ASTER 15 SAAM

Surface-to-Air Anti Missile (SAAM) weapon system

The ASTER modular family of vertically launched missiles is being developed under the leadership of MBDA within the Franco-Italian FSAF (Future Surface-to-Air Family) programme. Under this programme, France and Italy agreed to develop and produce a family of naval platform and ground based air defence systems for the armed forces of both countries. A subsequent trilateral agreement signed between France, Italy and the United Kingdom resulted in the development of a third naval air defence system using the Aster family of missiles known as PAAMS (Principal Anti-Air Missile System).

SAAM (Surface-to-Air Anti-Missile): Using the Aster 15 (30km range) missile, SAAM is a high performance and highly manoeuvrable medium range anti-aircraft and anti-missile system for point and local defence against a new generation of threats including high speed, stealthy and highly manoeuvrable sea skimming anti-ship, cruise and anti-radar missiles.

SAAM provides effective defence against anti-ship missiles and modern combat aircraft and is able to counter saturation attack in extreme countermeasures environments.
The system comprises a fire control system with multifunction electronic scanning radar, Sylver vertical launchers each containing eight ready-to-fire missiles and the Aster 15 anti-missile missiles.

The French SAAM/FR and Italian SAAM/IT variants are both the same except for the fire control system.
The French Navy will use the Thales ARABEL radar while the Italian Navy will deploy the Selex Integrated Systems EMPAR radar.

The Aster 15 missile active RF seeker and inertial mid-course guidance gives the system great advantages over comparable systems in terms of target handling.
Employing a unique combination of aerodynamic and thrust vector control, the Aster 15 missile has unrivalled agility and manoeuvrability, making the weapon highly effective in all operating conditions against highly agile and stealthy targets. 

Programme status

The first successful firing of the SAAM system was conducted in 1999 from the French Ile d’Oléron experimental ship when a direct hit was registered on a manoeuvring sea-skimming target.
In the same year installation on board the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle was completed.
The French SAAM/FR system was qualified in December 2001.
On 30th October 2002, Aster 15 was successfully test fired using the complete SAAM system for the first time from the Charles de Gaulle, registering a direct frontal hit and totally destroying a target simulating an attacking anti-ship missile.
Operational firings were carried out between December 2004 and May 2006.

The first qualification firing of an Aster 15 missile for the Italian SAAM/IT system took place in November 2001 from the Italian Carabiniere experimental ship.
SAAM/IT system qualification was completed in December 2003. In July 2006 installation of the system was completed on board the Italian Navy’s Conti di Cavour aircraft carrier.

A total of 200 Aster 15 naval missiles have already been ordered to equip 11 naval defence systems intended for the nuclear-powered French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, the Italian aircraft carrier, Conti di Cavour, the three F3000S frigates for the Royal Saudi Arabian Navy and a further six foreign frigates.
The SAAM air defence system will also provide the anti-air warfare capability on the new Franco-Italian FREMM multi-mission frigates.

ASTER missiles are now in series production.