Royal Saudi Naval Force Trials Success For Aster Naval Defence System
An operational firing today of MBDA’s SAAM (Surface to Air Anti-Missile) naval point and local self-defence system was successfully carried out from the Royal Saudi Naval Force’s (RSFN) HMS Al Riyadh frigate on 7TH September.
London, 13 September 2004
The firing, conducted by Saudi operators at the Mediterranean Test Centre - the Centre d’Essais de la Méditerranée (located in Hyères, near Toulon on the south coast of France) - marks the conclusion of Al Riyadh crew training. All test objectives were met with the target being acquired, tracked and then destroyed by direct impact following deployment of the SAAM system’s ASTER 15 missile.
This latest firing follows on from the earlier 23rd March 2004 test firing of SAAM from the HMS Al Damman, one of three Al Riyadh (F3000S Sawari II) class, multi-purpose frigates. It is the ninth consecutive, successful firing since June 2001, confirming the overall effectiveness of the SAAM system.
Commenting on the firing results, Marwan Lahoud, MBDA’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “This latest success is of course wonderful news for the RSFN customer and is further proof of the SAAM system’s pre-eminence in the area of naval air defence. It also has implications for the wider ASTER missile-based FSAF programme which positions MBDA as a clear technology leader in the field of air defence systems for both naval and ground forces.”
The Al Riyadh employed a complete SAAM system to carry out the firing. Target acquisition and tracking was carried out by the system’s ARABEL MFR (Multi-Function Radar), the centralised fire control system which also controlled the engagement, and an ASTER 15 missile was launched from the SYLVER vertical launch module.
ASTER 15’s active RF seeker and inertial mid-course guidance provides the SAAM system with significant advantages over comparable systems in terms of target handling. With its unique combination of aerodynamic and thrust vector control, the ASTER 15 missile has unrivalled agility and manoeuvrability to offer the optimum defence against even the most agile and stealthy of targets.
Notes to editors
In June 1989, EUROSAM was established by MBDA and the French electronics company Thales to act as the industrial prime contractor and system design authority for the overall FSAF (Future Surface-to-Air Family) missile systems programme.
Under this programme, France and Italy agreed to develop and produce a family of ground and naval air defence systems for the armed forces of both countries. The naval version is the SAAM point and local defence system using the Aster 15 (30km range) vertical launch missile. This provides a highly effective, omni-directional defence against a wide range of threats. SAAM is the only missile system in the world capable of extending self-defence to the protection of neighbouring ships within a few kilometres of the launch ship against all types of aircraft and sea-skimming, anti-ship, missiles. SAAM is being developed under the leadership of MBDA as prime contractor.
Comprising a multi-function radar, a command and control unit (C2) and a SYLVER launcher housing the ASTER 15 missiles, the French and Italian SAAM variants are identical apart from their fire control radar systems. In the case of the French system this is the ARABEL system supplied by Thales while the Italian variant employs the EMPAR system supplied by AMS.
The first successful firing of the SAAM system took place in 1999. In December 2001, the French Navy took delivery of the SAAM system for the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier from which a complete system test firing was successfully carried out in October 2002. Qualification of the Italian variant of the SAAM system was completed in December 2002 with the system due to be installed on the Andrea Doria, the Italian Navy’s new generation aircraft carrier.
In November 2003, OCCAR, the European procurement agency, signed a contract which included the full series production of the ASTER 15 missiles under the Franco-Italian SAAM programme.
Each of the Sawari II frigates will be equipped with two, eight-cell SYLVER launchers housing a total of 16 ASTER 15 missiles. In addition, the frigates’ weapon system will include Exocet MM40 Block 2 anti-ship missiles also being supplied by MBDA. The Sawari II contract, providing for three Lafayette–type frigates of 3,700 tons, was signed in November 1994 with Thales as prime contractor. The ships have been built by DCN, the French shipbuilder, at its Lorient shipyard on the Brittany coast. The first of class, HMS Al Riyadh, was commissioned in July 2002. The second, HMS Makkah, was launched in July 2001 and was delivered in April 2004. The third, HMS Al Damman, was launched in September 2002 and is undergoing sea trials prior to commissioning by the end of 2004. In addition to the French and Italian aircraft carriers, Charles de Gaulle and Andrea Doria, and the three Sawari II frigates, SAAM will equip a further six foreign frigates.
With an annual turnover exceeding € 2 billion, a forward order book of over
€14 billion and over 70 customers world wide, MBDA is a world leading, global missile systems company. MBDA currently has 45 missile system and countermeasure programmes in operational service and has proven its ability as prime contractor to head major multi-national projects.
MBDA is jointly owned by BAE SYSTEMS (37.5%), EADS (37.5%) and FINMECCANICA (25%).
Press Contacts:
MBDA
Carol Reed
Group Head of External Communications
Tel.: + 44 (0) 207 451 6099
Fax: + 44 (0) 207 451 6089
mailto: carol.reed@mbda.co.uk
France
Jean-Claude Ranvier
Tel.: + 33 (0)1 34 88 24 41
Fax: + 33 (0)1 34 88 27 27
mailto: jean-claude.ranvier@mbda.fr
Italy
Michele Lastella
Tel.: + 39 06 41 50 31 38
Fax: + 39 06 41 50 43 00
mailto: michele.lastella@mbda.it
United Kingdom
Mati Hindrekus
Tel.: + 44 (0) 207 451 6059
Fax: + 44 (0) 207 451 6089
mailto: mati.hindrekus@mbda.co.uk
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