Spada (air defense system)

Albatros 8-speed starter

Spada is an Italian anti-aircraft missile system . It is based on the Aspide rocket, an Italian further development of the AIM-7 Sparrow , which is used in this form as a surface-to-air missile. This air defense system and the associated missile were developed by the Alenia company in the 1980s ; today it is a product of MBDA . Spada batteries have been in service with both the Italian Air Force and the Italian Army since 1987 . In the Navy the system is called Albatros . It was exported to several countries, in the modernized version Spada 2000 most recently to Spain and Pakistan .

Versions

Spada / Aspide

The Spada anti-aircraft missile system is intended for property protection and for fighting aircraft at low and medium altitudes. It consists of various components, some of which are housed in shelters and can be relocated relatively easily by truck or transport plane. The first component is used for target acquisition and consists of two shelters, a detection radar and two generators. The first shelter is used to operate the radar, the second shelter as a fire control station. The system usually has two to four launch sub-units. These each consist of a target tracking and lighting radar, a shelter for technology and personnel, two electric generators and two launchers for six Aspide missiles each. In the modernized version Spada 2000, the air defense system can cover around 2,000 km², target acquisition and tracking reach up to 60 km and the missiles can attack targets up to 25 kilometers away.

In the early 1980s, the Italian Air Force wanted to procure a total of 20 batteries to protect as many military airfields, but only twelve batteries were ordered, of which seven were eventually upgraded to the Spada 2000 standard. Kuwait upgraded its Spada systems to the Spada 2000 standard in 2007.

"Spada" is the Italian word for "sword". Spada is also an abbreviation for “Sistema di Punto Automatizzato per la Difesa Aerea” or “Automated air defense system for property protection”.

Skyguard / Aspide

The combination of a modified Skyguard system and the Aspide missile to protect army units in the field was less successful. The reason for this was that air defense systems such as the MIM-23 HAWK and the Roland represented a better mix, because on the one hand they could cover a larger area (Hawk) and on the other hand (Roland) they were mounted on tank chassis and were therefore much more off-road. Although the Italian army was offered such an all-terrain Skyguard / Aspide version, it then ordered four normal batteries to supplement its Hawk, Stinger and Sidam units. The successor system to Skyguard / Aspide is Spada 2000.

Albatross / Aspide

The relatively widespread marine version Albatros / Aspide is available with a 4-fold starter that weighs 4 t and is used on corvettes, as well as an 8-fold starter that weighs 8.5 t. The 8-slot starter can be combined with an automatic magazine for 16 additional missiles. With minor modifications, the Albatros system can also fire RIM-7 Sea Sparrow .

Below is a selection of ship classes that have been equipped with the Albatros / Aspide system: