MBDA reports Aster 30 test success

HAVE YOUR SAY

- ALLEGED MISSILE FIX RECTIFIES ONLY 10% OF TYPE-45s PROBLEMS & DEFICIENCIES -

What sort of safeguards have been put in place by MBDA to preclude a re-occurance of the UK receiving defective Aster missiles??

"Aster missile fix identified after Sea Viper investigation", April 09-2010:

http://www.janes.com/articles/Janes-Navy-International-2010/Aster-missile-fix-identified-after-Sea-Viper-investigation.html -

"An investigation has identified 'production weaknesses' in recent batches of Aster missiles, according to the (UK) MoD.

"Jane's understands that the munitions' structural integrity was impaired by a production engineering change...."
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Several questions that could be/ought to be put to the UK MoD, govt and UK industry officials are:

1) 'why aren't the UK's Sea Viper/Aster missiles being manufactured- or at least assembled- at plants in the UK??' (considering that the Sea Viper (aka 'Aster 15 and Aster 30) missile manufacturer is MBDA- and that the UK's BAE is a major shareholder in MBDA):

"... MBDA is jointly owned by BAE SYSTEMS (37.5%), EADS (37.5%) and FINMECCANICA (25%):

http://www.mbda-systems.com/mbda/site/ref/scripts/newsFO_complet.php?lang=IT&news_id=140

2) 'why have France's tests of their missiles (apparently) not suffered the problems of the UK's'?

3) 'why have other countries- such as:

a) Saudi Arabia (Al Riyadh class Frigates

http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/al_riyadh/ ); and

b) Singapore (Formidable class Frigate,

http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/mindef_websites/atozlistings/navy/assets/vessels.html )

... that have recently bought Frigates fitted with Aster-15/Aster-30/PAAMS (Sea Viper) based AAW missile systems (apparently) not suffered the same or similar problems as the Aster missiles provided to the UK??
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IF VESSELS THAT PAAMS/SEA VIPER IS FITTED TO- AND OTHER SHIPS IN THEIR SQUADRONS- DON'T HAVE 'COOPERATIVE ENGAGEMENT CAPABILTY', PAAMS/SEA VIPER WILL BE SEVERELY HANDICAPPED:

How, can MBDA's 'domestic customers (ever) be in a position to deploy the full operational capability of their PAAMS(E) (Italy, France) and PAAMS(S) (UK) ship self-defence systems' if the vessels that PAAMS systems are fitted to continue to not be fitted with the sensors, communications and data-sharing equipment required for 'Cooperative Engagement Capability' (CEC)??

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/cec-coooperative-enagagement-for-fleet-defense-updated-03120/

http://www.janes.com/news/defence/jdw/jdw091201_1_n.shtml :

"... The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) will decide in 2010 whether to acquire the US Navy's Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) for integration into selected Royal Navy (RN) surface ships after concluding a third tranche of Assessment Phase (AP3) studies.

"This comes five years after initial plans to integrate the UK CEC system into Type 23 frigates and Type 45 destroyers were brought to a sudden halt as a result of budget pressure.... "

Without CEC, ships fitted with PAAMS/Sea Viper systems are in effect restricted to a less-than-8-mile radius ship fleet-defence protection capability-envelope:

.... and are unable to react to the most likely to be encountered- and most capable- types of airborne anti-ship threats, IE supersonic sea skimming anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs*)- until ASCM's are less than 40 seconds from potential impact and about 18 miles out...

What utility is there in having 2/3 of a Type-45's anti airborne threat missile armament (32 of 48 Aster/Sea Viper missiles) consisting of the comparatively long-range Aster-30s (50-60 mile range) instead of the short-range Aster-15s (12-15 mile range) as is planned, since Aster-30s long-range capabilities will be un-usable against sea skimming ASCMs approaching from 'over the horizon'- and not detectable until closer than 20-miles out??

Just launching an Aster 15 or Aster 30 requires as much as 2 seconds after initial detection- eating up valuable time and allowing an approaching sea skimmer to travel 1 and 1/2 miles...

It takes time for a launched Aster missile to reach a potential point of intercept with an approaching ASCM: enough time for an approaching sea skimmer to be within 12-15 miles of an intended target...

12-15 mile is the maximum engagement range of the short range Aster 15s...

What Commander would not want to engage approaching ASCM threats farther out than 12-15 miles?

What Commander would not want to be able to engage approaching ASCMs while they were over the horizon- allowing more than one shot if the first is unsuccessful/ misses???
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* such as the Russian SS-N-27 'sizzler' and clones:
"Soviet/Russian Cruise Missiles":
http://www.ausairpower.net/APA-Rus-Cruise-Missiles.html

Russian company Novator's Anti-ship & Land Attack Cruise Missile products are being marketed at international arms expos as store-able, transportable and launch-able from converted standard-sized shipping-containers, aircraft, subs and small coastal patrol boats:

http://www.janes.com/articles/Janes-Defence-Weekly-2010/Concealed-carriage-Club-K-changes-cruise-missile-rules.html

"Deadly new Russian weapon hides in shipping container", 26_04-2010:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63P2XB20100426
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Roderick V. Louis - Vancouver, BC, Canada