Military and Strategic Journal
Issued by the Directorate of Morale Guidance at the General Command of the Armed Forces
United Arab Emirates
Founded in August 1971

2019-05-01

MBDA’s SPIMM All-In-One Module

MBDA used their appearance at Navdex 2019 to present their SPIMM (Self-Protection Integrated Mistral Module)–an all-in-one air defence module based on the SIMBAD-RC system. 
 
The SPIMM will equip ships of every type, but particularly supply ships without a combat system. As a module, it consists of a SIMBAD-RC automated naval turret equipped with two ready-to-fire Mistral missiles and a 360° infrared panoramic system to detect/track air and surface threats. 
 
The system is entirely controlled by two operators located within a shelter inside the ISO-standard “all-in-one” module, which is 10 feet long and weighs some 7 tonnes. Easily positioned on the deck of a ship using a crane, it requires only a standard electrical connection and can be used to store four additional missiles.
 
Designed to protect surface vessels against most conventional airborne threats (anti-ship missiles, combat aircraft, helicopters and UAVs), the SIMBAD-RC and Mistral have now demonstrated their ability to neutralise asymmetric threats by day and night, such as Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FIAC).
 
“The SPIMM enables the urgent and rapid adaptation of supply vessels or landing platform docks to cope with new threats,” says Naval Defence Systems Product Executive Christophe Leduc. “This system illustrates MBDA’s ability to understand its customers’ needs and to come up with rapid, effective and functional solutions.”
 
Versatile Mistral Missile
Currently in service with French forces, the latest generation Mistral missile is an air defence missile equipped with advanced image-processing capabilities and infrared imaging seeker, which allows it to engage low thermal signature targets such as UAVs, anti-ship missiles and fast craft at a greater distance. Offering excellent resistance to countermeasures, the missile is armed with a 3kg high-explosive warhead loaded with tungsten ball projectiles.
 
At the end of 2018, MBDA successfully demonstrated the use of the Mistral missile against fast boats, including FIACs (Fast Inshore Attack Craft). A series of foreign delegations attended the demonstration firing, performed from a SIMBAD-RC automated naval turret firing from the land against a fast-moving, remotely-controlled semi-rigid boat more than 3 kilometres off the coast. 
 
According to MDBA, the Mistral was launched from a SIMBAD-RC automated and remote-controlled naval turret enabling sailors to fire the weapon without exposing themselves to danger on deck. The IS scenario was representative of the self-protection of a vessel against an asymmetric threat, explaining why 30 countries now have Mistral missiles in their inventories.
 
The Mistral is a reliable and effective missile system with a proven success rate of 93 per cent. In view of today’s high-paced geopolitical realm, it is a versatile weapon operated from a variety of launch vehicles and effective in a range of situations requiring a flexible response capability.
 
SIMBAD-RC Defence System 
The SIMBAD-RC is a very short-range remote-controlled naval air defence system highly effective against a wide range of threats, from fighter aircraft to threats of smaller dimensions such as UAVs and anti-ship missiles. The system is easy to install, providing small units or support vessels with real capacity for self-defence and can even ensure reinforced defence for other types of surface vessels. 
 
Each turret is equipped with two ready-to-fire Mistral missiles and remotely operated, allowing its operator to remain in the safety of the ship’s operations centre and so enabling longer operational availability in the event of a prolonged combat alert. The SIMBAD-RC has hence been designed to provide a primary self-defence capability on all warships or to complement the main air defences of first-rank warships.
 
Featuring an automatic launcher remotely controlled from an interior terminal, SIMBAD-RC is ideally suited for ships with low crew numbers while fitting modern ship design requirements, particularly those relating to stealth and very fast craft concepts. SIMBAD-RC hence provides an extremely effective defence capability against all threats, including anti-ship missiles, combat aircraft, UAVs and helicopters, as well as the small surface threats presented by vessels like FIACs.
 
In addition, SIMBAD-RC offers a range of turret/SMU-RC configurations and system integration schemes depending on ship size and/or crew requirements. Moreover, in being entirely operated by one interior-located operator, the SIMBAD-RC system boasts high availability in all-weather and sea conditions.
 
Now with a significant presence in five European countries and the U.S., MBDA’s revenue reached 3.1 billion euros in 2017 with an order book of 16.8 billion euros. Having more than 90 armed forces customers in the world, MBDA is a world leader in missiles and missile systems. 
MBDA is capable of designing and producing missiles and missile systems for the full range of current and future operational needs of the three armed-force divisions (land, sea and air).

As a European group MBDA is jointly owned by Airbus (37.5 per cent), BAE Systems (37.5 per cent) and Leonardo (25 per cent) and in total, the group offers a range of 45 missile systems and countermeasures products already in operational service with more than 15 others currently in development.
 
Reference Text/photo
 

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