Spada (air defense system)
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:
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Egypt Descubierta class corvettes
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Argentina - MEKO 360 destroyer
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Brazil - Niterói-class frigates (after modernization)
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Ecuador - Esmeraldas-class corvette
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Libya - Dat Assarwari (Vosper Mk7 frigate)
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Morocco - Descubierta class corvette
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Italy - Aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi , Audace and De la Penne class destroyers , Lupo and Maestrale class frigates , Minerva class corvettes
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Malaysia - Laksamana-class corvettes
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Nigeria - MEKO-360 Frigate Aradu
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Peru - Lupo class
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Spain - Descubierta class corvette
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Thailand - Ratanakosin-class corvettes
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Venezuela - Lupo class
literature
- Weyer's fleet pocket book 1990/91
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Missiles & Guided Missiles , Bill Gunston, 1981
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ The Naval Institute Guide to World Naval Weapon Systems, Norman Friedman, 5th Edition, p. 578.
- ↑ a b c http://www.hellopro.co.uk/MBDA_MISSILE_SYSTEMS-10041-noprofil-2004026-53143-0-1-1-fr-societe.html
- ^ A b c The Naval Institute guide to world naval weapon systems 1997/98, p. 307, Norman Friedman
- ↑ BRAZILIAN NAVY ALBATROS-ASPIDE AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM TRIALS SUCCESS ( Memento from November 21, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ http://www.hazegray.org/worldnav/americas/brazil.htm
- ↑ http://www.hazegray.org/worldnav/americas/ecuador.htm
- ↑ http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Ecuadorian_navy_ship_ESMERALDAS.jpg&oldid=32150164
- ↑ Weyers Flottentaschenbuch 1990/91, p. 168
- ↑ http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/laksamana/
- ↑ http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:LaksamanaTunAmin.jpg&oldid=35304385
- ↑ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/thailand/ratanakosin.htm