Alfa (rocket)

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Alfa (rocket)

Alfa
Alfa

General Information
Type Medium-range missile
Local name Alfa
Country of origin ItalyItaly Italy
Manufacturer Selenia , Selenia, Snia BPD
development 1971
Commissioning Project canceled in 1976
Technical specifications
length 8.85 m
diameter 1,370 mm
Combat weight 10,700 kg
Drive
First stage
Second stage
Solid
solid
Range 1,600 km
Furnishing
steering INS
Warhead 1 nuclear warhead
Weapon platforms Ships, vehicles
Lists on the subject

Alfa was the name of an Italian solid rocket development program . The Alfa missile was planned as a two-stage medium -range ballistic missile . Since the Italian Navy was unable to acquire American Polaris missiles in the early 1960s, a comparable missile was developed as part of the Italian nuclear weapons program.

The main contractor was Aeritalia , who provided the fuselage and the heat shield. The drive was supplied by SNIA-BPD , the on- board electronics by Sistel and the ground control by Selenia .

The first stage of the Alfa was 3.85 m long and contained 6 tons of solid fuel. It delivered a thrust of 232 kN for 57 seconds.

The cruiser Giuseppe Garibaldi was planned as the first launch platform . Four missile silos for Alfa missiles were installed on this ship .

Since Italy ratified the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1975 , the Alfa was never fully developed, but between September 1975 and April 1976 three test starts with upper-level dummy took place from Salto di Quirra . Heights of over 100 km were reached.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Norbert Bruges: Italy's former SLBM project "Alfa". In: www.b14643.de. Space Launch Vehicles, accessed on July 28, 2020 .
  2. ↑ Lucia Orlandi: Italy in space: Looking for a strategy, 1957-1975. 2008, pp. 252-257.