Aerospatiale is to continue working on technology for a supersonic follow-on to the Exocet anti-ship missile under a Fr750 million ($127 million) multi-year contract from the French arms-procurement agency, the DGA.
The award, for the company's Vesta ramjet-technology programme, covers design, construction and flight test of a ramjet- powered missile. This could lead to a family of weapons involving a common propulsion module and guidance system mated to a seeker and warhead adapted to the mission, capable of flying at speeds greater than Mach 3.
The first of these is projected to be the Anti-Navire Future (ANF) missile for the French navy. A decision on ANF procurement is expected in 1998, with the DGA award seen as a positive step.
The design and development effort, in which Aerospatiale is teamed with French research agency Onera and rocket-engine manufacturer Celerg, will continue to the end of 1999, with three test flights planned for 2001 and 2002. The ANF is tentatively scheduled for service entry to the French navy in 2005.
The Vesta programme, which covers the development of liquid-fuelled ramjet technology, is claimed to be unique outside Russia, and draws on experience gained during the development of the ASMP supersonic nuclear missile now in service with the French air force and navy. Vesta technology is similar to that offered by Aerospatiale as part of the Hughes bid to supply the Royal Air Force with an air-to-air missile for the UK's Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile requirement for the Eurofighter EF2000.
The additional funding for the VESTA programme comes as a welcome fillip for Aerospatiale, which has seen its business suffer as a result of defence cuts.
It announced that it was cutting 541 jobs at the beginning of November. This is part of its aim of cutting 1,200 posts by 1998.
Aerospatiale will also benefit with work from the French defence ministry Fr 1.5 billion order awarded to Matra BAe Dynamics for 100 Apache AP runway denial stand- off weapons.
Source: Flight International