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Aviation History
1988
1988 - 2820.PDF
WORLD MISSILE DIRECTORY. landing back in the water. A Mk 50 lightweight torpedo is then released to begin its attack on the submarine target. SOVIET UNION Fras-l A Soviet equivalent of Asroc, this unguided weapon is fired from the multipurpose SUW-N-1 launcher (see SS-N-14). It carries a nuclear depth charge over ranges of up to 30km. SS-N-14 Silex Similar in concept to Ikara and Malafon, this winged missile cruises at a high subsonic speed about 750m above the sea surface, carrying a homing torpedo or nuclear depth charge out to a range of 55km. It may be launched from a deck-mounted container (as on the Kara and Krivak classes) or from the multipurpose SUW-N-1 launcher carried by the Moskva and Kiev classes. Two containerised rounds are carried by the battlecruiser Kiev, but this has been deleted from subsequent vessels of the same class in order to make way for an SA-N-9 SAM system. Operator Soviet Navy (10 Kresta II cruisers, 7 Kara cruisers, K7 Udaloy-dass and 40 Krivak-class destroyers, 2 Moskva-class helicopter carriers, 4 Kiev-class aircraft carriers, 1 Kirov-class battle- cruiser). SS-N-15 This 40km range submarine-launch weapon is similar in concept to Subroc. Payload is a nuclear depth charge. This system has almost certainly been removed from the Charlie I SSN supplied to India. Operator Soviet Navy (6 Alpha, 3 Akula, 10 Char lie I, 6 Charlie II, 1 Papa, 4 Oscar, 2 Sierra, 16 Victor I, 7 Victor II, 22 Victor III SSNs). SS-N-16 Probably a variant of the SS-N-15, this carries a homing torpedo. Operator Soviet Navy (3 Akula, 4 Oscar, 2 Sierra, 22 Victor III SSNs). Surface- to-air BRAZIL ~ Avibras light SAM A SAM system in the class of Crotale/Roland is reported to be under develop ment. Prototype missiles and a four-round launcher were due to be completed by the end of 1985. It was not included in the list of Avibras projects provided to Flight, so may have been abandoned. CHINA CPMIEC HQ-2J (CSA-1) Chinese engineers used the Soviet SA-2 Guideline and its Fan Song ground radar as the starting point in developing the HQ-2 missile and its Red Flag radar. The current version, known as HQ-2], probably oper ates in conjunction with the Red Flag 2A radar. The weapon can be used against "various types of aircraft, helicopter, cruise missile and high- altitude balloons," says CPMIEC, but reference in the company's literature to the weapon being suit able "to destroy targets ... at sea" almost certainly refers to the ability to tackle targets approaching the coast, rather than to plans to deploy a ship board version. Operators China, Albania, Iran, Pakistan. CPMIEC HQ-61 (CSA-NX-2) The naval SAM system installed on one of the two Jiangdong-class frigates is the HQ-61, a short-range weapon which uses semi-active radar homing. The general configuration of the weapon resembles that of the US Sparrow. HQ-61 is also being promoted in this two-rail land-based form. CPMIEC HN-S This shoulder-fired SAM clearly owes its inspiration to the Soviet SA-7 Grail. Performance may have been improved over that of the Soviet weapon. According to CPMIEC, the missile may be used in both pursuit and head-on engagements. An improved HN-5A version has now been developed. This has a cooled seeker offering greater detection range and better back ground noise rejection, plus a more powerful warhead, EGYPT Ayn as-Saqr (Saqr Eye) A man-portable SAM has been developed by Egyptian industry, with assis tance from Thomson-Brandt. It is based on the Soviet SA-7 Grail, but embodies improvements over the Soviet original. A digital processor in the firing unit replaces the Soviet analogue original, and ensures that the missile cannot be fired if the target is out of range or flying too fast for engage ment. The seeker is more sensitive than the origi nal model, and was developed by Teledyne, while Rank Pullin provided a night sight, and Thomson- CSF supplied the IFF system. Maximum range is 4-4km, while the effective ceiling is 2,400m, significant improvements over the SA-7. Qualification testing ended in 1985, and the missile is now in production for the Egyptian armed forces. Press reports have suggested that supples of the missile have reached rebel forces in Afghanistan. The basic missile is shoulder-fired, but plans have been drawn up to mount between four and 16 rounds on Ml 13 armoured personnel carriers. A future upgrade is expected to improve ECCM resistance. Arab-British Dynamics Early Bird There have been no recent reports of this projected Egyptian version of the Soviet SA-2 Guideline. FRANCE Thomson-CSF R.440 Crotale More than 6,000 Crotale missiles have now been ordered. The most recent variants of this low-altitude SAM are the Series 4000, which incorporates the LIVH (Liaison InterVehicule Hertzienne) radio link allowing vehicle spacing to be increased from 800m to 3km, and a shelter-mounted system. Other recently-reported improvements include a fuel-efficient diesel-powered electrical generator to replace the current petrol-driven system, arid the ability to incorporate additional launchers for the Matra Mistral. Hellenic Arms Industries' Enhanced Artemis 30 anti-aircraft system offers the option of adding a Crotale missile system to supplement the firepower of the twin-barrelled 30mm gun mounts. Two shelter-based Crotale units (known as Apollo in this application) may be linked to the Artemis radar-equipped Battle Co ordination Post. Operators France, Abu Dhabi, Egypt, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, plus two unidentified customers. (South Africa and Chile operate the earlier Cactus version.) Thomson-CSF/Matra Crotale Naval The original 8B model was fitted to early-production examples of the French Navy's George Leygues-class (C70 ASW) corvette. The 4th, 5th, and 6th vessels of the class carry the revised 8S standard (also known as Edir). Able to intercept sea-skimming targets, it will be retrofitted to the earlier vessels. The lightweight Model 8 MS is modular, and may be fitted in vessels down to 200 tons displace ment. It consists of a fire director turret (which can also be used to direct gunfire), a lightweight eight- round launcher, and a data-processing cabinet, plus other smaller items of supporting electronics which can be located at any convenient point on the vessel. Operators France (3 F67-class and 6 C70-class destroyers, carriers Clemenceau and Foch, 1 Cassard-class destroyer), Saudi Arabia (four F2000S frigates). Thomson-CSF Shahine (Sica) Deliveries of this uprated Crotale derivative to Saudi Arabia started in 1981, and a new contract announced in 1983 covers the supply of an improved version offering ". . . enhanced effectiveness against attacks with new weapons such as anti-radar missiles and EW". This will be deployed in versions mounted on AMX30 tank chassis and on transportable shelters. Improvements include: 0 surveillance radar range increased from 18 • 5 to 19-5km * SHADL (Shahine Data Link) to allow data from a Litton TSQ-73 command and control centre to be passed to Shahine 0 optional electromagnetic proximity fuze on the missile in place of the current IR pattern Operator Saudi Arabia. Matra Mistral Development of the Mistal man- transportable SAM has been completed, and series production is now under way. Deliveries of the first rounds from the initial production batch of 2,300 is anticipated by late 1988. Mistral employs passive infrared guidance, the SAT-supplied dual-frequency seeker head being locked on to the target before launch. Lock-on range at any aspect angle should be more than 6km against aircraft and 4km for lightweight helicop ters, says Matra. Effective ceiling is 10,000ft (3,000m). The French Army has also adopted a vehicle- based Mistral system. Known as Santal (systeme antiaerien autonome leger), this takes the form of a six-round Hispano-Suiza turret mounted on an ERC Sagaie 6x6 wheeled chassis. Equipment fitted in the turret includes an ESD Rodeo 2 radar, an IFF system, a Sopelem periscopic sight with xl (surveillance) and x6 (observation) magnifications, a TRT Castor thermal camera, and control panels. The turret weighs 1,900kg, and can be trained at a speed of up to 50°/sec. Elevation limits are 65° and -10°. Operators France, Belgium. Matra Sadral (systeme d'autodefense rapproch'ee anti-a'erienne l'eger) Under development for the French Navy, Sadral is a short-range SAM system which uses the same missile as the land-based SATCP. It will be deployed on the larger French warships to supplement current air-defence systems. On smaller vessels such as patrol craft and minesweepers it will provide the main anti-aircraft armament. Sadral consists of a stabilised carriage weighing less than 900kg (half the weight of a gun system), and equipped with six ready-to-fire Mistral missiles, a TV sensor, and an optional IR camera for night use. A single gunner operates the system via a remotely-located command console, targets being designated by the ship's surveillance radar or an optical or infrared sight. The entire system weighs about 1,500kg. Firing trials started in 1986, and development is due to be completed this year. The weapon will enter service on the new Cassard- class (C70 A/A) anti-aircraft frigates. Several French companies now offer Mistral- based naval SAM systems. CSEE has combined its Najir optronic fire director with six Mistral, RBS.70 or Stinger launch tubes to create the Lama system. A simpler private-venture system known as Simbad (systeme integre de mistral bimunition pour l'autodefense) uses a lightweight twin-round launcher which is manually steered. This requires no data from surveillance radars,and may be fitted to the smallest vessels. Sea trials of Simbad should be completed by the end of the year. Operator French Navy (due to be installed on the following planned vessels: four C70 A/A frigates, three FL3000 frigates, two TCD 90 landing ships. Due to be retrofitted to ten P4000 FAC), Abu Dhabi (two 62m corvettes). SO FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, I October 1988
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