations, depending on the source used.
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Argentina
In the Almirante Brown class is destroyer of MEKO 360 series for Argentina 150 Aspide bought. They are used there as an Albatros anti-aircraft system.
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Brazil
From 2001 to 2004 100 Aspide were delivered for modernization for the Niterói-class frigates. This contract is valued at $ 48 million. But back in 1995, a $ 160 million contract was signed for the delivery of multiple radar systems and six Albatros air defense systems.
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China
The Chinese air-to-air missile PL-11 is based on the Aspide. Italy had sold a small number of around 200 Aspide missiles to China in the mid-1980s, which were then produced there under license. There it is used on the Shenyang J-8 . After the Tiananmen massacre , the EU put an arms embargo on China . Since the Chinese did not get any more Aspide, they rebuilt the missile without further ado.
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Ecuador
The Ecuadorian Navy has 50 Aspide vehicles which it uses on its six Corvettes of the Tipo 550 class (also Esmeraldas class).
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Egypt
In 1984 the Egyptian Navy received 72 Aspide for its two Descubierta class corvettes (El Suez, El Aboukir) acquired from Spain .
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Greece
For which weapon system Greece acquired the 75 Aspide in 1982 is not entirely clear. Because they can be used on frigates of the Elli class , but also for the Skyguard anti-aircraft system (both available).
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Kuwait
Kuwait ordered 320 Aspide for its Skyguard SAM in 1988. In 2007 it was announced that 175 Aspide 2000 would be bought for 65 million euros over the next three years to modernize the Skyguard SAM on Spada 2000. The Spada 2000 air defense system is primarily used by the Kuwaiti armed forces to defend against cruise missiles .
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Libya
8 Aspide and an Albatros anti-aircraft system were bought by Libya in 1983 to modernize the Dat Assawari, a frigate-class ship. Due to the civil war in Libya , the status of the ship and the Aspide is unclear.
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Malaysia
In 1997, the Malaysian Navy received 36 Aspide for its Laksamana-class corvettes in several tranches.
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Morocco
40 Aspide bought the Royal Moroccan Navy for their frigate Lieutenant Colonel Errhamani (Descubierta class).
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Nigeria
On January 25, 1980, the Aradu, a ship of the MEKO 360 H1 class, was delivered. Two years later, 36 Aspide was delivered for this ship.
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Pakistan
In 2007 Pakistan ordered around 200 Aspide-2000 and 10 Spada-2000 air defense systems for 415 million euros. These should be delivered and ready for use by 2013.
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Peru
The Peruvian Navy bought 150 Aspide for its eight Lupo-class frigates . There are plans to replace the Aspide with the RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile in the future .
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Spain
In 1989, Ejército de Tierra bought the Spada anti-aircraft system and 200 Aspide for $ 220 million . From 1997 onwards, 51 Aspide-2000s were acquired in order to modernize the outdated Spada to the Spada-2000.
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Thailand
The Thai armed forces acquired 75 Aspide for their two corvettes of the Ratanakosin in 1986. Two years later they bought two Spada air defense systems with a total of 24 Aspide missiles.
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Turkey
The Yavuz and Barbaros classes are actually frigates of the MEKO 200 series. The Turkish armed forces acquired around 216 Aspide for these between 1987 and 1996. The Turkish Air Force also had AIM-7E Sparrow in service until 1995, but these were retired together with the F-104 Starfighter.
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Venezuela
In Venezuela, the six frigates of the Lupo class are also known as the Sucre class. In 1980 about 100 Aspide were acquired for this, which are used with the Albatros air defense system.
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Cyprus
130 Aspide for the Cypriot National Guard were delivered along with 12 launchers in 1992 for integration into the Skyguard air defense system.
literature
- Bill Gunston: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Missiles and Guided Missiles. 1981.
- James C. O'Halloran, Christopher F. Foss : Jane's Land-Based Air Defense. 22nd edition. Janes Information Group, 2009-2010.
Web links
- Aspide 2000 on mbda-systems.com (eng)
- Albatros on mbda-systems.com (eng)
- www.fas.org (eng)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Flight International, p. 761, of September 8, 1979
- ^ World Missile Directory 1988 from Flight International
- ↑ Data was retrieved from the Small Arms Transfer Database on sipri.org on September 29, 2011
- ↑ Report Kuwait to Upgrade its Spada Air-Defense Systems , March 14, 2007 on defenseindustrydaily.com (English)
- ↑ Report Pakistan To Test-Fire Italy Air Defense Missiles ( Memento of the original from July 23, 2012 in the web archive archive.today ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , from April 7, 2010 on defensenews.com (English)
- ↑ Report MBDA Confirms Air Defense System Sale to Pakistan ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. from April 16, 2011 on defensenews.com (English)
- ↑ Report Peru Upgrades Its Lupo Class Frigates from August 31, 2011 on defenseindustrydaily.com (English)
