VL MICA Records Direct Hit in Test Firing
(Source: MBDA; dated Feb. 22, web-posted March 1, 2005)
On 22nd February 2005, MBDA’s Vertical Launch (VL) MICA air defence system was put to the test with the firing of a production series MICA missile fitted with an infrared seeker against a small drone flying at low altitude. The test was a complete success with the target destroyed by a direct hit at a range of around 10 kilometers.
The successful test took place at 13.00 p.m. (local time), in front of an evaluation team from the Indian Air Force as well as Indian Army officers at the Centre d’Essais de Lancement de Missiles (CELM) missile test centre near Biscarosse on the South West coast of France. MBDA, together with its Indian industrial partner Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), is offering the VL MICA system as the solution to the Indian Air Force’s expressed requirement for a Low Level Quick Reaction Missile (LLQRM) air defence system.
For the test, MICA was vertically launched in a non-line-of-sight firing from a multi-missile launcher mounted on an ACMAT multi-role vehicle in service with the French Armed Forces. The missile, which is exactly the same as that already in service with several customers in the air-to-air combat theatre, acquired and locked onto the target after launch.
Commenting on the test firing, Marwan Lahoud MBDA’s Chief Executive Officer said: “The test result was totally expected as both the VL MICA land and naval systems feature the proven and in-service MICA missile. However, we are delighted that together with our Indian partners BDL, we were able to show how well suited VL MICA is to the immediate and long term requirements of the Indian armed forces and to reinforce MBDA’s status as a clear leader in air defence systems.”
The concept and technologies for the vertical launch of the MICA missile have been validated throughout the development of the missile including a dedicated test as a vertical launch system in December 2001 at the same test site. Since then, several other countries including the French government procurement agency DGA (Délégation Générale pour l'Armement) have expressed a great deal of interest in both the land and naval variants of the VL MICA system.
BACKGROUND NOTES:
VL MICA has been developed to provide a highly effective, rapid reaction, all-weather ground or naval based air defence against the widest range of threats. For use in the most severe electronic or IR countermeasure environments, VL MICA has an interception range in excess of 15 km against the whole range of targets, and an altitude range of up to 10,000 metres.
The Low Level Quick Reaction (LLQRM) VL MICA system uses the same MICA missile as that launched by the in-service air-to-air system and incorporates either an active radar homing head or infrared imaging to ensure autonomous terminal guidance after launch. The missile features a thrust vector control system which permits vertical launch, a very short reaction time and a high firing rate (less than two seconds between firings) to simultaneously engage multiple targets and provide 360° defence coverage without a costly dedicated tracking and guidance suite. VL MICA ground and naval systems employ exactly the same missile.
Land Based - VL MICA comprises a Tactical Operation Centre (TOC), a Sensor and Identification Unit (SIU - radar) and several launchers (typically four) mounted on vehicles and interconnected via optical fibre (TOC – radar) and VHF (TOC – launchers). This structure makes it easy to deploy, easy to integrate in global air defence and gives the system a high level of survivability.
All the elements of land-based VL MICA can be mounted on standard high mobility vehicles.
The MICA missile is in series production with about 400 missiles being produced annually.
The new vertical launch container produced for the VL MICA represents a key achievement in this surface-to-air defence system programme. In order to provide a modular and flexible installation on corvettes or light frigates size ships, MBDA has selected a single missile launch container having its own integrated exhaust gases management.
The concept for the VL MICA container takes advantage of many new technologies. The container is an assembly of vacuum-soldered rectangular sections made of shaped aluminium alloy.
The MICA missile and its container constitute the "VL MICA munition". The total weight of the system is less than 400kg, including the missile which has a mass of 112 kg.
With an annual turnover exceeding EUR 3 billion, a forward order book of over EUR 13 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%).
-ends-
