RSE Kriens

RSE Kriens was a Swiss-developed surface-to-air missile. It never entered service. It was named Kriens after Kriens, a village located in the canton of Lucerne.

RSE Kriens
Kriens RSe Missile on a duplex launcher at the Flieger-Flab-Museum
Type	Surface-to-air missile
Place of origin	Switzerland
Production history
Designed	1959
Manufacturer	Oerlikon Contraves
Produced	1958–1966
Specifications
Mass	missile: 800 kg (empty 360 kg)
Length	5.4 m (17 ft 9 in)
Diameter	42 cm (1 ft 5 in)
Wingspan	2.0 m (6 ft 7 in)
Warhead	70 kg warhead
Engine	Solid fuel rocket motor
Operational range	35 km (22 mi)
Flight ceiling	27,000 m (89,000 ft)
Maximum speed	Mach 2.9
Guidance system	Beam-riding
Steering system	control surfaces
Launch platform	vehicle or trailer

Design and development

From 1959 to 1966, Contraves, along with many other Swiss companies, developed the Kriens, while drawing on the experience of the guided missile system RSC / D, RSD 58. The missile project was funded by both private Swiss companies, as well as the federal government, and was developed up to production-ready stage. The first flight was on 23 March 1964.

The missile's modular system used advanced technology for the ground equipment and the missiles, and the whole system could be interconnected to a multi-part cluster, which included several radars and missile launchers. However, after introduction of the British Bristol Bloodhound as the BL-64 the project was cancelled by the EMD, and the missile was never mass-produced, neither for Switzerland nor for another nation. For export, the system was given the name 'Micon'.

A launcher with two missiles is held at the Flieger-Flab-Museum.

The fire unit consisted of a measuring radar, 1-3 radio collars, 4 launchers, command car, trolley and several units (generators). The trolley, command car, tracking device and aggregates were individually housed on single-axle trailers, the measuring radar and missile launchers on each two-axle trailers.

• Rowing span: 1.5 m
• Thrust / burning time: t = 6.5 for 9 seconds then 1.8 t for 16 seconds
• Burnout velocity: 900 m / s
• Generator on-board supply of hydraulic and electronic: 20 kW

Contraves built the research rocket Zenit-C using their experience and expertise from designing the Kriens.