Selenia Aspide
Encyclopedia
Air-to-air missile
An air-to-air missile is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft. AAMs are typically powered by one or more rocket motors, usually solid fuelled but sometimes liquid fuelled...
and surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
produced by Selenia (now part of the Alenia consortium). It is provided with semi-active radar-homing seeker. It is very similar to the American AIM-7 Sparrow
AIM-7 Sparrow
The AIM-7 Sparrow is an American, medium-range semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile operated by the United States Air Force, United States Navy and United States Marine Corps, as well as various allied air forces and navies. Sparrow and its derivatives were the West's principal beyond visual...
, but, at the moment of its introduction, the Aspide was provided with monopulse
Monopulse radar
Monopulse radar is an adaptation of conical scanning radar which sends additional information in the radar signal in order to avoid problems caused by rapid changes in signal strength. The system also makes jamming more difficult...
guide instead of the conic scan, which made it more resistant to ECM
Electronic countermeasures
An electronic countermeasure is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar or other detection systems, like infrared or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting information to an enemy...
and more precise. This innovation appeared on the Sparrows only with the late AIM-7M version.
Due to this resemblance, and the fact that Selenia was provided with technology know-how about AIM-7 (of which it had produced c. 1,000 on license), has generally led non-Italian press to address Aspide as a Sparrow version: however, Aspide had original electronics, warhead and a new and more powerful engine.
Aspide, in its various version, was used both in the air-to-air role, carried by Aeronautica Militare
Aeronautica Militare
The Italian Air Force is the air force of the Italian Republic. It has held a prominent role in modern Italian military history...
's F-104 Starfighter
F-104 Starfighter
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force by Lockheed. One of the Century Series of aircraft, it served with the USAF from 1958 until 1969, and continued with Air National Guard units...
s in the apposite versions F-104S and F-104ASA, and in the surface-to-air naval role. In the latter it has been replaced by MBDA Aster
MBDA Aster
Aster is a family of surface-to-air missiles manufactured by Eurosam, a European consortium consisting of MBDA France, MBDA Italy and the Thales Group .-Overview:The Aster family was developed to perform three distinct missions:...
.
In the mid 1980s, China imported a small batch of the Aspide Mk.1 from Italy, then signed an agreement with Alenia to produce the missile locally under license. In 1989, China produced its first batch of Aspide Mk.1 missiles using imported parts from Italy. However, due to the EU arms embargo imposed after the Tiananmen Square incident
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, also known as the June Fourth Incident in Chinese , were a series of demonstrations in and near Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the People's Republic of China beginning on 15 April 1989...
, China was unable to purchase additional Aspide kits. http://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/weapon/pl11.asp China subsequently developed its own version based on Aspide Mk.1, designated as LY-60
LY-60 / FD-60 / PL10
The LY-60/FD-60/PL-11/HQ-6/6D/64 is a family of PRC missiles developed by the Shanghai Academy of Science and Technology, largely based on the Italian Alenia Aspide missile - itself a version of the American AIM-7 Sparrow missile...
, and an air-to-air version designated as PL-10
LY-60 / FD-60 / PL10
The LY-60/FD-60/PL-11/HQ-6/6D/64 is a family of PRC missiles developed by the Shanghai Academy of Science and Technology, largely based on the Italian Alenia Aspide missile - itself a version of the American AIM-7 Sparrow missile...
.
Versions
- Aspide Mk.1 - Similar to AIM-7EAIM-7 SparrowThe AIM-7 Sparrow is an American, medium-range semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile operated by the United States Air Force, United States Navy and United States Marine Corps, as well as various allied air forces and navies. Sparrow and its derivatives were the West's principal beyond visual...
, with Selenia monopulse semi-active seeker and SNIA-ViscosaSNIA S.p.A.SNIA S.p.A. was an Italian firm located in Milan that manufactured defence products, textiles, chemicals, perfumes, and corrugated paper among other products. SNIA was founded in Turin in 1917 as a shipbuilder and gradually diversified into other areas of manufacturing...
solid-propellant rocket motor. This version was popular with export customers, and sold to 17 countries. http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/aspide.htm - Aspide Mk.2 - Improved version with active radar-homing seeker. Development was shelved in favor of better missiles, such as the AIM-120 AMRAAMAIM-120 AMRAAMThe AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM , is a modern beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile capable of all-weather day-and-night operations. Designed with the same form-factor as the previous generation of semi-active guided Sparrow missiles, it is a fire-and-forget...
. - Aspide 2000 - Surface-to-air version of the Aspide Mk.1, used on Oerlikon Contraves SkyguardOerlikon 35 mm twin cannonThe Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon is a towed anti-aircraft gun made by Oerlikon Contraves . The system was originally designated as 2 ZLA/353 ML but this was later changed to GDF-001...
and Spada air-defense system.
Operators
– Meko 360 ships- Aspide 2000 - Nae Sao Paulo Aircraft carrier, Niterói Frigate class.
- Esmeraldas Class Corvette
- Used in Skyguard system
– Aspide 2000 (36 Systems)
- Libyan frigate Dat Assawari
Libyan frigate Dat Assawari
The Dat Assawari was a frigate operated by the Libyan Navy. The ship was built by Vosper Thornycroft in Britain. It was ordered in February 1968 and delivered in 1973. The ship's design , the Vosper Mk 7 is a modified version of the Alvand class frigate built for the Iranian Navy...
- Used in the frigate 501 Lt. Col. Errhamani (Descubierta)
- Laksamana Class Corvette
- Spada 2000 ground-based air defence system (10 batteries)
– Aspide Mk.1 and LY-60/PL-10
LY-60 / FD-60 / PL10
The LY-60/FD-60/PL-11/HQ-6/6D/64 is a family of PRC missiles developed by the Shanghai Academy of Science and Technology, largely based on the Italian Alenia Aspide missile - itself a version of the American AIM-7 Sparrow missile...
– Ratanakosin Class Corvette
- Aspide 2000