Aster (missile Family) - Notable Aster Performance

Notable Aster Performance

• In April 2008, a Republic of Singapore Navy Formidable class frigate RSS Intrepid shot down an aerial drone off the French port of Toulon during a naval exercise. Then again in 2010, a frigate of the same class, RSS Supreme fired an Aster 15 and shot down an aerial drone off the coast of Hawaii as part of exercise RIMPAC 2010.

• In September 2010, off the Outer Hebrides at the Benbecula ranges, HMS Dauntless (D33) was the first Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer to successfully shoot an Aster missile and proceed to intercept its target. The target was a Mirach drone. Mirach is a 13 ft jet which flies at speeds of up to of 530kts (more than 600 mph) from altitudes as low as 10 ft or as high as 40,000 ft.

• In May 2011, HMS Daring (D32) the first of the class of the Royal Navys Type 45 destroyers successfully fired its Aster missiles for the first time. The shoot took place off the Outer Hebrides at the Benbecula ranges in Scotland. Daring intercepted and destroyed its target, a Mirach drone. Although being the first destroyer of the Type 45 class, Daring was not the first to fire its primary weapon. This was due to initial manufacturing defects on a batch of production Aster missiles exported to the UK. The defect was found after consecutive failures during testing, thus stalling the Royal Navys attempts to successfully fire the Aster missiles during late 2009.

• In December 2011, an Aster 30 missile intercepted and downed an Israeli Black Sparrow ballistic missile target. It was the first time an Aster missile had attempted such an engagement. The shoot confirmed Asters anti-ballistic missile capability.

• In April 2012, the French Navy successfully shot and downed an American GQM-163 Coyote target. The GQM-163 Coyote was simulating a sea-skimming supersonic anti-ship cruise missile traveling at speeds of Mach 2.5 (3000 km/h) with an altitude of less than 5 meters. The Aster 30 missile was fired by the Horizon class frigate Forbin (D620), also present during the shoot was Forbins sister ship Chevalier Paul (D621). The successful shooting represents the first time a European missile defence system has intercepted and destroyed a supersonic, sea-skimming "missile". The trial was described as a "complex operational scenario".

• In May 2012, HMS Diamond (D34) was the third Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer to successfully intercept its target with an Aster missile. The firing took place off the Outer Hebrides at the Benbecula ranges in Scotland.

• In July 2012, HMS Dragon (D35) was the fourth Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer to successfully intercept its target with an Aster missile. The firing took place off the Outer Hebrides at the Benbecula ranges in Scotland. Dragon's Operations Officer, Lieutenant Commander Duncan MacRae, of the Royal Australian Navy said: "This was a great demonstration of the capability of a Type 45 and a reassurance of system performance."