Friday, March 19, 2010

Starstreak

IOC: 1997

Also Known As
HVM

Origin
United Kingdom

Contractor/s
Thales

Applications
AH-64D Apache Longbow
CVR-T

Family Members
Starstreak II

Description: The Starstreak is a short-range, two-stage, hypervelocity surface-to-air and air-to-air missile designed to defeat the most advanced airborne threats. In service with the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom (UK) from 1997, it is launched from shoulder, tracked vehicles (Stormer), wheeled vehicles, and helicopters such as the British Army's WAH-64 Apache. According to the UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) estimates, the Starstreak missile will remain in service with the British Armed Forces until 2020.

The Starstreak missile features a two-stage rocket motor and high precision laser beam-riding guidance immune to all known countermeasures. The first stage motor ejects the missile out of its canister. At a safe distance from the launcher, the second motor ignites and accelerates the missile to more than 3 times the speed of sound. It has three individually guided darts which separate from the missile when the second motor ends. The darts are guided by laser beam-riding and are effective in clutter and battlefield obscurants. It does not require maintenance neither in service support.

The Mach 3 Starstreak I missile introduced in 1997 features a maximum parabolic range of 6,000 meters against airborne targets flying below 5,000 meters of altitude. The missile weighs 14 kilograms, is 1.39 meters in length and 270mm in diameter. It can engage fixed- and rotary-wing targets at ranges from 300 meters to 6,000 meters providing air defense capability to ground forces. In addition to the United Kingdom, South Africa is the only known export customer for this weapon system.

On 29 July 2004, the UK MoD ordered an additional lot of Starstreak HVM missiles to replenish the very short range air defense systems (VSHORADS) operated by British Forces. The additional lot value was valued at £180 million ($321 million).

Specifications
Dimensions: Diameter 270 mm, Length 1,390 mm

Weights: Max Weight 14 kg (30.9 lb)

Performance: Ceiling 5,000 m (16,404 ft), Max Range 6,000 m (19,685 ft), Min Range 300 m (984 ft), Service Life 10 yr, Top Speed Mach 3 (3,585 kph)

Starstreak - Contracts, Orders & Sales

see transactions report

Storm Shadow (in 2005 and 2006), ASRAAM (in 2005 and 2006), Brimstone (in 2005 and 2006), HVM HEK (in 2005 and 2006) and Rapier (in 2005) missile systems (2,679 missiles in 2005 and 3,530 missiles in 2006); items: 6,209; United Kingdom national production procurement between 2005 and 2006
Items: 6,209

Starstreak; items: 96; transferred from United Kingdom to South Africa in 2005
Items: 96

News
UK MoD Awards Thales ADAPT Contract for Sustainment of Starstreak Missile Beyond 2020

BAE Systems Unveils Fury Unmanned Ground Attack Air Vehicle

UK Banshee Subsonic Aerial Target Training System Enters Service

Thales Awarded Missile Contracts worth $750 Million

Future British Armed Forces Takes Shape

South Africa To Become Starstreak First Export Customer

Operators

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South Africa

United Kingdom

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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: Sunday, March 07, 2010

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