The Italian Navy has recently completed the qualification of the MBDA Italia SAAM-ESD PPA (Surface Anti-Air Missile – Extended Self Defence PPA) air defence missile system with the successful completion of an Aster 30 missile test firing in the integrated mode with the ship’s Command Management System (CMS) on board the Giovanni delle Bande Nere (P 434), first Thaon di Revel-class PPA/MPCS (Multi-Purpose Combat Ship) in the “Full configuration”.
The Aster 30 firing test in the integrated mode with the CMS was successfully conducted by the Giovanni delle Bande Nere (P 434) crew on 18 February, according to a press statement released by the Italian Navy and obtained by Naval News after the publication on Instagram of the missile firing video on 28 February. The latter was successful achieved by the crew with the preparation support of the industry including MBDA Italia, Leonardo and Fincantieri, alongside the OCCAR-EA PPA Programme Division, managing the programme on behalf of Italian MoD. The firing test was carried out at the Italian Joint Armed Forces Firing Range (PISQ) at sea area in Eastern Sardinia, based on the video showing a CMS console operator with a map of the island and ship position in front of the PISQ land section.
Giovanni delle Bande Nere commander Claudia de Cesare said in press statement provided to Naval News:
“The launch was conducted in full compliance with the established planning. Each phase of the operation fully met expectations, and the successful achievement is evidence of the effective teamwork that saw us operate in perfect synergy with the industrial sector”
“The test saw the missile passing at an effective distance from the (Leonardo) Mirach 100/5 target, simulating an anti-ship missile. The interception was completed with the expected trajectories and within the established time, thanks to the close collaboration between the Navy and the private industry experts on board,” added the statement without providing further details. Naval News understands the fired Aster 30 had a telemetric head.
SAAM-ESD PPA
The test firing marks a key milestone in the SAAM-ESD PPA qualification achievement on board the Thaon di Revel class of vessels and its anti-air warfare (AAW) capabilities in the integrated mode with the CMS for both the PPA Light Plus and Full configurations, after the same ship has completed, according to plans, an initial test firing on 19 November 2024 on the PISQ range with the air defence missile system in a stand-alone mode, having the firing also the scope to verify the platform structural integrity. This achievement conducted only one month after the ship’s delivery to the Italian Navy, is a testament of the crew preparation and readiness with the support of industry.
The SAAM ESD PPA qualification process achievement in the integrated mode with the platform CMS represents the last step that will allow the Giovanni delle Bande Nere to participate in the Formidable Shield 2025 Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) exercise under NATO aegis on the UK MoD Hebrides range (Scotland), “projecting the unit into a context of international cooperation between Allies in the missile defense sector,” according to the statement.
“The qualification activities has demonstrated the SAAM ESD PPA advanced capabilities,” added the statement, being capable by design to extend the concept of self-defence of the launching platform to that of other ships protection, as in the case of a naval group engaged in operational activities.
Developed by MBDA Italia based on Italian Navy requirements, the SAAM-ESD PPA includes a command & control (C2) module, which is the core of the system, missile firing unit, the Naval Group A50 vertical launching system for missiles with two 8-cell, and the Aster air defence missile family including Aster 15, 30 and Block 1NT munitions, the latter being integrated through the SADOC Mk 4 CMS with the Leonardo Dual Band Radar (DBR) including the C-band Kronos Quad and the X-band Kronos StarFire AESA radar four fixed face arrays each as installed on board the PPA/MPCS in the Full configuration or the C-band Kronos Quad radar which equips the Light Plus configured PPA/MPCS.
The DBR has an advanced system manager which acts as a central brain, managing one or both sensors ensuring that the overall performances of the entire system will be greater than the sum of the single radar components thanks to the ability to dynamically and adaptive allocate the resources to the current operative scenario. Thanks to the same advanced system manager, exploiting integrated functions, the radar also works together, with the ELT Group (Elettronica) fully integrated EW suite with RESM/CESM/RECM subsystems, ensuring an higher level of detection, situational awareness, intelligence, protection and electronic attack.
As the first PPA with anti-air warfare capabilities, the Raimondo Montecuccoli (P 432) PPA Light Plus equipped with the DBR’s C-band Kronos Quad radar and the SAAM-ESD PPA missile system was immediately involved in a Indo-Pacific campaign lasting 190 days after its delivery to the Italian Navy and the crew training, the first available ship to complete the qualification of the SAAM ESD PPA air defence missile system became the Bande Nere and fourth PPA/MPCS with the Full combat configuration. The Montecuccoli participated to the exercise Pacific Dragon 24 in the Hawaii Operating Area. This exercise, where the ship combat system namely the Leonardo DBR was successfully engaged in operations, is designed to improve tactical and technical coordination and interoperability concerning regional air and missile defense capability.
