Quote:
Originally Posted by Neo
Pakistan To Test-Fire Italy Air Defense Missiles
By tom kington
7 Apr 2010 09:43
Pakistan will test-fire in July the Spada 2000 air defense system acquired from MBDA Italia, a source at the firm said April 7.
The Spada test-firing will follow the delivery of the first of ten Spada batteries ordered by Pakistan for 415 million euros in 2007. Antonio Perfetti, CEO of MBDA Italia, said that delivery of the battery was currently underway.
All 10 batteries are due for delivery by 2013, and further orders from Pakistan could follow, Perfetti said. MBDA Italia is the Finmeccanica-owned Italian operation within the European missile house MBDA.
"We have identified 95 percent of the offset arrangements on the Spada contract," said Perfetti, who added that offset was less than the full value of the contract. "A facility has already been set aside for munition assembly and other firms have been given work commitments."
MBDA is also pitching an extended range version of its Marte anti-ship missile to India, for likely use on Sea King helicopters. The normal range, Marte Mk2-S version has now been delivered to the Italian Navy.
"We started talking to the Indian Navy two years ago and we are obtaining an operational requirement for helicopters to serve as a base for future cooperation," said MBDA CEO Antoine Bouvier, who was holding a press conference in Rome alongside Perfetti.
"We are considering launching a demonstrator that could be ready in 18-24 months," Perfetti said. "The model for this fast, low risk approach was the Complex Weapons program in the UK."
"We are looking for export customers interested in upgrade versions of products," Bouvier said. "We see it as a way of partly funding upgrades that our national customers could be interested in. The extended range Marte is an example."
MBDA Italia is also working with Italy's Alenia Aermacchi to mount the Marte missile on the light combat fighter version of the firm's M-346 jet trainer, Perfetti said.
MBDA Italia saw revenue of 450 million euros in 2009, 17.3 percent of total group revenues of 2.6 billion euros. The Italian unit's orders constituted 25 percent of the group order book, Perfetti said. Return on Sales in Italy was lower than the ten percent recorded at group level, he added, without giving the percentage. Spending on research and development at MBDA Italia rose by 60 percent last year.
MBDA's Italian operation is also working on the MEADS missile defense system launched by the U.S., Germany and Italy. Bouvier said the Critical Design Review at system level should be completed by mid-year.
"We have a contract that runs up to the Review and we have now started discussions on a production contract," he said.
Bouvier played down continuing doubts over the program in the U.S.
"We think this program will be strongly supported in the context of Transatlantic cooperation," he said. "We expect all milestones to be met in 2010," said Perfetti.
Pakistan To Test-Fire Italy Air Defense Missiles - Defense News |
Spada 2000 Advanced Air Defence System, Italy
Speed
High supersonic
Radar Range
60km
Radar Tracking Capability
100 targets simultaneously
Configuration
Detection centre - 2, 3 or 4 firing sections, each with 2 launchers - 6 ready-to-fire missile per launcher
Missile Guidance
Semi-active radar homing
Radar
RAC-3D radar
Modes
Air surveillance, detection and tracking
The Spada 2000 is an all-weather, day and night, highly automated, air defence system developed by MBDA (formerly Alenia Marconi Systems). The system has quick reaction time and requires very few operators to man the system. The unit can operate independently or can be integrated with national air defence centres. Spada 2000 is in production and in service with Spanish Air Forces.
The system provides air defence missile coverage of 2,000kmē. Target detection and tracking range is up to 60km and the missiles can intercept crossing and approaching targets to a range of 25km. The kill probability is high, even against highly agile crossing targets. The system can engage up to four targets simultaneously with Aspide missiles.
Spada 2000 is modularised and integrated into sheltered units, which provides a high tactical and strategic mobility. The system consists of a detection centre and either two or four firing sections, each section equipped with two missile launchers. Each missile launcher has six ready-to-fire Aspide 2000 missiles.
Detection centre
The detection centre contains mission planning capability allowing fast and precise effective deployment of the weapons. The centre is fitted in a hardened shelter with an RAC-3D radar installed on a hydraulically operated mast on the roof of the shelter. The shelter houses the system's operating centre, including the voice and data communications suite.
Auxiliary equipment in the centre includes a global positioning system, a north finder, air conditioning and power supplies.
RAC-3D radar
Aspide 2000's radar is the Selex Sistemi Integrati (formerly Alenia Marconi Systems) RAC-3D, which gives three-dimensional volumetric air surveillance, detection and tracking. The system has the capacity to track 100 targets simultaneously within a range of 60km.
The radar is capable of operating in hostile electronic warfare environments and is robust against clutter interference and electronic countermeasures. The radar features emission control, jamming location, random frequency agility and coded waveforms. The radar's erectable antenna is up to 13m in height.
Operations centre
The operations centre is manned by two operators for mission planning, system deployment and management during combat operations. The computer displays the air threat data in 3D coordinates.
The system tracks, identifies and prioritises the targets and assigns the firing sections to the priority targets. The targets can also be assigned to other anti-air weapon systems. The system is able to coordinate up to ten small anti-air weapons deployed within a 10km radius.
The operations centre can be connected to a remote upper level air defence command centre.
Firing section
The firing section consists of the tracking and illumination radar, the control unit and the missile launchers each with six ready-to-fire missiles. The radar carries out target acquisition, tracking and illumination functions for missile guidance.
The control unit is managed by a single operator. The unit controls all the functions from target designation to missile launch and target intercept and operates in manual or automatic mode.
Communications
The communications suite includes the data links between the detection centre and the firing sections and also internal and external secure voice communications.
Missile
The Aspide 2000 missile is an upgraded version of the Aspide surface-to-air missile. The missile is capable of engaging hostile attack aircraft before the aircraft can release airborne standoff weapons. The Aspide 2000 is also capable of intercepting air-launched missiles once launched. The upgraded missile uses an enhanced single-stage rocket motor which provides increased missile speed, higher lateral acceleration and effective range.
The missile is also in service with the Italian Air Force and the Royal Thai Air Force as part of the Oerlikon Contraves Skyguard air defence system.
The high-thrust single-stage solid-propellant rocket motor provides high supersonic speed and high agility to intercept manoeuvring targets. The guidance system is semi-active radar homing.
Pakistan To Test-Fire Italy Air Defense Missiles
Linear Mode
