Royal Saudi Naval Force Trials Success for Aster Naval Defence System
(Source: MBDA via EADS; dated Sept. 13, web-posted Sept. 15, 2004)
[With thanks to www.defense-aerospace.com ]

LONDON --- An operational firing today of MBDA's SAAM (Surface to Air
Anti-Missile) naval point and local self-defence system was successfully
carried out from the Royal Saudi Naval Force's (RSFN) HMS Al Riyadh frigate
on 7th September.

The firing, conducted by Saudi operators at the Mediterranean Test Centre -
the Centre d'Essais de la Mediterranne (located in Hyvres, near Toulon on
the south coast of France) - marks the conclusion of Al Riyadh crew
training. All test objectives were met with the target being acquired,
tracked and then destroyed by direct impact following deployment of the SAAM
system's ASTER 15 missile.

This latest firing follows on from the earlier 23rd March 2004 test firing
of SAAM from the HMS Al Damman, one of three Al Riyadh (F3000S Sawari II)
class, multi-purpose frigates. It is the ninth consecutive, successful
firing since June 2001, confirming the overall effectiveness of the SAAM
system.

Commenting on the firing results, Marwan Lahoud, MBDA's Chief Executive
Officer, said: "This latest success is of course wonderful news for the RSFN
customer and is further proof of the SAAM system's pre-eminence in the area
of naval air defence. It also has implications for the wider ASTER
missile-based FSAF programme which positions MBDA as a clear technology
leader in the field of air defence systems for both naval and ground
forces."

The Al Riyadh employed a complete SAAM system to carry out the firing.
Target acquisition and tracking was carried out by the system's ARABEL MFR
(Multi-Function Radar), the centralised fire control system which also
controlled the engagement, and an ASTER 15 missile was launched from the
SYLVER vertical launch module.

ASTER 15's active RF seeker and inertial mid-course guidance provides the
SAAM system with significant advantages over comparable systems in terms of
target handling. With its unique combination of aerodynamic and thrust
vector control, the ASTER 15 missile has unrivalled agility and
manoeuvrability to offer the optimum defence against even the most agile and
stealthy of targets.

BACKGROUND NOTES:

In June 1989, EUROSAM was established by MBDA and the French electronics
company Thales to act as the industrial prime contractor and system design
authority for the overall FSAF (Future Surface-to-Air Family) missile
systems programme.

Under this programme, France and Italy agreed to develop and produce a
family of ground and naval air defence systems for the armed forces of both
countries. The naval version is the SAAM point and local defence system
using the Aster 15 (30km range) vertical launch missile. This provides a
highly effective, omni-directional defence against a wide range of threats.
SAAM is the only missile system in the world capable of extending
self-defence to the protection of neighbouring ships within a few kilometres
of the launch ship against all types of aircraft and sea-skimming,
anti-ship, missiles. SAAM is being developed under the leadership of MBDA as
prime contractor.

Comprising a multi-function radar, a command and control unit (C2) and a
SYLVER launcher housing the ASTER 15 missiles, the French and Italian SAAM
variants are identical apart from their fire control radar systems. In the
case of the French system this is the ARABEL system supplied by Thales while
the Italian variant employs the EMPAR system supplied by AMS.

The first successful firing of the SAAM system took place in 1999. In
December 2001, the French Navy took delivery of the SAAM system for the
Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier from which a complete system test firing
was successfully carried out in October 2002. Qualification of the Italian
variant of the SAAM system was completed in December 2002 with the system
due to be installed on the Andrea Doria, the Italian Navy's new generation
aircraft carrier.

In November 2003, OCCAR, the European procurement agency, signed a contract
which included the full series production of the ASTER 15 missiles under the
Franco-Italian SAAM programme.

Each of the Sawari II frigates will be equipped with two, eight-cell SYLVER
launchers housing a total of 16 ASTER 15 missiles. In addition, the frigates
' weapon system will include Exocet MM40 Block 2 anti-ship missiles also
being supplied by MBDA.

The Sawari II contract, providing for three Lafayette-type frigates of 3,700
tons, was signed in November 1994 with Thales as prime contractor. The ships
have been built by DCN, the French shipbuilder, at its Lorient shipyard on
the Brittany coast. The first of class, HMS Al Riyadh, was commissioned in
July 2002. The second, HMS Makkah, was launched in July 2001 and was
delivered in April 2004. The third, HMS Al Damman, was launched in September
2002 and is undergoing sea trials prior to commissioning by the end of 2004.
In addition to the French and Italian aircraft carriers, Charles de Gaulle
and Andrea Doria, and the three Sawari II frigates, SAAM will equip a
further six foreign frigates.

-ends-