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AASM
IOC: 2007
Total Production: 3,000
Total Program's Cost: USD$300 million
AASM 10
Production: 1,500
Unitary Cost: USD$100,000
Origin
France
Contractor/s
Sagem Defense Securite
Applications
Mirage 2000-5
Mirage 2000D
Rafale B
Rafale C
Rafale M
Family Members
AASM 1
AASM 1000
AASM 125
AASM 500
Bombs:
BANG 250
BLU-111
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Description:
The AASM (Armament Air-Sol Modulaire/ Air-to-Ground Modular Weapon) is a low-cost, modification kit for unguided or dumb bombs in order to convert them into precision guided munitions. AASM weapons will be available in different versions with the bomb's accuracy ranging from more than one to more than 10 meters. This new weapon will be released from safe standoff ranges of about 15 km released from low altitude to up to 50 km released from high altitude. The hybrid guidance system is based in a combination of GPS (Global Positioning System) and solid-state gyro Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) with night/day IR imaging terminal guidance being provided only for the high accuracy 1-meter Circular Error Probable (CEP) version.
The Kalman filtering system is the core navigation system of the AASM weapon and is based on the comparison of positioning data coming from the IMU and the weapon's GPS. Before the launch, the Kalman filtering system aligns with the aircraft's precision positioning system. For fighter aircraft based on aircraft carriers, the Kalman filtering system alignment is done with the high-precision navigation system of the aircraft carrier. After the weapon drop, the navigation system guides the weapon autonomously to the assigned target at the pre-programmed impact angle and speed. The target coordinates are programmed into the weapon's system during the flight plan using a mission planning system.
The AASM weapon is intended to engage multiple targets on the ground simultaneously from standoff ranges in all weather conditions. According to French sources, AASM weapons will be able to destroy any target present on the battlefield. In the early 2000s, the French Ministry of Defense placed an order worth €300 million with Sagem for the supply of 3,000 AASMs (1,500 one meter accuracy and 1,500 10 meters accuracy) to the French Armed Forces' Mirage 2000 (up to 4 AASMs) and Rafale (up to 6 AASMs) attack aircraft. The AASMs are deemed as the French counterpart to the United States Joint Services JDAM family of fire-and-forget, precision-guided munitions.
The fire-and-forget 10 meters precision AASM bomb features a GPS/INS-based guidance system and is fitted with MK-82, BLU-111 or CBEMS BANG 500-lb class warheads. DGA started the AASM in-flight development phase with a Mirage 2000 aircraft releasing successfully an AASM bomb over the Landes and Mediterranean test range at Biscarosse, France, on September 6, 2004. The ten meters precision bomb will be delivered to the French Air Force and Navy for use on the Rafale F2 at the end of 2007.
Specifications
Weights: Weight 250 kg (551 lb)
Performance: CEP 10 m (33 ft), Max Range 50,000 m (164,042 ft) released at high altitude, Min Range 15,000 m (49,213 ft) released at low altitude
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Notes
(*) lead contractor
IOC: Initial Operating Capability
FOC: Full Operating Capability
CEP: Circular Error Probable
Comm: Commissioning Date
Meters (m) Kilometers (km) Nautic Miles (nm) Inch (in) Yard (yd) Foot (ft) Millimeter (mm)
Pound (lb) Kilogram (kg) kN (KiloNewton) Ton (t)
Meters per Second (mps) Kilometers per Hour (kph) Knot (kt) Miles per Hour (mph)
Liter (l) Galon (gl)
Year (yr) Minutes (min) Second (sec)
Shaft-Horse-Power (shp)
Last Updated: Friday, October 10, 2008
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