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(Source: French Ministry of Defence; issued Feb. 18, 2010) (Issued in French; unofficial translation by defense-aerospace.com)
In late December 2009, the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) awarded Sagem (Safran Group) a contract for the purchase of 680 Armement Air-Sol Modulaire (AASM) modification kits.
This brings to 1,424 the total number of AASM kits ordered to date to equip the Rafale combat aircraft operated by the French Air Force and Navy.
The AASM comprises a guidance kit and a range-extension kit that are attached to standard, free-fall bomb bodies. The weapon can be launched at a safe stand-off distance from the target (over 50 km), away from enemy air defenses, in all weathers and by day or night.
To fit all tactical situations the AASM exists in three versions: the first two versions, "inertial guidance/GPS," and "inertial guidance/GPS and infrared imager for terminal guidance, are suitable for engaging stationary targets. They have already been qualified.
The third version, which combines inertial guidance, GPS and laser guidance, will allow engagement of moving targets; it is under development and will be delivered from 2012.
The 680 AASM kits ordered in December break down into 300 with inertial/GPS guidance, and 380 laser-guided versions.
In service since 2007 with the French Air Force, the inertial guidance / GPS version of the AASM has been used successfully on several occasions in Afghanistan.
PARIS --- French defense procurement agency DGA awarded Sagem (Safran group) a major contract in late December 2009 for AASM (Armement Air-Sol Modulaire) modular air-to-ground weapons to be deployed by the French air force.
The contract covers: --A long-term order for 3,400 AASMs, including an initial firm order for 680 units. --Development and integration of a latest-generation GPS module. --Qualification and production engineering for the inertial/GPS/laser terminal guidance version.
Developed and produced by Sagem, the AASM weapon comprises a guidance kit and range augmentation kit integrated on a standard 250 kg bomb. The AASM family also includes 125, 500 and 1,000 kg bombs.
Fired from standoff distance by day or night and in all weather conditions, the AASM offers a range exceeding 50 kilometers. The AASM can be released at low altitude, and can also be fired off-axis, in relation to the aircraft’s flight path. It offers very high precision and strikes its target vertically, a feature suited to asymmetrical conflicts. This makes it the perfect weapon for combat in difficult terrain or urban environments, for both planned missions and opportunity fire.
The new inertial/GPS/laser-guided version expands the AASM family, which already includes two versions qualified on the Rafale multirole combat aircraft, with inertial/GPS or inertial/GPS/infrared guidance. In particular, the new version enables precision strikes against moving targets.
This latest order follows the initial contract won by Sagem for 750 AASMs to be delivered to the French air force. The AASM has been deployed on Rafale fighters in Afghanistan for the last two years.
The AASM is also marketed by MDBA as part of its broad offering of weapon system meeting the requirements of armed forces in international markets.
Sagem, a high-tech company in the Safran group, holds world or European leadership positions in optronics, avionics, electronics and safety-critical software for both civil and military markets. Sagem is the No. 1 company in Europe and No. 3 worldwide for inertial navigation systems (INS) used in air, land and naval applications. It is also the world leader in helicopter flight controls and the European leader in optronics and tactical UAV systems.
Operating across the globe through the Safran group, Sagem and its subsidiaries employ 6,700 people in Europe, Southeast Asia and North America. Sagem is the commercial name of the company Sagem Défense Sécurité.
Good to see this weapon will see a new variant !
On the other hand, according to the letter "Guerre élec", in an article written by a AASM programme responsable, Jean-Vincent Legrand, at Sagem, a EM variant for SEAD/DEAD would be useless (too costly, single use, and prone to jamming). The man explains that the INS/GPS, or even the INS/GPS/IIR should do the job well enough when coupled with the right RWR. http://www.guerrelec.asso.fr/archives/lettre39.pdf He explains two different scenarion :
against short and medium range SAM, a Rafale will close in to the target, and as soon as Spectra provide accurate enough data, the weapon is fired ;
against long range SAM, Rafale will close in but this time it will fly as low as possible to benefit from terrain masks. The inconvenient is that in this case, the shooting rely on an external designation system.
Legrand reveals that the full duplex data link is also envisaged so as to reprogramme the weapon before it hits the target, and even to make the weapon able to send pictures to the shooting platform (IIR).
And for the first time, i read that the AASM can be shot rearward at any altitude.
The weapon is of a metric accuracy, even for the INS/GPS.
Hi TMor, do you have any infos about the development / integration of the 500Kg and 1000Kg versions to Rafale, or Mirage 2000? Also the Rafale has twin and triple pylons for the 250Kg version, but will there also be twin pylons for the 500Kg version, or is it possible to carry 2 of them at the actual triple pylon?
I'm asking because the EF showed an impressiv load config with 3 x FTs and 4 x 500Kg LGBs at Farnbourgh and even the Gripen NG is said to carry 2 x FTs and 3 x 500Kg LGBs (+ 4 x AAMs). Rafale without such pylons will only be able to carry 2 of these bombs with 3 x FTs.
The AASM-250 is operational in the French Air Force in overseas operations and has been successfully used in combat on the Rafale since 2008. The AASM-125 was successfully tested in February 2009 on a Mirage 2000. The AASM-1000 is under development, as are new features such as airburst and data link.
France isn't interested in the 125kg variant. They prefer a better control of the 250kg' explosion.
The AASM-250 is operational in the French Air Force in overseas operations and has been successfully used in combat on the Rafale since 2008. The AASM-125 was successfully tested in February 2009 on a Mirage 2000. The AASM-1000 is under development, as are new features such as airburst and data link.
France isn't interested in the 125kg variant. They prefer a better control of the 250kg' explosion.
No HAMMER 500? I heared about the 125Kg version too, although I am a bit surprised about that decision. With the lack of a long range ARM, wouldn't the higher range of the 125 be preferrable in SEAD mssions?
Joined: Sun May 17, 2009 12:49 pm Posts: 416 Location: Near Paris (France)
I'm not sure that the picture loaded in the IIR seeker can be programmed for opportunity targets.
But the IIR variant isn't made for mobile target but for improved accuracy with extreme coordinates correction. Hitting mobile targets would be a side effect.
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