France has an upgraded Air-Sol Moyenne Portée-Amélioré ASMP-A cruise missile, the base version of which the French Navy and Air and Space Force has got in 1986. France may also be able to resume production of this missile, but at the same time it has been seeking to replace the ASMP-A cruise missile for years, Zone Military reports.
Initially, there were two options: stealth and hypersonic. Subsequently, it became known that it was gong to be the ASN4G (Air-Sol Nucléaire of 4th generation) cruise missile.
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Jean-Yves Le Drian, the then Minister of Defense, claimed, “The strategy of a breakthrough of enemy defenses with missiles on a hypersonic speed is still a serious scientific and technological issue. And the stealth requires materials with strong characteristics, compatible with severe environment, and mission preparation systems, optimized for quick response and maximum breakthrough of defenses.
In 2021, it was reported that the technological solution for the ASN4G cruise missile project would be chosen soon. Erve de Bonaventure, the advisor to the general director of the MBDA, noted that the technological work on the ASN4G missile had started in 1990s, along with the ASMP-A missile project that had been focused on high speed.
“We have products that can help to test the ASN4G missile and simulate the flight on the hypersonic speed since then,” he said.
Erve de Bonaventure also noted that MBDA had conducted studies on hypersonics as early as 2000-2010, as part of the PROMETHEE 1, 2, and 3 programs, in co-contracting with ONERA.
France will have gotten the missile by 2035. The ASN4G missile is supposed to be relevant after 2050s. There is even a department in MBDA formed to “predict the ground and air defense systems of the future”.
The general director of the MBDA claims that high speed and manouvering indicators are the best way to achieve late detection. The missile is adapted for the Rafale multirole fighter, its maximum speed is 7-8 Mach, its operations range is up to 1000 km.
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