The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has begun a procurement programme for a next-generation air-launched anti-ship missile to equip its EH Industries EH101 Merlin maritime helicopter.
"We are in the early stages of looking at an anti-ship missile [for the Merlin] with several studies under way," confirms the MoD.
The Royal Navy is understood to have aspirations to equip its GKN Westland/Agusta-built EH101s with a missile having a considerably greater range than that of the Matra BAe Dynamics Sea Skua, which is on the existing Westland Lynx shipborne fleet. Industry sources suggest that the RN is looking at a projected in-service date of around 2009.
Matra BAe is studying various options to address the RN's anti-ship-missile ambitions, including what it dubs the "Sea Skua Mk2". The upgrade would be intended to increase the missile's range from the current 18km (9.7nm). Seeker upgrades are also likely to be under consideration.
Whitehall sources indicate that there are those within the MoD Procurement Executive who would like to try to forge a collaborative European programme similar to that emerging to meet the Royal Air Force's Future Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile.
Matra BAe is also in discussions with Norway's Kongsberg over involvement in the latter's New Ship Missile (NSM) project aimed at replacing the Penguin anti-ship missile.
The NSM is also likely to be considered for the EH101, especially if Matra BAe and Kongsberg successfully conclude negotiations.
Although initial work on the NSM is looking at a ship-launched missile, Kongsberg officials confirm that an air-launched variant will be developed. The Kongsberg design is for an imaging infra-red-guided weapon with a weight no greater than 400kg and a range of more than 110km.
Source: Flight International