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From: bxr307@csc.anu.edu.au
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: ASRAAM (air to air missile)
Message-ID: <1991Jan24.041830.23907@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 24 Jan 91 04:18:30 GMT
References: <1991Jan22.015553.20458@cbnews.att.com>
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From: bxr307@csc.anu.edu.au
In article <1991Jan22.015553.20458@cbnews.att.com>, cem@cs.brown.edu (Charles E. Moylan) writes:
> 
> 
> From: cem@cs.brown.edu (Charles E. Moylan)
> 
> Does anyone know if the european ASRAAM (advanced short-range air-to-air
> missile) program is still in existence?   I had heard that it was canceled
> in favor of upgrading the AIM-9 Sidewinder.  Is this true?

	The ASRAAM was developed under an agreement between the US and the
European members of NATO.  The USAF was to be responsible for the development
of BVR missiles and the Europeans the development of the short range weapons.
	ASRAAM was intended to replace the AIM-9 Sidewinder and was meant to be
easily fitted to the same launch rails without any adaptors.  However the
Europeans decided to produce the ASRAAM with a large adaptor rail which
contained the electronics interface and cooling bottle for the systems IR
homing system.  The USAF complained when the weapon was presented to them and
threatened to pull out of the agreement.  The Europeans quickly went back to
their drawing boards and redesigned the missile.  They increased the diametre
of the weapon to allow it to carry all electronics and cooling supplies
internally.  However the USAF has still be dragging its feet at agreeing to
production of the weapon.
	In addition the German government (before reunification) decided that
the system's costs were spiralling too quickly and announced its withdrawal
from the program.  This left Britain, Italy and Spain basically carrying the
cost.  As a consequence the system is, as far as I know, in limbo.  The other
countries have not yet decided to cancel it yet, however it is most probably on
the cards.  As a consequence a private venture was begun last year between
Marconi Avionics of the UK and Matra of France to produce a possible
replacement.  Designated Mica-ASRAAM it makes use of developments gained from
work done on ASRAAM.  They have placed an unsolicited proposal to the UK MoD
who is considering it in light of the problems faced by the ASRAAM program.


Brian Ross