AS.15TT

AS.15TT
General Information
Type	Anti-ship guided missile
Manufacturer	Aérospatiale
development	1976
Commissioning	1981
Unit price	$ 140,000
Technical specifications
length	2.16 m
diameter	185 mm
Combat weight	96 kg
span	530 mm
Drive ; First stage ; Second stage	; 2 solid fuel booster SNPE Anubis ; 1 solid fuel cruise engine SNPE Acis
speed	Mach 0.9
Range	over 15 km
Furnishing
Target location	Semi-active radar target search
Warhead	29.7 kg high explosive armor piercing
Detonator	Impact fuse
Weapon platforms	helicopter
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The AS.15TT is an anti-ship guided missile made in France . The system is primarily used to combat small surface vessels in coastal waters.

development

The AS.15TT was developed as the successor to the successfully introduced AS.12 . Development at Aérospatiale began in 1976. The first test shot took place in 1981. The first guided missiles were delivered in 1985. By the end of production in 1992, 306 AS.15TT had been produced.

variants

AS.15TT: version for use from the air.
MM.15TT: Version for use from small combat ships. Development stopped.
SM.15TT: coastal defense version. Development stopped.

technology

The AS.15TT is primarily used from helicopters. For this purpose the helicopter uses the target illumination radar Agrion 15 from Thomson CSF . This has a maximum detection range of 150 km and works in the I / J band . The AS.15TT does not depend on any particular helicopter model. The use can e.g. B. with the AS-365F Dauphin 2 or the NH90 helicopter.

The steering of the AS.15TT is based on the principle of semi-active radar target search. The missile has only one signal receiver. This makes a so-called "illumination" of the target by the on-board radar of the helicopter / carrier aircraft necessary. This assumes that the on-board radar continuously sends out radar signals in the direction of the target. The seeker head of the AS.15TT uses the reflected radar energy to find the target. The advantages of this system lie in the cost-effective production and the easy-to-integrate technology. However, the disadvantages are the high susceptibility to interference, the easy localization of the radar and the need for uninterrupted target illumination.

After being dropped from the helicopter, there is initially a short period of non-propulsion. The two rocket boosters only ignite at a safe distance from the helicopter. These accelerate the missile to a speed of around 280 m / s. After the booster burns out, the solid-fuel marching engine ignites and the guided weapon sinks at a steep angle to the cruising altitude of 15 m. When approaching the target, the missile sinks to an altitude of 3 to 5 m (sea skimming). The impact at the target takes place at wave height in the ship's hull. In the optimal case, the guided weapon penetrates the ship's side and the warhead detonates inside the ship.