Systèmes SAM&ABM navals ( Documentation )

Both MICA air defence systems feature vertical launch, a very short reaction time and a high firing rate. In addition they can both engage several targets simultaneously and provide 360° defence coverage without costly dedicated tracking and guidance suites.

As with the air-to-air weapon, the MICA fire and forget missile features a thrust vector control system and two seeker variants, active radar or infrared imaging.

VL MICA (Naval)

Developed to provide the capabilities of a Point Defence Missile System (PDMS), an Inner Layer Missile System (ILMS) and a Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) to counter a potential saturating anti-ship missile attack.

The VL MICA (Naval) launch canister is key to the system. Canisters can be installed in machined and aligned slots in a silo structure, part or fully buried in the ship’s deck. Alternatively, the canisters can be installed alongside the ship’s hangar or any suitable vertical bulkhead. Installation in a wide range of either new or retrofit warships, from fast patrol craft to major vessels, is therefore relatively easy. The canister serves as the storage and transportation unit as well as the vertical launcher. Missile system life cycle costs can therefore be minimised.

Target designation can be derived direct from the ship’s Combat Management System (CMS) with target data from a 3-D surveillance radar. Systems integration is facilitated via an electronic interface unit installed below deck. Each interface unit links eight VL MICA missiles to the CMS. As the system does not require dedicated target trackers, it has a truly 360° engagement capability.

>SAAM provides effective defence against anti-ship missiles and modern combat aircraft and is able to counter saturation attack in extreme countermeasures environments.
The system comprises a fire control system with multifunction electronic scanning radar, Sylver vertical launchers each containing eight ready-to-fire missiles and the Aster 15 anti-missile missiles.

>The French SAAM/FR and Italian SAAM/IT variants are both the same except for the fire control system.
The French Navy will use the Thales ARABEL radar while the Italian Navy will deploy the Selex Integrated Systems EMPAR radar.

>The Aster 15 missile active RF seeker and inertial mid-course guidance gives the system great advantages over comparable systems in terms of target handling.
Employing a unique combination of aerodynamic and thrust vector control, the Aster 15 missile has unrivalled agility and manoeuvrability, making the weapon highly effective in all operating conditions against highly agile and stealthy targets.