Kentron MUPSOW
| Kentron MUPSOW | |
|---|---|
| General Information | |
| Type | Air-to-surface missile or cruise missile |
| Country of origin | South Africa |
| Manufacturer | Kentron (today: Denel Dynamics ) |
| development | since 1991/92 |
| Technical specifications | |
| length | 4920 mm |
| Combat weight | 1200 kg |
| span | 1900 mm |
| drive | Turbojet ( Microturbo ) |
| Range | 150 km |
| Furnishing | |
| steering | Data link + INS |
| Target location | Kenis IIR camera Optoelectronic TV system Millimeter wave radar |
| Warhead | 415 kg high explosive or container with submunition |
| Lists on the subject | |
The MUPSOW ( Mu LTI P urpose, S tand- O ff W eapon) is a South African air-to-surface missile and cruise missiles that of Kentron (now Denel Dynamics) for the SAAF ( South African Air Force is being developed).
history
In 1992 it was announced that Kentron was working on a new air-to-ground weapon called the MUPSOW. The first technical data that became known provided for a 4500 mm long and 850 kg heavy missile, which should have stealth technology . The cell was made of composite materials . The basis for the development was the Raptor 1 glider bomb, with which the SAAF had good experiences in the Angola War. The MUPSOW serves as a replacement for Raptor 1, as it was decided against the commissioning of the Raptor 2 with the SAAF.
When a model was presented to the public for the first time in 1995, the technical data had changed considerably. The MUPSOW was now 4920 mm long, it weighed 1200 kg and had a range of 50 km. The range in particular later became a topic of conversation, as the Raptor 1 has a range of 60 km. A little later, Kentron released a new range (300 km), but it was quickly corrected to 150 km. In 1996 it was reported that the possibility of an anti-ship missile version was being considered and initial concepts were being reviewed. But this project was given up again very quickly. In the same year there were the first ground-based test launches on the missile test site in Overberg . A year later, in 1997, the Cheetah D was tested for the first time without an engine.
The MUPSOW has a modular structure. So you can choose between three different search heads (IIR, TV, MMW) and two warheads (HE, container with submunition). Originally it was planned to put it into service in 2003, but it is not yet (as of 2011). At the moment Denel is working on a cruise missile derivative of the MUPSOW called Torgos .
It is often claimed that the MUPSOW is a derivative of the Apache or the Taurus KEPD 350 . This is because all three have an externally similar cell. But it is not known that South Africa would have bought Apache or Taurus cruise missiles in small numbers. Only from March 15 to 18, 2004, test kills of the Taurus took place on the test site in Overberg.
References
Web links
- MUPSOW on janes.com (eng)
- Denel MUPSOW on janes.com (eng)
- Image of an MPSOW
- MUPSOW on saairforce.co.za (eng)
literature
- Keith Atkin: Jane's Electro-Optic Systems , Sixth Edition 2000-2001, Jane's Information Group