Until the mid-50s, the basis of the air defense of the British Ground Forces was the anti-aircraft systems adopted on the eve of or during the Second World War: 12, 7-mm Browning M2 machine guns, 20-mm Polsten anti-aircraft guns and 40-mm Bofors L60, as well as 94-mm anti-aircraft guns 3.7-Inch QF AA. For their time, these were quite effective means of combating an air enemy, however, as the speed and altitude of jet combat aircraft increased, they could no longer protect ground units from air strikes.
If large-caliber machine guns and 20-40-mm anti-aircraft guns are still capable of posing a threat to combat helicopters, fighter-bombers and attack aircraft operating at low altitudes, then large-caliber anti-aircraft guns, even when using projectiles with a radio fuse, by the end of the 50s have largely lost their relevance … Large-caliber 113 and 133-mm anti-aircraft guns have survived only in the vicinity of naval bases and on the coast. These guns, administered by the Navy, were used primarily in coastal defense. 15 years after the end of the war, shooting at air targets became a secondary task for them.
In 1957, the British Army finally parted with 94-mm anti-aircraft guns, re-equipping the 36th and 37th heavy anti-aircraft regiments from guns on the medium-range air defense system Thunderbird Mk. I. But as already mentioned in the second part of the review, heavy, low-maneuverable complexes, which used carriages of the same 94-mm guns as towed missile launchers, turned out to be "out of place" in army anti-aircraft units. The service of the heavy and long-range "Petrel", despite the good performance and modernization, was short-lived. The army said goodbye to them in 1977. The main reason for the rejection of generally good air defense systems was the unsatisfactory mobility of the complexes. But it is worth recalling that just in the mid-70s in Great Britain, as part of saving military spending, a number of programs for the creation of aviation and missile technology were closed, and also full-fledged aircraft carriers were abandoned. Most likely, the Thunderbird solid-propellant anti-aircraft systems also fell victim to economic turmoil. At the same time, the Royal Air Force managed to maintain and even modernize the Bloodhound air defense system, which used much more complex and expensive ramjet missiles.
Soon after the adoption by the Royal Navy of the Sea Cat naval air defense system of the near zone (Sea Cat), the army command became interested in them, planning to replace 20 and 40-mm automatic anti-aircraft guns with guided short-range missiles. Since this complex with visual radio command guidance was very simple and compact, it was not difficult to adapt it for use on land.
The British company Shorts Brothers was the developer and manufacturer of both sea and land variants. To adapt the complex, which received the name Tigercat (marsupial marten, or tiger cat), according to the requirements of the land units and the creation of transporters, the company Harland was involved.
Operation of the first near-zone anti-aircraft system in the British army began in 1967. SAM "Taygerkat" was used for air defense of British air bases in Germany, as well as to cover large garrisons and headquarters. Compared with the first versions of the Sea Cat, the share of the semiconductor element base in the land modification was greater, which had a positive effect on the time of transfer to a combat position, reliability, weight and dimensions.
Towed elements of the Tigercat air defense system
The combat means of the Taygerkat air defense system consisted of a guidance post and a launcher with three anti-aircraft missiles, placed on two towed trailers. Calculation - 5 people. A guidance post and a mobile launcher with three missiles could be towed by Land Rover off-road vehicles at speeds up to 40 km / h. At the firing position, the towed PU was hung out on jacks and connected by a cable line with the control post.
The solid-propellant anti-aircraft missile, controlled by radio, was aimed at the target using a joystick, in much the same way as the first ATGMs. The launch range of missiles weighing 68 kg was within 5.5 km. For visual support, there was a tracer in the tail of the rocket.
The positive quality of the Tigerkat solid-propellant missile was its low cost, comparable to the SS-12 anti-tank missile, which, incidentally, is not surprising: during the creation of the Sea Cat naval anti-aircraft system, technical solutions were used that were implemented in the Australian Malkara ATGM. At the same time, the subsonic flight speed of missiles in combination with manual guidance could not guarantee an acceptable probability of hitting modern combat aircraft. So, during the British-Argentine conflict in the South Atlantic, the Sea Cat shipborne SAM system managed to shoot down only one Argentine A-4 Skyhawk attack aircraft, while more than 80 missiles were used up. However, numerous shipborne anti-aircraft systems played their role in that conflict. Often, Argentine combat aircraft stopped the attack, noticing the launch of the missile defense system, that is, the slow, hand-guided anti-aircraft missiles acted more as a "scarecrow" than a real air defense system.
Despite the low launch range and the likelihood of defeat, the British ground air defense units operating the Taygerkat were able to gain positive experience and develop tactics for the use of short-range anti-aircraft systems. At the same time, the British military wanted to have a really effective air defense system, and not just a "scarecrow". The imperfection of the first British anti-aircraft system in the near zone did not allow completely abandoning the 40-mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns, as planned. In the British army in the late 70s, the Tigercat air defense system was replaced by the much more advanced Rapier complex.
The design of the Rapier short-range air defense system has been carried out by Matra BAE Dynamics since the mid-50s, without regard to existing designs and taking into account the most advanced achievements in the field of materials science and electronics. Even at the design stage, it was envisaged that the new anti-aircraft missile would be able to effectively fight at low altitudes with the most modern combat aircraft. And the hardware part of the complex was supposed to provide high automation of the process of combat work. Therefore, the new air defense system turned out to be much more expensive than the "Tigerket", but the combat characteristics of the "Rapier" increased significantly. Technological solutions, advanced at the time of creation, incorporated in the Rapier, provided the complex with a large modernization potential and, as a result, a long life.
In 1972, the Rapira air defense system entered service with the British Army's air defense units, and in 1974 several batteries were purchased by the Royal Air Force to protect advanced airfields.
SAM Rapier
Conceptually, the Rapira SAM system resembled the Taygerkat, the rocket of the new complex was also guided at the target using radio commands, and the elements of the complex were towed by Land Rover all-terrain vehicles and the calculation of the SAM also consisted of five people. But unlike the "Tigerkat", the guidance of the "Rapier" missile defense system was automated, and the missile's flight speed allowed it to hit targets flying at supersonic speed. In addition, the complex included a surveillance radar, combined with a launcher, capable of detecting low-altitude targets at a distance of more than 15 km. An anti-aircraft missile of the complex weighing a little more than 45 kg on a trajectory develops a speed of about 800 m / s and is capable of hitting targets with a high degree of probability at a distance of 500-6400 meters, at an altitude of up to 3000 meters.
In the process of combat work, the operator of the air defense missile system keeps the air target in the field of view of the optical device. In this case, the calculating device automatically generates guidance commands, and the infrared direction finder accompanies the missile defense system along the tracer. The control post with electro-optical tracking devices and radio command guidance equipment is connected with cable lines to the launcher and is carried out to a distance of up to 45 meters from the launcher.
In the 80-90s, the complex was modernized several times. In order to increase noise immunity and the ability to operate at any time of the day, the DN 181 Blindfire tracking radar and an optical television system operating in low light conditions were introduced into the air defense system.
SAM Rapier-2000
At the end of the last century, the deeply modernized Rapier-2000 complex began to enter service with the army anti-aircraft units. The use of new, more efficient Rapier Mk.2 missiles, with a launch range increased to 8000 m, non-contact infrared fuses and new optoelectronic guidance stations and tracking radars made it possible to significantly increase the capabilities of the complex. In addition, the number of combat-ready missiles on the launcher doubled - from four to eight units. The combat work of the Rapira-2000 air defense missile system is almost completely automated. Even at the design stage, for greater noise immunity and secrecy, the developers refused to use radio channels to exchange information between individual elements of the complex. All elements of the complex are interconnected by fiber-optic cables.
The new Dagger radar is capable of simultaneously fixing and tracking 75 targets. An automated computing complex, combined with a radar, makes it possible to distribute targets and fire at them depending on the degree of danger. Missile guidance is carried out according to the Blindfire-2000 radar data. This station differs from the radar DN 181 used in early modifications in better noise immunity and reliability. In the event of intense electronic suppression and the threat of the enemy's use of anti-radar missiles, an optoelectronic station is activated, which issues coordinates to the computer along the missile tracer.
Simultaneously with the use of a guidance radar and an optoelectronic station, it is possible to fire at two different air targets. The modernized "Rapier" is still in service with the British army, and is rightfully considered one of the best complexes in its class. Recognition of the rather high efficiency of the Rapira air defense system was the fact that several batteries were purchased by the US Air Force to cover their airfields in Western Europe.
In the mid-80s, British air defense units of tank and mechanized units received a variant of the Rapier air defense system on a tracked chassis. The complex, known as the Tracked Rapier ("Tracked Rapier"), used the M548 transporter as a base, the design of which, in turn, was based on the American M113 armored personnel carrier. All elements of the complex were installed on a self-propelled chassis capable of operating autonomously, except for the Blindfire escort radar. For this reason, the ability to combat air targets at night and in conditions of poor visibility has significantly deteriorated, but the time to transfer the air defense system to a combat position has significantly decreased, and the cost has decreased. In total, the British built two dozen self-propelled air defense systems and all of them were operated in the 22nd Air Defense Regiment.
The design of the "Tracked Rapier" began in the mid-70s at the request of Iran. However, by the time the complex was ready, an Islamic revolution had taken place in Iran and there was no longer any talk of the supply of British weapons to this country. By the time the radically modernized "Rapier-2000" was adopted, the air defense missile system on a tracked chassis was considered obsolete and removed from service.
At the end of the 60s, the USA and the USSR adopted the FIM-43 Redeye and Strela-2 portable anti-aircraft missile systems, which could be carried and used by one soldier. In the American and Soviet MANPADS, homing heads were used for aiming at a target, responding to the heat of an aircraft or helicopter engine, and after launching a rocket, the principle of "fire and forget" was implemented - that is, complete autonomy after launch on a previously captured target, which does not require participation in the guidance process arrow. Of course, the first MANPADS were very imperfect in terms of noise immunity, restrictions imposed when firing towards natural and artificial heat sources. The sensitivity of the first generation thermal seeker was low and, as a rule, firing was conducted only in pursuit, but the competent use of relatively inexpensive and compact systems could greatly complicate the actions of military aviation at low altitudes.
Unlike the American and Soviet designers who used the IR GOS in the creation of MANPADS, the British once again went their own original way when developing weapons of a similar purpose. The specialists of the Shorts company applied the radio command guidance method, already implemented earlier in the Sea Cat and Tigercat anti-aircraft complexes, when creating MANPADS. At the same time, they proceeded from the fact that MANPADS with a radio command guidance system would be able to attack an air target on a collision course and would be insensitive to heat traps, effective against missiles with IR seeker. It was also believed that the control of missiles with the help of radio commands would allow firing at targets operating at extremely low altitudes and even, if necessary, launch missiles at ground targets.
In 1972, the complex, which received the name Blowpipe (Blowpipe), entered service with the British army air defense units. The first British MANPADS could hit air targets at a distance of 700-3500 meters and in an altitude range of 10-2500 meters. The maximum flight speed of the rocket exceeded 500 m / s.
MANPADS "Bloupipe" pressed 12, 7-mm anti-aircraft machine guns and 20-mm anti-aircraft machine guns in the air defense companies. Each company in two anti-aircraft platoons had three squads with four MANPADS. The personnel of the company moved in off-road vehicles, each squad was assigned a Land Rover with a radio station. At the same time, the British MANPADS turned out to be much heavier than the Red Eye and Strela-2. So, "Bloupipe" in a combat position weighed 21 kg, the mass of missiles was 11 kg. At the same time, the Soviet MANPADS "Strela-2" weighed 14, 5 kg with a SAM weight of 9, 15 kg.
Launch of MANPADS "Bloupipe"
The greater weight of the British MANPADS was due to the fact that the composition of the complex, in addition to a radio command anti-aircraft missile placed in a sealed transport and launch container, included guidance equipment. A removable block with guidance equipment included a fivefold optical sight, a command transmission station, a calculating device and an electric battery. After the missile launch, a new TPK with an unused missile is attached to the guidance unit.
In addition to a contact fuse, the Bloupipe rocket also had a non-contact radio fuse, which detonated the warhead when the missile flew in close proximity to the target. When firing at targets flying at extremely low altitude, or at ground and surface targets, the proximity fuse was disabled. The process of prelaunch preparation of the Bloupipe MANPADS from the moment the target was detected to the missile launch took about 20 seconds. The missile was controlled on the trajectory using a special joystick. The effectiveness of the use of the British MANPADS directly depends on the psychophysical state and training and the operator of the anti-aircraft complex. In order to create sustainable skills for operators, a special simulator has been developed. In addition to practicing the process of locking and aiming the missile defense system at the target, the simulator reproduced the launch effect with a change in the mass and center of gravity of the launch tube.
The baptism of fire of the Bloupipe MANPADS took place in the Falklands, but the effectiveness of combat launches was low. Like the Tigerkat, the British MANPADS had a rather "deterrent" effect, it was very difficult to hit a maneuvering high-speed target with it. In total, during the military campaign in the South Atlantic, the British used more than 70 Bloupipe anti-aircraft missiles. At the same time, it was stated that every tenth missile hit the target. But in reality only one reliably destroyed Argentine attack aircraft is known. The fact that the British command was initially aware of the low combat characteristics of the Bloupipe MANPADS is evidenced by the fact that the first wave of British Marines who landed on the coast had the latest American FIM-92A Stinger MANPADS at that time. On the first serial modification of the Stinger, the missile defense system was equipped with a simplified IC seeker. However, the American MANPADS was much lighter and more compact, and there was also no need to direct the missile manually at the target throughout the entire flight phase. During the fighting in the Falkland Islands, the Stinger MANPADS shot down the Pukara turboprop attack aircraft and the Puma helicopter for the first time in a combat situation.
The low combat effectiveness of the Blupipe MANPADS was next confirmed in Afghanistan, when the British government handed over several dozen complexes to the Afghan "freedom fighters". Against modern jet fighter-bombers and attack aircraft, "Bloupipe" proved to be completely ineffective. In practice, the maximum firing range - 3500 meters when launched at fast-moving targets - was impossible to realize due to the low flight speed of the rocket and the decreasing accuracy range in proportion to the range. The real firing range did not exceed 2 km. During displays at arms exhibitions, special emphasis in advertising brochures was made on the possibility of attacking a target on a head-on course, but in practice this mode also turned out to be ineffective. During the hostilities in Afghanistan, there was a case when the crew of the Mi-24 helicopter with a salvo of NAR C-5 destroyed the MANPADS operator, who was aiming in the forehead, before the anti-aircraft missile hit the helicopter, after which the helicopter pilot turned away sharply and avoided being hit. In total, two helicopters were destroyed by Blowpipes in Afghanistan. The Mujahideen, disenchanted with the combat capabilities of the heavy and bulky complex, tried to use it to fire at Soviet transport convoys and checkpoints. However, here too "Blopipe" did not show itself. A high-explosive fragmentation warhead, weighing 2, 2 kg, was often not enough to reliably defeat even an armored personnel carrier with bulletproof armor, and the calculation of MANPADS after launch, unmasking itself with a smoky trail of a rocket, found itself under return fire.
In the early 80s, it became clear that the Bloupipe MANPADS did not meet modern requirements and could not provide effective protection against air strikes. The main complaints of the military to the complex were: excessive weight, low flight speed of the missile defense system, low weight of the warhead for non-contact destruction and manual aiming at the target. In 1984, supplies began to the troops of the complex, originally known as the Blowpipe Mk.2, later, taking into account possible export deliveries, the modernized version of the "Bloupipe" was designated Javelin ("Javelin" - throwing javelin).
Calculation of MANPADS "Javelin"
On this complex, a semi-automatic radio command principle of guidance is implemented and the flight speed of missiles is increased, due to which the probability of hitting a target has sharply increased. Automatic control of the missile defense system after launch during the entire flight time is carried out using the SACLOS tracking system (Semi-Automatic Command to Line of Sight - semi-automatic command line-of-sight system), which records the radiation of the rocket tail tracer along the line of sight. On the screen of the TV camera, the marks from the rocket and the target are displayed, their position relative to each other is processed by a computing device, after which the guidance commands are broadcast on board the rocket. The operator only needs to keep the target in sight, the automation does the rest by itself.
Compared to the Bloupipe on the Javelin, the range of air targets is increased by 1 km, and the height by 500 meters. Thanks to the use of a new solid fuel formulation in the engine, the flight speed of the rocket increased by about 100 m / s. In this case, the mass of the warhead increased by 200 grams. If necessary, the Javelin could be used to fire at ground targets.
In the second half of the 80s, Javelin MANPADS were baptized by fire. According to British data, the Afghan mujahideen, who received 27 complexes, launched 21 missiles and hit 10 air targets. However, it is noted that not all planes and helicopters were shot down, some, having received damage, managed to return to their airfield. It is difficult to say how much this information corresponds to reality, but there is no doubt that the updated British anti-aircraft complex with a semi-automatic guidance system has become much more effective. Countermeasures used against MANPADS with TGS turned out to be completely ineffective in the case of radio command missiles. Initially, the helicopter crews, for whom the Javelins posed the greatest danger, evaded missiles by intensive maneuvering. The most effective method of fighting was the shelling of the place from which the launch was made. Later, when Soviet intelligence was able to obtain information about the guidance equipment of British MANPADS, jammers began to be mounted on airplanes and helicopters, clogging the missile guidance channels, which made the Javelin inoperable.
With a mass of "Javelin" in a combat position of about 25 kg, this complex is very difficult to call portable. It is physically impossible to be with him in a combat position for a long time. In this regard, a built-in launcher has been created - LML (Lightweight Multiple Launcher), which can be mounted on various chassis or used from the ground.
After the electronic warfare equipment appeared in the USSR, effectively suppressing the radio command guidance system of MANPADS, the response of the British developers was the creation of a modification with laser guidance equipment Javelin S15. Thanks to a more powerful engine and improved aerodynamics of the rocket, the firing range of the updated anti-aircraft system increased to 6000 m. Later, as in the case of the Javelin, the new modification received its own name - Starburst (Starburst - a flash of a star).
Due to the increased mass and dimensions, the Javelin and Starburs complexes ceased to be "portable" in the direct sense of the word, but became essentially "transportable". It was quite logical to create multi-charge launchers with night thermal imaging equipment for mounting on a tripod and various chassis. More stable multiple-charge launchers, in contrast to single MANPADS, provide greater fire performance and better conditions for guiding an anti-aircraft missile at a target, which ultimately significantly increases the likelihood of destruction. After the introduction of thermal imagers into the composition of multi-charge launchers, anti-aircraft systems became all-day.
The Javelin and Starburst anti-aircraft systems were in many respects similar to each other, retaining the features of the "progenitor" - Blowpipe MANPADS. This ensured continuity in many details, techniques and methods of application, which made production cheaper and easier to master in the army. However, in the 80s it became clear that it was no longer possible to use the technical solutions laid down 20 years ago indefinitely. Once again, the designers of Shorts Missile Systems, who had previously been involved in the design of all British MANPADS, surprised the world by creating the Starstreak complex. In 1997, by the time the complex was put into service, Shorts Missile Systems was absorbed by the transnational corporation Thales Air Defense.
Triple PU SAM "Starstrick"
When creating the Starstrick missile defense system, a number of technical solutions were used that have no analogues in world practice. So, in one anti-aircraft missile, three swept submunitions weighing 900 g, 400 mm long and 22 mm in diameter are individually guided at the target. Each arrow, whose warhead consists of a heavy tungsten alloy, contains an explosive charge comparable in destructiveness to a 40-mm anti-aircraft projectile. In terms of range and height of destruction of air targets "Starstrick" is at the level of "Starburs".
Anti-aircraft missile "Starstrick"
After launching and separating from the upper stage at a speed of about 1100 m / s, the "arrows" fly further by inertia, lining up in a triangle around the laser beams formed in the vertical and horizontal planes. This guidance principle is known as a "laser trail" or "saddled beam".
Thales Air Defense Corporation's advertising brochures say that swept submunitions throughout the entire flight phase can hit air targets maneuvering with an overload of up to 9g. It is stated that the use of three arrow-shaped combat elements gives the probability of hitting the target of at least 0.9 by at least one submunition. The complex implements the ability to fire at ground targets, while the arrow-shaped combat elements are capable of penetrating the frontal armor of the Soviet BMP-2.
The main version of the Starstrick anti-aircraft complex was the LML lightweight multi-charge launcher on a rotary device, consisting of three vertically arranged TPK with an aiming unit and a thermal imaging system for detecting air targets. In total, the weight of the installation, consisting of a tripod, a tracking thermal imaging system and an aiming unit, excluding three anti-aircraft missiles, is more than 50 kg. That is, it is possible to carry the launcher over long distances only in disassembled form and separately from the missiles. This requires 5-6 military personnel. Assembling and transferring the complex to a combat position takes 15 minutes. It is clear that it is a stretch to consider this complex "portable". With this weight and dimensions, the LML launcher is more suitable for mounting on various chassis.
A common feature of all British "light" air defense systems intended for use by infantry units is that the operator, after launching the missile, has to keep the target in sight, guiding the missile before meeting it with the target, which imposes certain restrictions and increases the vulnerability of the calculation. The presence on the anti-aircraft complex of the equipment, with the help of which the transmission of missile guidance commands is carried out, complicates the operation and increases the cost. Compared to MANPADS with TGS, British complexes are more suitable for hitting targets flying at extremely low altitudes, and they are insensitive to thermal interference. At the same time, the weight and dimensions of British MANPADS make their use by units operating on foot very problematic.
For the British army, using the Starstreak missile defense system, Thales Optronics has created a mobile short-range air defense system Starstreak SP. The chassis for this vehicle was a Stormer tracked armored vehicle. Starstreak SP deliveries began shortly after the adoption of the portable complex. In the army, he replaced the outdated Tracked Rapier mobile air defense system.
Mobile short-range air defense system Starstreak SP
For independent search and tracking of air targets, an optoelectronic system ADAD (Air Defense Alerting Device) is used. The equipment of the ADAD system in simple weather conditions is capable of detecting a fighter-type target at a distance of 15 km, and a combat helicopter at a distance of 8 km. The reaction time of the air defense missile system from the moment of target detection is less than 5 s.
There are three people in the crew of the Starstreak SP self-propelled air defense system: the commander, the guidance operator and the driver. In addition to eight missiles ready for use, there are twelve more missiles in the combat stowage. Compared to the portable "Starstrick", the mobile anti-aircraft complex, capable of operating in the same battle formations with tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, has greater fire performance and combat stability, thanks to the presence of ADAD equipment, search and tracking of air targets in passive mode occurs in passive mode, without unmasking radar radiation. However, a common disadvantage of laser-guided missiles is their great dependence on the state of transparency of the atmosphere. Meteorological factors - fog and precipitation or an artificially placed smoke screen - can significantly reduce the launch range or even disrupt the guidance of anti-aircraft missiles.
Currently, only short-range complexes are in service with British air defense units. The latest long-range air defense systems Bloodhound Mk. II were withdrawn from service in 1991. The end of the Cold War and budgetary restrictions led to the rejection of the planned adoption of the American MIM-104 Patriot air defense system. At the moment, the air defense of the British Isles and the Expeditionary Force operating outside the UK relies on fighter interceptors. On the continental part of the United States, there are also no air defense systems on constant alert, but most of the American bases abroad are covered by Patriot anti-aircraft systems capable of intercepting operational-tactical ballistic missiles. Given the proliferation of missile technologies and the aggravation of the international situation, the British leadership is considering the possibility of adopting long-range air defense systems.
The PAAMS air defense complex with the Aster-15/30 missiles is part of the armament of the British destroyers URO Type 45. In the Aster-15/30 vertical-launch anti-aircraft missiles, which differ in their acceleration stage, launch range and cost, targeting is carried out by an active radar seeker.
Launch SAM Aster-30
Aster-30 missiles are also used in SAMP-T (Surface-to-Air Missile Platform Terrain) air defense systems. The SAMP-T air defense system is a product of the international consortium Eurosam, which, in addition to French and Italian companies, includes the British BAE Systems.
All SAMP-T elements are located on all-wheel drive off-road trucks. The anti-aircraft system includes: a command post, a Thompson-CSF Arabel multipurpose radar with a phased array, four vertical launch missiles with eight ready-to-use missiles in the TPK and two transport-loading vehicles.
SAMP-T air defense missile system is capable of firing at air and ballistic targets in the 360-degree sector. A highly automated anti-aircraft system with maneuverable long-range missiles flying at speeds up to 1400 m / s, has a high fire performance and good mobility on the ground. It can fight air targets at ranges of 3-100 km and at an altitude of up to 25 km, intercept ballistic missiles at a range of 3-35 km. The system is capable of tracking up to 100 targets simultaneously and firing at 10 targets.
At the initial stage of the flight of the anti-aircraft missile, its trajectory is built according to the data previously loaded into the memory of the autopilot processor. In the middle section of the trajectory, a radio command guidance method is used according to data from a universal radar for detection and guidance. On the final leg of the flight, an active seeker comes into play. The Aster-30 missile carries a fragmentation warhead with a programmable delay in the actuation of a proximity fuse. In the future, on the modification of Aster Block 2 BMD, the flight speed of the missile defense system is planned to be doubled, which will expand the capabilities in terms of intercepting ballistic missiles.
At the moment, several SAMP-T air defense systems have been built. Their trial operation is carried out by the French Air Force. In general, this is a fairly effective anti-aircraft system with a large modernization potential, and if the British military department finds funds, then SAMP-T can strengthen the British air defense system.
