Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile—ASRAAM
ASRAAM, Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile,
is a highly agile missile which is due to be deployed on the Tornado
F3 and Harrier GR7 to replace the Sidewinder AIM-9L missile, and
will also be fitted to Eurofighter. Although ASRAAM was originally
conceived as a collaborative project, our partners withdrew when
the programme encountered difficulties. ASRAAM was re-endorsed
as a national programme in 1990. Contracts for Full Development
and Production were let in 1992.
OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENT
1. The requirement for a highly agile missile
with good infra red counter measure resistance was driven by the
need for short-range air superiority in visual combat. Such a
missile would provide Eurofighter with a substantial advantage
against the forecast threat at the turn of the century, and would
be complementary to the Skyflash and Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air
Missile, BVRAAM—see separate memorandum. The missile would,
additionally, be an important factor in the overall capability
of the Tornado F3 and the ability of offensive air support aircraft,
such as Harrier, to defend themselves effectively.
2. Initially, the UK sought to meet the
national requirement for a short-range air-to-air missile through
participation in a collaborative development for a family of weapons.
In accordance with a Memorandum of Understanding between the UK,
the US and Germany, signed in 1980, a tri-national Staff Requirement
was agreed in October 1984. Subsequent budgetary pressures, technical
and management problems, and changes to US requirements caused
our partners to withdraw from the project. The Staff Requirement
was re-endorsed as a UK national programme in 1990 without any
significant changes since the original approval.
TRADE-OFFS
3. Although the programme has encountered
some technical difficulties and slippage, the UK's Staff Requirement,
as re-endorsed in 1990, has not been altered.
NUMBERS
4. The original NATO stockpile requirement
for ** missiles as at December 1987, was *** with options on a
further ** in September 1990, as a result of changes in the threat
assessment and in the Eurofighter programme. Following a review
of the operational and training usage of ASRAAM missiles, based
on planning assumptions for Eurofighter and Harrier GR7, a second
tranche, ****** missiles, was approved in January 1994. Of these
*** missiles on order, ** will be for full operational use and
** will be telemetry missiles for trials firing.
STRATEGIC DEFENCE
REVIEW
5. The Strategic Defence Review did not
affect the requirement or existing orders.
MILITARY CAPABILITY
6. ASRAAM will provide a significant contribution
to achieving and maintaining air superiority. It will be employed
in the full spectrum of air operations from air policing to peace
support through to high intensity conflict.
EQUIPMENT REPLACED
AND IN
-SERVICE DATE
7. ASRAAM will replace Sidewinder AIM-9L
on Tornado F3 and Harrier GR7 in a phased programme starting this
year. Sidewinder is currently due to remain in service until 2018
on the Tornado GR4, but we are considering whether to integrate
ASRAAM on to all combat aircraft in order to rationalise air to
air missile stocks. Sidewinder could then be withdrawn from RAF
service.
8. Details of the In-Service Date are given
at Annex. A revised ISD is currently under consideration.
PROCUREMENT APPROACH
9. Under the provisions of the 1980 MoU,
the US was to develop an advanced medium range air-to-air missile,
and the UK and Germany, along with Norway and Canada, who had
subsequently joined the programme, were to develop the short-range
system. The European programme was managed by a joint project
office, with Bodenseewerk Geratetechnik Gmbh and British Aerospace
Dynamics Ltd as the principal contractors. The programme encountered
difficulties over the missile configuration, the establishment
of effective collaborative arrangements in industry, and the identification
of an affordable product. Germany withdrew from the programme
in 1989 and the US, Norway and Canada in 1990.
10. Once ASRAAM had been re-endorsed as
a UK national programme in 1990, an invitation to tender was issued
on 1 May 1991. It called for a package deal, covering development,
production and associated logistic support of the missile and
its associated training variants. We also stipulated the minimum
use of Government Furnished Facilities and Equipment, and the
earliest possible ISD.
11. A number of candidate weapons were considered.
British Aerospace Defence Ltd. Raytheon, a consortium of GEC,
Marconi and Matra, Bodenseewerk Geratetechnik Gmbh, BGT, and Loral
Aeronutronic all expressed an interest in the competition. In
the event, Raytheon and Loral did not respond to the ITT. The
BAe bid of ASRAAM, the GEC Marconi/Matra bid of MICAASRAAM and
the BGT AIM9L IRIS were considered as options in early 1992. Other
weapons, including a further BGT bid, the AIM 9LI, an improvement
over the standard AIM9L, and a number of US options either in
service or in development were also considered, but were not assessed
as capable of meeting the UK requirement.
12. The BAe bid met the Staff Requirement
and offered a number of advantages over the BGT and GEC Marconi/Matra
bids. BAe Defence Ltd, now Matra BAe Dynamics Ltd, was awarded
a fixed price contract on 31 March 1992.
EXPORT POTENTIAL
13. ASRAAM recently won its first export
order from the Royal Australian Air Force. There is also interest
from a number of other nations. This type of missile has historically
sold in the tens of thousands. Missiles with similar capabilities
are being built in the USA, Germany, Russia and Israel.
INDUSTRIAL FACTORS
14. The decision on the main development
and production contracts took account of the employment implications
for the UK. Matra Bae Dynamics estimated that more than 80 per
cent of the work in total would be in the UK, securing some 7,000
jobs. The GEC Marconi/Matra bid offered only 50 per cent of work
in the UK, although they estimated that this would rise to 70
per cent if potential sales were achieved.
SMART PROCUREMENT
15. ***
ACQUISITION PHASES
16. The acquisition phases are shown in
the table below:
|
| Phase | Date
| Activity |
| | |
|
| Pre-feasibility | January 1979
| Endorsement of UK support to NATO operational objectives for ASRAAM and AMRAAM.
|
| Feasibility | June 1982 |
Systems studies including IR detectors, transparent materials and sub-systems.
|
| Project Definition | December 1984
| Design of prototype missile and launcher sub-systems.
|
Project Definition
Amendment—re-definition 1
| December 1987 | Confirmation of image processing algorithms, manufacture of inert safety and arming units and design of strap down software.
|
Project Definition
Amendment—re-definition 2
| July 1988 | Study into detailed proposals for an integrated missile configuration and more efficient management structure.
|
| Development and Production | March 1992
| Full development and production of ASRAAM starts.
|
| | |
|
| | |
17. Completion of design and development of the seeker
software remains the most critical of the programme risks. Much
of this work is dependent on flying and firing trials, conducted
at the US Eglin range. The most recent trial, in December 1998,
met its primary objectives.
MILESTONES AND
COSTS
18. Approvals for the development stage are listed above.
Details of expenditure to 31 March 1998, and of further expenditure
to which the MoD is committed are given at Annex.
19. All deliveries are covered by a liquidated damages
clause in the development and production contract, with a maximum
of 6 per cent of the value of delivered items. This provision
has become effective for certain deliveries that have already
been delayed and £328K will be recovered from the prime contractor.
IN -SERVICE
SUPPORT
20. ASRAAM is an industry-supported missile with the
bulk of its maintenance to be undertaken by the prime contractor.
Although Eurofighter aircraft delivered to Germany, Spain and
Italy will be able to fire ASRAAM, these nations are not committed
to buying ASRAAM. At least initially, therefore, in-service support
costs will fall to the UK.
21. Most of the support equipment and handling procedures
for ASRAAM will be the same as for the current AIM-9L weapon.
However, there will be a substantial reduction in routine servicing
requirements at the front line, since all major servicing will
be undertaken by industry. Storage is a potential bottleneck,
as ASRAAM stocks are built up without equivalent reductions in
AIM-9L stocks. A Weapon Loading and Storage Study is addressing
these issues. Since the operational and training missiles both
have classified software, unlike the current air-to-air weapons,
of which only the operational weapons are classified, modified
handling procedures will be needed.
FRONT LINE,
STORAGE AND
RESERVES NUMBERS
22. Current plans for operational missiles require **
to be placed in storage and *** to be allocated to
Main Operating Bases.
INTEROPERABILITY
23. ASRAAM has demonstrated its compatibility with earlier
AIM9L launch equipment and interfaces. It is capable of being
carried and fired, with minimum modification, by all UK and other
allied air forces' aircraft that can carry and employ AIM9L, including
Sea Harrier. The system is compatible with the new rail launchers
on Harrier GR7 and on Eurofighter. It is also designed to be employed
using multiple sensors, such as the infra red search and track
systems and helmet-mounted sights planned for Eurofighter, as
well as radar.
DISPOSAL OF
EQUIPMENT REPLACED
24. Surplus Sidewinders may have potential for resale.
Missiles that cannot be sold will have no operational use and
will be scrapped.
IN -SERVICE
LIFE
25. ASRAAM is planned to be in service for 25 years.
DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL
26. It is intended to establish a programme of through-life
development, in conjunction with Australia. This will involve
the acquisition of emerging technology on an incremental basis.
***
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