The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation has announced the first successful firing of Eurosam’s new-generation ASTER 30 B1 missile at a testing facility in France.
It functions as a defense against a wide spectrum of air threats, including supersonic, subsonic, and anti-radiation missiles, combat aircraft, and drones.
The test demonstrated its capabilities in a complex scenario simulation with two aerial targets, one against an enemy, and another to defend a friendly aircraft.
The Aster family of missiles have been developed by Eurosam, an entity created by linking the French and Italian MBDA missile’s national consortiums and Thales.
Once delivered, the weapon will equip the Franco-Italian SAMP/T NG land-based air defense system, serve the French and Italian navies for their Horizon-type air defense, and the UK for its Type 45 destroyers.
Features
The ASTER 30 B1 is fitted with anti-decoy algorithms allowing it to discriminate between decoys and actual missile targets.
It is the only European missile with a Ka-band seeker to detect faster and longer-range ballistic missiles, intercepting targets at a range of up to 1,500 kilometers (932 miles).
The ASTER missile features a two-stage design to optimize the missile’s trajectory towards the target.
Initially, the missile is guided inertially, with updated target data provided by a multi-function radar.
In the final homing phase, guidance is managed by an electromagnetic active seeker, ensuring precise performance in all weather conditions.
In 2023, France and Italy contracted Eurosam to deliver 700 Aster air defense missiles, including the ASTER 30 B1, for 2 billion euros ($2.18 billion).
