ITALIAN DEFENCE manufacturer Alenia has started work on an upgraded power plant for the surface-to-air version of its Aspide semi-active radar-guided missile, but has halted work on the active Aspide Mk2 air-to-air missile (AAM).
The engine upgrade, intended to be available from late 1996, is designed to improve the missile's speed and range, the latter by as much as 30-40%.
"We have just started development work and we intended to have the first firing of the upgraded missile around mid- 1996," says Alenia.
Despite the increased engagement envelope, Alenia says that it is not working on increasing the range of the target illuminator.
In halting work on the active Aspide Mk2, the company now sees its next-generation AAM work within the framework of the multi-national S225X advanced missile programme.
It adds, that much of the development work it has done on the active Aspide will be useful in feeding into the S225 programme.
Source: Flight International