Starstreak missile
Encyclopedia
Starstreak is a British
short range surface-to-air missile
manufactured by Thales Air Defence
(formerly Shorts Missile Systems), in Belfast
. It is also known as Starstreak HVM where HVM stands for "High Velocity Missile". After launch the missile accelerates to approximately Mach
3.5, at which point it launches three laser beam riding submunitions. The use of three submunitions increases the likelihood of a successful hit on the target. Starstreak has been in service with the British Army
since 1997.
system showed that a high velocity missile system was the best solution to the problem. A General Staff Requirement (GSR 3979) was drawn up with the requirements of the system, specifying the requirement of 3 launch platforms for the missile:
In 1984 the British Ministry of Defence
awarded development contracts to British Aerospace
(BAe) and Shorts Missile Systems. The BAe missile was known as Thunderbolt. Shorts won the competition and were awarded the £356 million. Further development and a production contract materialized in November 1986, and the missile was officially accepted into service in September 1997. The missile is intended to replace the Javelin surface-to-air missile
in British service.
The LML and shoulder-launched versions have been in use since 2000.
In July 2001, Thales received a contract for a Successor Identification friend or foe
system for Starstreak.
In mid-2007 Thales UK in Northern Ireland
revealed that it had developed Starstreak II, a much improved successor to the Starstreak missile. Some of the advantages included in this new missile are an improved range of 7 kilometres, an improved targeting system and the ability to operate it at much higher altitudes.
The missile then fires the first stage rocket motor, which launches the missile from the tube — but burns out before leaving the tube to protect the operator. When the missile is a safe distance from the operator the second stage fires, which rapidly accelerates the missile to burn out velocity of about Mach 3.5 four hundred meters away from the operator. As the second stage burns out the three dart sub-munitions are released. The darts are each 396 millimetres (15.6 in) long with a diameter of 22 millimetre (0.866141732283465 in) and weigh about 900 grams (31.7 oz). Each dart consists of a rotating fore-body with two canard fins attached to a non-rotating rear assembly which has four fins. The rear assembly also houses the electronics that guide the missile. The dart housing is made from a tungsten
alloy
, and contains approximately 450 g (15.9 oz) of explosive with a delayed impact activated fuze
.
The missiles are guided by two laser beams projected into a two dimensional matrix by the aiming unit. The laser is modulated according to its position in the projected matrix, this modulation is detected by each sub-munition and allows it to determine any steering correction. The sub-munitions steer by briefly decelerating the rotating fore-body with a clutch. The front wings then steer the missile in the appropriate direction. The three sub-munitions fly in a formation about 1.5 meters in radius, and have enough kinetic energy to maneuver to meet a target evading at 9G
at 7,000 meters.
On impact with the target a delayed action fuze
is triggered. This gives time for the projectile to penetrate the target before the explosive warhead
detonates. The tungsten
housing is designed to fragment and produce maximum damage inside the target.
A demonstration was conducted in September 1999 that showed the missile being used against an FV432 armoured personnel carrier
, showing the missile's effectiveness as surface-to-surface weapon. Each sub-munition dart travelling at 1,250 meters per second (2,800 mph) has comparable kinetic energy
to a shell from a Bofors 40 mm gun
and probably has sufficient energy to penetrate the front armour of an infantry fighting vehicle
. However it lacks the armour penetration capabilities of a purpose-built anti-tank guided missile
or a dual purpose missile such as Air Defence Anti-Tank System
.
/SACLOS
(Blowpipe
or Javelin
) missiles:
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
short range 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...
manufactured by Thales Air Defence
Thales Air Defence
Thales Air Defence Limited, formerly Shorts Missile Systems, is a defence contractor based in Belfast, Northern Ireland producing short-range or close air defence missiles. The company has a turnover of approximately £70m and pre-tax profits of £7m....
(formerly Shorts Missile Systems), in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
. It is also known as Starstreak HVM where HVM stands for "High Velocity Missile". After launch the missile accelerates to approximately Mach
Mach number
Mach number is the speed of an object moving through air, or any other fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance for its particular physical conditions, including those of temperature and pressure...
3.5, at which point it launches three laser beam riding submunitions. The use of three submunitions increases the likelihood of a successful hit on the target. Starstreak has been in service with the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
since 1997.
Development
Development on the missile began in the early 1980s after a study into a weapon system to supplement the Rapier missileRapier missile
Rapier is a British surface-to-air missile developed for the British Army and Royal Air Force. Entering service in 1971, it eventually replaced all other anti-aircraft weapons in Army service; guns for low-altitude targets, and the English Electric Thunderbird, used against longer-range and...
system showed that a high velocity missile system was the best solution to the problem. A General Staff Requirement (GSR 3979) was drawn up with the requirements of the system, specifying the requirement of 3 launch platforms for the missile:
- A self-propelled launcher.
- A three round light weight launcher.
- A man portable launcher.
In 1984 the British Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
awarded development contracts to British Aerospace
British Aerospace
British Aerospace plc was a UK aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was in the Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire...
(BAe) and Shorts Missile Systems. The BAe missile was known as Thunderbolt. Shorts won the competition and were awarded the £356 million. Further development and a production contract materialized in November 1986, and the missile was officially accepted into service in September 1997. The missile is intended to replace the Javelin surface-to-air missile
Javelin surface-to-air missile
Javelin is a British, man-portable surface-to-air missile, formerly used by the British Army and Canadian Army. It can be fired from the shoulder, or from a dedicated launcher known as Javelin LML—Lightweight Multiple Launcher...
in British service.
The LML and shoulder-launched versions have been in use since 2000.
In July 2001, Thales received a contract for a Successor Identification friend or foe
Identification friend or foe
In telecommunications, identification, friend or foe is an identification system designed for command and control. It is a system that enables military and national interrogation systems to identify aircraft, vehicles, or forces as friendly and to determine their bearing and range from the...
system for Starstreak.
In mid-2007 Thales UK in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
revealed that it had developed Starstreak II, a much improved successor to the Starstreak missile. Some of the advantages included in this new missile are an improved range of 7 kilometres, an improved targeting system and the ability to operate it at much higher altitudes.
Description
The Starstreak missile is transported in a sealed launch tube. This tube is attached to an aiming unit for firing. The operator tracks the target using the aiming unit's optically stabilized sight. The process of tracking the target allows the aiming unit to compute the right trajectory to bring the missile together with the target. The operator can indicate wind direction to the unit, and in the case of a long range target provide super elevation. When the initial tracking is complete, the operator fires the missile by pressing a button.The missile then fires the first stage rocket motor, which launches the missile from the tube — but burns out before leaving the tube to protect the operator. When the missile is a safe distance from the operator the second stage fires, which rapidly accelerates the missile to burn out velocity of about Mach 3.5 four hundred meters away from the operator. As the second stage burns out the three dart sub-munitions are released. The darts are each 396 millimetres (15.6 in) long with a diameter of 22 millimetre (0.866141732283465 in) and weigh about 900 grams (31.7 oz). Each dart consists of a rotating fore-body with two canard fins attached to a non-rotating rear assembly which has four fins. The rear assembly also houses the electronics that guide the missile. The dart housing is made from a tungsten
Tungsten
Tungsten , also known as wolfram , is a chemical element with the chemical symbol W and atomic number 74.A hard, rare metal under standard conditions when uncombined, tungsten is found naturally on Earth only in chemical compounds. It was identified as a new element in 1781, and first isolated as...
alloy
Alloy
An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal history...
, and contains approximately 450 g (15.9 oz) of explosive with a delayed impact activated fuze
Fuze
Fuze Beverage, commercially referred to as just Fuze , is a manufacturer of teas and non-carbonated fruit drinks enriched with vitamins. Currently the brand consists of five vitamin-infused lines: Slenderize, Refresh, Tea, Defensify, and Vitalize...
.
The missiles are guided by two laser beams projected into a two dimensional matrix by the aiming unit. The laser is modulated according to its position in the projected matrix, this modulation is detected by each sub-munition and allows it to determine any steering correction. The sub-munitions steer by briefly decelerating the rotating fore-body with a clutch. The front wings then steer the missile in the appropriate direction. The three sub-munitions fly in a formation about 1.5 meters in radius, and have enough kinetic energy to maneuver to meet a target evading at 9G
G-force
The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...
at 7,000 meters.
On impact with the target a delayed action fuze
Fuze
Fuze Beverage, commercially referred to as just Fuze , is a manufacturer of teas and non-carbonated fruit drinks enriched with vitamins. Currently the brand consists of five vitamin-infused lines: Slenderize, Refresh, Tea, Defensify, and Vitalize...
is triggered. This gives time for the projectile to penetrate the target before the explosive warhead
Warhead
The term warhead refers to the explosive material and detonator that is delivered by a missile, rocket, or torpedo.- Etymology :During the early development of naval torpedoes, they could be equipped with an inert payload that was intended for use during training, test firing and exercises. This...
detonates. The tungsten
Tungsten
Tungsten , also known as wolfram , is a chemical element with the chemical symbol W and atomic number 74.A hard, rare metal under standard conditions when uncombined, tungsten is found naturally on Earth only in chemical compounds. It was identified as a new element in 1781, and first isolated as...
housing is designed to fragment and produce maximum damage inside the target.
A demonstration was conducted in September 1999 that showed the missile being used against an FV432 armoured personnel carrier
Armoured personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...
, showing the missile's effectiveness as surface-to-surface weapon. Each sub-munition dart travelling at 1,250 meters per second (2,800 mph) has comparable kinetic energy
Kinetic energy
The kinetic energy of an object is the energy which it possesses due to its motion.It is defined as the work needed to accelerate a body of a given mass from rest to its stated velocity. Having gained this energy during its acceleration, the body maintains this kinetic energy unless its speed changes...
to a shell from a Bofors 40 mm gun
Bofors 40 mm gun
The Bofors 40 mm gun is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence...
and probably has sufficient energy to penetrate the front armour of an infantry fighting vehicle
Infantry fighting vehicle
An infantry fighting vehicle , also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle , is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide fire support for them...
. However it lacks the armour penetration capabilities of a purpose-built anti-tank guided missile
Anti-tank guided missile
An anti-tank missile , anti-tank guided missile , anti-tank guided weapon or anti-armor guided weapon is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily-armored military vehicles....
or a dual purpose missile such as Air Defence Anti-Tank System
Air Defense Anti-Tank System
The Air Defense Anti-Tank System is a dual-purpose short range surface-to-air and anti-tank missile system based on the M113A2 vehicle. It is manufactured by the Swiss company Oerlikon-Contraves, a member of the Rheinmetall Defence Group of Germany....
.
Variants
- ATASK (Air To Air Starstreak): Fired from a helicopter. This was developed in combination with McDonnell-Douglas and Lockheed-MartinLockheed MartinLockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
electronics between 1995 and 1998 specifically for use with the AH-64 ApacheAH-64 ApacheThe Boeing AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement, and a tandem cockpit for a two-man crew. The Apache was developed as Model 77 by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the...
. It has yet to enter service. - LML: Fired from a Lightweight Multiple Launcher (LML) which holds three missiles ready for firing and can be used as either a stationary launch unit or mounted on a light vehicle such as a Land RoverLand RoverLand Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group...
or HMMWV (Humvee). This practice was first used with the Javelin system. - Seastreak: Two versions of a naval mounting have been demonstrated—a one-man mount similar to the LML but carrying a total of six missiles, and a close in weapon system mounting holding 24 missiles.
- SP HVM: Carried on an Alvis StormerAlvis StormerAlvis Stormer is a modern military armoured vehicle manufactured by the British company, Alvis Vickers, now BAE Systems Global Combat Systems....
AFV with a roof mounted eight round launcher with internal stowage for a further 12 missiles. - Starstreak Avenger: Built to a U.S. Army requirement in the early 1990s this system integrated the Starstreak missile on the Boeing Avenger vehicle, replacing 1 pod of Stinger missiles with 1 pod of 4 Starstreak and modifying the fire control system accordingly.
- Starstreak Mark II: Upgrade to the Starstreak.
- THOR/Multi Mission System (MMS): A four missile turretMissile turretthumb|French [[Malafon]] Anti Submarine Missile on its turretA missile turret is a specific type of weapon turret -- a device for aiming missiles towards their intended target before launch. Similarly to gun turrets they have been used on warships and vehices on the ground. In most roles...
mounted on a PinzgauerPinzgauer High Mobility All-Terrain VehicleThe Pinzgauer is a family of high-mobility all-terrain 4WD and 6WD military utility vehicles. They were manufactured in Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom, by BAE Systems Land & Armaments. The vehicle was originally developed in the late 1960s by Steyr-Daimler-Puch of Graz, Austria, and was named...
(6x6) cross-country chassis, unveiled by Thales UK in 2005.
Performance
The Starstreak has never been used in combat, so its operational effectiveness is unknown.Advantages
Starstreak has a number of advantages over infrared guided, radar guided, and radio command MCLOSMCLOS
MCLOS is a first-generation method for guiding guided missiles.With an MCLOS missile, the operator must track the missile and the target simultaneously and guide the missile to the target. Typically the missile is steered with a joystick, and its path is observed through a periscope-type...
/SACLOS
SACLOS
SACLOS is an acronym for Semi-Automatic Command to Line of Sight, a second-generation method of missile guidance. In SACLOS, the operator has to continually point a sighting device at the target while the missile is in flight...
(Blowpipe
Blowpipe missile
The Shorts Blowpipe is a man-portable surface-to-air missile which was in use with the British Army and Royal Marines from 1975. It was superseded by an interim design, Javelin, and later the greatly improved Starstreak missile.-Description:...
or Javelin
Javelin surface-to-air missile
Javelin is a British, man-portable surface-to-air missile, formerly used by the British Army and Canadian Army. It can be fired from the shoulder, or from a dedicated launcher known as Javelin LML—Lightweight Multiple Launcher...
) missiles:
- It cannot be jammed by infrared countermeasures or radar/radio countermeasures.
- It cannot be suppressed with anti-radar missiles.
- Its high speed makes it more likely to be able to intercept a fast moving aircraft.
- Three submunitions increase the size of the lethal area, increasing the probability that the target will be hit by at least one submunition. This is partially reduced by the missile's attack pattern (see disadvantages).
- Its high speed reduces the amount of time for effective usage of any potential countermeasure, such as the beam manoeuvring or illuminating the guidance laser source with a dazzling battlefield laser.
Disadvantages
- The major disadvantage is the submunitions, having no proximity fuzeProximity fuzeA proximity fuze is a fuze that is designed to detonate an explosive device automatically when the distance to target becomes smaller than a predetermined value or when the target passes through a given plane...
, must collide with the target in order to harm it. - The guidance laser may be detected after the missile is fired, if the target aircraft is equipped with a suitable passive laser warning system. In contrast, to detect a passively guided Infrared homingInfrared homingInfrared homing refers to a passive missile guidance system which uses the emission from a target of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared part of the spectrum to track and follow it. Missiles which use infrared seeking are often referred to as "heat-seekers", since infrared is just below the...
missile requires MAWSMissile Approach WarningA Missile Approach Warning system is part of the avionics package on some military aircraft. A sensor detects attacking missiles. Its automatic warning cues the pilot to make a defensive maneuver and deploy the available countermeasures to disrupt missile tracking.Guided Surface to Air Missile ...
detectors with significant disadvantages: radar-based closure-detecting style MAWS radiate an easily-detectable signal which both reveals the aircraft and may be used as an auxiliary homing signal by AA missiles, and Infrared launch signature detector-based MAWS tend to be subject to a high false alarm rate which reduces attention paid them by the pilot. - Battlefield obscurants such as smoke can degrade the ability of the missile operator to see the target, and could potentially interfere with the guidance laser.
- The training level of the operator is critical since, unlike infrared guided missiles, the operator has to track the target exactly with the sighting unit aimpoint (SACLOSSACLOSSACLOS is an acronym for Semi-Automatic Command to Line of Sight, a second-generation method of missile guidance. In SACLOS, the operator has to continually point a sighting device at the target while the missile is in flight...
). If the aircraft detects the targeting laser, it has the whole period of the missile flight time to engage in avoidance maneuvers, which adds additional challenge to the missile operator's target-tracking task.
Operators
- LML - 135 systems
- SP HVM - 150 systems (approx)
- LML 8 systems
See also
- Similar missiles include: StrelaStrelaStrela may refer to:A series of Russian-manufactured anti-aircraft missiles* The 9K31 Strela-1, aka SA-9 Gaskin* The 9K32 Strela-2, aka SA-7 Grail* The 9K34 Strela-3, aka SA-14 Gremlin* The 9K35 Strela-10, aka SA-13 GopherOther...
, Igla, StingerFIM-92 StingerThe FIM-92 Stinger is a personal portable infrared homing surface-to-air missile , which can be adapted to fire from ground vehicles and helicopters , developed in the United States and entered into service in 1981. Used by the militaries of the U.S...
, BlowpipeBlowpipe missileThe Shorts Blowpipe is a man-portable surface-to-air missile which was in use with the British Army and Royal Marines from 1975. It was superseded by an interim design, Javelin, and later the greatly improved Starstreak missile.-Description:...
, JavelinJavelin surface-to-air missileJavelin is a British, man-portable surface-to-air missile, formerly used by the British Army and Canadian Army. It can be fired from the shoulder, or from a dedicated launcher known as Javelin LML—Lightweight Multiple Launcher...
, MistralMistral missileMistral is an infrared homing surface-to-air missile manufactured by the European multinational company MBDA missile systems . Based on the French SATCP , the portable missile later to become the Mistral began development in 1974...
RBS 70RBS 70RBS 70 is a man-portable air-defense system designed for anti-aircraft warfare in all climate zones and with little to no support from other forces. Originally designed and manufactured by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence...
. - List of missiles
External links
- Starstreak close air-defence missile - Army Technology
- Starstreak High Velocity Missile - Armed Forces International
- Thales page on Starstreak
- Starstreak HVM - British Army website
- STARSTREAK HIGH VELOCITY MISSILE - armedforced.co.uk
- Starstreak HVM - Global Security
- THOR/Multi Mission System (video) - howstuffworks.com