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World Air Force News - Dubai Air Show 2013
 
 
MBDA Presents Multiple Solutions For Modern Combat Missions : Meteor, Marte, MMP, Exocet...
 

At the Dubai Airshow 2013, MBDA puts special focus on the most effective solution available for protecting assets in the littoral, from swarming fast attack craft, a beyond visual range air-to-air weapon that far exceeds the capabilities (Meteor) of any other missile in its category as well as a range of anti-ship missiles (Exocet) and the latest developments in naval and ground based air defence systems.

     
At the Dubai Airshow 2013, MBDA puts special focus on the most effective solution available for protecting assets in the littoral, from swarming fast attack craft, a beyond visual range air-to-air weapon that far exceeds the capabilities (Meteor) of any other missile in its category as well as a range of anti-ship missiles (Exocet) and the latest developments in naval and ground based air defence systems.
MBDA at Dubai Airshow 2013 (photo credit: Air Recognition)
     

Air Launched Weapons

As Europe’s leading supplier of guided weapons, MBDA is closely associated with the latest generation of European air platforms such as Rafale and Eurofighter, as well as the Mirage 2000 which has been in service for some time with the air forces of Qatar and the UAE. To maximize the operational performance of these exceptional aircraft and to provide them with a true multi-role capability, MBDA offfers a range of air-to-air and air-to-surface products.


METEOR will provide the key future BVR (Beyond Visual Range) air-to-air armament for Europe’s new generation of combat platforms such as the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Rafale and the Gripen. This missile’s very long range, combined with its ramjet-induced speed, result in a weapon that has an unequalled No Escape Zone. In fact METEOR has been designed to be many times superior to the most sophisticated of current and emerging BVR missile capabilities. The advanced technology contained within METEOR controls speed and fuel consumption throughout the flight envelope. This ensures that maximum power and hence agility are maintained at the extremes of range where other BVR missiles have long since ceased being effective.

MICA features on the Mirage and is also in service on the French Air Force and French Navy’s Rafale. Showcased on MBDA’s stand, this is the only missile in the world featuring two interoperable seekers (active radar and imaging infrared) to cover the spectrum from close-in dogfight to long beyond visual range ASRAAM’s unmatched speed and agility guarantees “first shot first kill” in short range combat to avoid the need of getting involved in the lottery of a dogfight. This very aerodynamically sleek missile is in service on the UK RAF’s Eurofighter Typhoons and the Royal Australian Air Force’s F/A 18s.

STORM SHADOW/SCALP provides the all-important operational capability of delivering precision effects from a safe stand-off distance against high value targets such as well protected control bunkers/centres, key infrastructures and military installations, crucial targets in the early days of a conflict. Qualified on a range of aircraft, STORM SHADOW/SCALP is in service with the air forces of six different nations and has proven its unerring and unmatched ability under combat conditions.

DUAL MODE BRIMSTONE (DMB) has won international acclaim following its successful combat deployment during recent operations in Libya and Afghanistan. Precision surface strikes are a major feature of today’s air force mission and DMB with its dual millimetric wave radar and semi-active laser (SAL) seeker gives the pilot the level of flexibility needed for the most demanding of modern missions, either in open terrain or in complex urban environments.


Anti-Ship Weapons

MARITIME BRIMSTONE, this radar seeker equipped Brimstone has been tested and proven as a highly effective surface-to-surface weapon in response to the growing threat in the littoral where ships, off-shore oil platforms and other valuable assets are at risk from piracy and especially a new category of naval threat referred to as the FIAC (Fast Inshore Attack Craft). This FIAC threat is hard to deal with as it usually involves a number of small, well-armed craft travelling at high speed in a sudden swarming attack. A ship’s guns cannot provide an adequate defence nor will laser beam riding weapon systems. However, MARITIME BRIMSTONE (sometimes referred to as Sea Spear) can be fired in rapid salvos in fire-and-forget mode to stop the FIAC threat regardless of weather or sea conditions. The weapon is also adding its capability to MBDA’s CWSP (Compact Warfare System Package) system which along with the company’s Marte MK2/N anti-ship weapon and the SIMBAD RC air defence weapon combine to provide OPVs and auxiliary ships with a fully integrated and easy to use capability to meet modern maritime challenges.

MARTE is proof of how MBDA specialises in system modularity and product evolution to meet growing customer requirements. This is typically the case with the MARTE family of missiles with its ship and helicopter launched variants. The MARTE MK2/S system has already been integrated and qualified on the medium-range NH90 helicopter. MARTE MK2/N offers the same missile but launched from a ship deck (from OPVs and upwards – see CWSP above)). Easily installed on a new build or as a retro fit, the weapon can be fired from a number of launcher configurations. The most recent evolution is MARTE ER with a larger warhead and an extended range out to 120km. It is suitable for a wide range of helicopters but, significantly, six of these weapons can be carried by the Eurofighter.

EXOCET probably ranks as the world’s best known anti-ship missile. This highly versatile and effective weapon family will be represented in full on MBDA’s stand with the AM39 air-launched, the SM39 submarine-launched and the latest addition to the family, the 200km class MM40 Block 3 ship and coastal battery-launched missile prominently displayed.

FASGW/ANL is being developed to provide navies with a next generation helicopter launched weapon with a maritime and land target set that covers the spectrum from FIAC to Corvette and typical littoral land targets. Its main capability will be aimed at sinking or disabling Fast Attack Craft (FAC) in the 50 to 500 tonne class. The new weapon will be integrated with a range of platforms over time such as the UK’s AW159 Wildcat naval helicopter, the French Navy’s Panther and eventually the NH90. The weapon will benefit from imaging infra-red guidance with associated data linking, allowing the operator to positively identify the target and maintain Man-In-The-Loop control during a mission, an important feature with regard to current rules of engagement which are especially demanding in the complex littoral environment.

OTOMAT, deployed by several navies around the world, has been upgraded into the MK2 Block IV variant to further enhance the missile’s capability in the littoral environment as well as its already impressive capability to penetrate a targets soft and hard kill defences. This new variant which entered service with the Italian Navy in 2007 features on its new FREMM multi-mission frigates.


Naval and Ground Based Air Defence

ASTER 30 has proven its capabilities during recent test firings. Not only has it registered Europe’s first successful intercept of a target representing a ballistic missile it has also shown its ability to defeat one of the most dangerous of naval threats – the supersonic, sea skimming anti-ship missile. ASTER is in service with the French, Italian and UK navies providing the main defence system for their latest frigates and destroyers. It is also in full operational service with France and Italy as a ground based system. A full scale model will be prominently displayed on MBDA’s stand.

MISTRAL has proven its unmatched capabilities with a 96% success rate in all firings. This highly versatile fire and forget IR missile features in a number of air defence systems for both naval and land applications. This versatility will be displayed on MBDA’s stand with two relatively new concepts – MISTRAL SIMBAD RC (see also CWSP) and the MISTRAL MPCV. The former is a remote controlled development of the original SIMBAD system. MPCV, which has been ordered by a customer in the Gulf, also features a twin MISTRAL launcher but mounted on a highly mobile armoured vehicle.

VL MICA provides clear evidence of the flexibility of MBDA weapon systems. Deploying the same missile that equips Mirage and Rafale aircraft for the air-to-air role, the vertically launched VL MICA system is already in service in its naval and ground based versions and has been ordered by four export customers. The Royal Navy of Oman recently carried out a successful operational naval VL MICA firing from one of its Khareef class OPVs, the Al Shamikh).

SPADA 2000, in service with a customer in the Gulf, is an advanced, ground based missile system capable of operating in dense ECM environments to provide all weather, day and night area defence against combat aircraft and incoming missiles. The operational performance of the ASPIDE 2000 missile allows the system to engage air threats at ranges well beyond other VSHORAD missiles.

Solutions For The Battlefield

MBDA has held a strong position in the ATGM market place with the MILAN system still in service with many armies around the world. Looking to the future, which sees a more networked battlefield, MBDA is able to offer the latest generation capabilities to carry out missions against armoured vehicles and a range of other ground targets, fast moving or static. In this respect, full scale models of MBDA latest developments in this field, MILAN ER and MMP will be displayed on the company’s stand.

MILAN ER is the latest evolution of the world renowned MILAN weapon used by armies around the world. Actually this latest MILAN weapon is more of a step change than an evolution given the features that are now included. MILAN ER features an easy to use digitized firing post and extended range missile. Digitisation gives MILAN the capability of being incorporated within a Network Centric Warfare system if so required. Despite all the advances (such as video inputs/outputs for remote control operation) incorporated in the firing post, previous generations of MILAN munitions can still be used. The new ER munition has a range of 3,000m and an enhanced warhead to combat even the latest battle armour. Though representing a major advance in close combat support weaponry, MILAN ER is still extremely robust and training and maintenance remains very straightforward.

MMP, recently given the go ahead by the French government is a man-portable system that can also be installed on tracked or wheeled vehicles. Suitable for a wide range of moving and static ground targets, including the latest generation main battle tanks, MMP features a range up to 4,000m and the options of fire-and-forget or man-in-the-loop launch. It also being designed for deployment within a networked environment.

PARS 3 LR is being delivered to the German Army to provide its Tiger helicopters with the capability of targeting and defeating a wide range of mobile and stationary ground targets from latest generation armour-protected vehicles to bunkers with pinpoint accuracy. For pilot safety, the fire-and-forget missiles, once launched, navigate autonomously to their respective targets without requiring further input from the gunner thereby allowing the helicopter to quit its position should there be a danger.

 
At the Dubai Airshow 2013, MBDA puts special focus on the most effective solution available for protecting assets in the littoral, from swarming fast attack craft, a beyond visual range air-to-air weapon that far exceeds the capabilities (Meteor) of any other missile in its category as well as a range of anti-ship missiles (Exocet) and the latest developments in naval and ground based air defence systems.
At the Dubai Airshow 2013, MBDA puts special focus on the most effective solution available for protecting assets in the littoral, from swarming fast attack craft, a beyond visual range air-to-air weapon that far exceeds the capabilities (Meteor) of any other missile in its category as well as a range of anti-ship missiles (Exocet) and the latest developments in naval and ground based air defence systems.
At the Dubai Airshow 2013, MBDA puts special focus on the most effective solution available for protecting assets in the littoral, from swarming fast attack craft, a beyond visual range air-to-air weapon that far exceeds the capabilities (Meteor) of any other missile in its category as well as a range of anti-ship missiles (Exocet) and the latest developments in naval and ground based air defence systems.
At the Dubai Airshow 2013, MBDA puts special focus on the most effective solution available for protecting assets in the littoral, from swarming fast attack craft, a beyond visual range air-to-air weapon that far exceeds the capabilities (Meteor) of any other missile in its category as well as a range of anti-ship missiles (Exocet) and the latest developments in naval and ground based air defence systems.