MICA (missile): Difference between revisions
m Reverted 1 edit by 196.219.253.66 (talk) identified as vandalism to last revision by The Bushranger. (TW) |
|||
| Line 68: | Line 68: | ||
==Potential future operators== |
==Potential future operators== |
||
*{{flagicon|Poland}} Poland<ref>http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htada/articles/20090722.aspx</ref> |
*{{flagicon|Poland}} Poland<ref>http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htada/articles/20090722.aspx</ref> |
||
*{{flagicon|India}} India |
|||
*{{flagicon|Pakistan}} Pakistan |
*{{flagicon|Pakistan}} Pakistan |
||
Revision as of 19:31, 24 January 2011
| MICA | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Short to Medium-Range Air to Air Tactical Missile |
| Place of origin | France |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1996 (MICA-EM) and 2000 (MICA-IR) |
| Used by | See Users |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | MBDA |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 112 kg |
| Length | 3.1 m |
| Diameter | 160 mm |
| Wingspan | 560 mm |
| Warhead | 12 kg focused splinters HE warhead |
Detonation mechanism | RF proximity fuze, impact fuze |
| Engine | One SNPE solid-propellant rocket motor |
Operational range | from < 500 m to > 60 km [1] |
| Flight altitude | up to 11,000 m |
| Maximum speed | Mach 4 |
Guidance system | Inertial guidance MICA-EM: Active radar homing MICA-IR: Imaging Infrared homing |
Launch platform | Dassault Rafale, Mirage 2000, F-16E Block 60 |
The MBDA MICA (Missile d’interception et de combat aérien, “Interception and Aerial Combat Missile”) is an anti-air multi-target, all weather, fire-and-forget short and medium-range missile system. It is intended for use both by air platforms as individual missiles as well as ground units and ships, which can be equipped with the rapid fire MICA Vertical Launch System. It is fitted with a thrust vector control (TVC) system.
It was developed from 1982 onward by Matra. The first trials occurred in 1991, and the missile was commissioned in 1996 to equip the Rafale and Mirage 2000. It is a replacement for both Super 530 (interception) and Magic II (dogfight). Two can be fired in a two-second interval.
Description
Depending on the variant, MICA is guided to its target by either an active radar homing seeker (MICA RF, also commonly known as MICA EM) or an imaging infra-red homing seeker (MICA IR). Both seekers are designed to filter out counter-measures such as chaff and decoy flares. A thrust vector control unit fitted to the rocket motor increases the missile's agility. MICA is designed to be capable of "lock-on after launch," meaning the missile can be launched at targets which its seeker can not yet detect.
The MICA can be employed as a short-range surface-to-air missile, currently available fired from a truck-mounted box launcher. This system is known as VL MICA SHORAD. It has recently shown its capabilities with a successful test: 23 October 2008, 15:30, at CELM, Biscarosse (Landes), one MICA VL was launched against a small RPV Banshee. The RPV was flying at low level, on the sea, 12 km away; despite this distance (roughly twice the range of Sea Wolf), the MICA (with an active radar seeker) locked the target and shot it down. This was the last of 14 firings, and now the weapon is ready to be mass-produced. Corvettes too small to have the costly Aster missile systems will be the best customer for this weapon, that basically is an Aster without its booster and PIF-PAF vectorial control(as example, the diameter and radar are roughly the same in both Mica and Aster)[2]. The Armée de l'Air had its first MICA batch with 37 Mirage 2000-5 in the '90s, and currently an unknown number is produced, several thousands, for both Mirage and the newer Rafale.
The various MICA variants are offered for export, the first sale being made to Taiwan in the mid-1990s when the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) submitted an order for both RF and IR versions totalling around 960 missiles to arm their new Dassault Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft.
Variants
- MICA RF
- MICA IR
- VL MICA RF
- VL MICA IR
Operators
- Royal Navy of Oman - VL MICA to be installed on three ocean patrol vessels
Possible future operators: Morocco is upgrading its Mirage F1 fleet to operate the MICA and India could retrofit its Mirage 2000C to use this missile as well. Pakistan has also been offered this missile to equip its JF-17 fighters with RC-400 radars. It has now also been offered to India with the upgrade package of its Mirage 2000H.
Potential future operators
Poland[3]
India
Pakistan
See also
- Similar missiles
- Related lists
References
- ^ MBDA Multi-mission Air-to-Air missile system
- ^ A&D dic 2008, news section
- ^ http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htada/articles/20090722.aspx
External links
