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British man-portable/vehicle mounted surface-to-air missile From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Starstreak is a British short-range surface-to-air missile that can be used as a man-portable air-defence system (MANPADS) or used in heavier systems. It is manufactured by Thales Air Defence (formerly Shorts Missile Systems) in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is also known as Starstreak HVM (High Velocity Missile). After launch, the missile accelerates to more than Mach 4,[4][3] making it the fastest short-range surface-to-air missile in existence.[5] It then launches three laser beam-riding submunitions, increasing the likelihood of a successful hit on the target. Starstreak has been in service with the British Army since 1997. In 2012 Thales relaunched the system as ForceSHIELD.[5]
| Starstreak | |
|---|---|
A British Royal Artillery soldier protects an airfield with a man-portable Starstreak HVM system | |
| Type | Man-portable/vehicle mounted surface-to-air missile |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1997–present |
| Used by | See § Operators |
| Wars | Russo-Ukrainian War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1980s |
| Manufacturer | Thales Air Defence |
| Produced | November 1986 |
| No. built | 7,000 |
| Variants | See § Variants |
| Specifications (Starstreak High Velocity Missile) | |
| Mass | 14 kg (31 lb)[1] |
| Length | 1.397 m (4 ft 7 in) |
| Diameter | 13 cm (5.1 in) |
| Effective firing range | Starstreak: 0.3–7 km (0.186–4.35 mi) Starstreak II: >7 km (4.35 mi)[2][3] |
| Warhead | Three explosive sub-munitions ("darts") |
| Warhead weight | 3×0.9 kg (2.0 lb) tungsten alloy darts, 450 g (16 oz) PBX-98 per dart |
Detonation mechanism | Impact delay |
| Engine | First stage: Royal Ordnance 'Brambling' cast double-based propellant blip rocket motor. Second stage: Royal Ordnance 'Titus' cast double-based propellant |
| Flight ceiling | 7 km (22,966 ft) |
| Maximum speed | More than Mach 3 at second stage burnout[4][3] |
Guidance system | SACLOS, Laser-beam guidance |
Development on the missile began in the early 1980s after an evaluation of missile and gun options to increase air defence capabilities showed that a high-velocity missile system would best meet the needs and could also replace existing shoulder-launched missiles. A General Staff Requirement (GSR 3979)[6] was drawn up with the requirements of the system, specifying the requirement of three launch platforms for the missile:
In 1984, the British Ministry of Defence awarded development contracts to British Aerospace (BAe) and Shorts Missile Systems; the BAe missile was known as Thunderbolt HVM. Shorts won the competition and were awarded £356 million. Further development and a production contract materialized in November 1986, and the missile was officially accepted into service in September 1997. The missile was intended to replace the Javelin surface-to-air missile in British service.[6] The LML and shoulder-launched versions have been in use since 2000.[6]
In July 2001, Thales received a contract for a successor identification friend or foe system for Starstreak.[6]
In mid-2007, Thales UK in Northern Ireland revealed that it had developed Starstreak II, a much improved successor to the Starstreak missile. Some of the advantages of the new version are increased range of 7 km (4.3 mi), improved lethality,[2][3] an improved targeting system, and much higher operating ceiling.[7][8]
In 2011, when it won a contract for the Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM), Thales announced it had agreed with the Ministry of Defence to "re-role previously contracted budgets to facilitate the full-scale development, series production and introduction of the LMM." The contract affected is speculated to have been Starstreak.[9]
When used in the light or MANPADS role, the Starstreak missile is transported in a sealed launch tube. This tube is attached to an aiming unit for firing. The operator tracks the target using the aiming unit's optically stabilized sight. The process of tracking the target allows the aiming unit to compute the right trajectory to bring the missile together with the target. The operator can indicate wind direction to the unit and, in the case of a long-range target, provide superelevation. When the initial tracking is complete, the operator fires the missile by pressing a button.[6]
The missile then fires the first-stage rocket motor; this launches the missile from the tube but burns out before leaving the tube to protect the operator. Four metres (thirteen feet) away from the operator, when the missile is at a safe distance, the second stage fires. This rapidly accelerates the missile to a burn-out velocity exceeding Mach 3. As the second stage burns out, three dart sub-munitions are released.
The dart housing is made from a tungsten alloy. The darts are each 396 millimetres (15.6 in) long, 22 millimetres (0.87 in) in diameter, and about 900 grams (32 oz) in mass. Around half the weight of each dart – approximately 450 g (16 oz) – is its explosive charge, detonated by a delayed-action, impact-activated fuse.[6] Each dart consists of a rotating fore-body, with two canard fins, attached to a non-rotating rear assembly with four fins. The rear assembly of each dart also houses the guidance electronics including a rearwards facing sensor.
The darts do not home in on laser energy reflected from the target; instead, the aiming unit projects two laser beams which paint a two-dimensional matrix upon the target. The lasers are modulated, and by examining these modulations the sub-munitions sensor can determine the dart's location within the matrix. The dart is then steered to keep it in the centre of the matrix. The sub-munitions steer by briefly decelerating the rotating fore-body with a clutch. The front wings then steer the missile in the appropriate direction. The three sub-munitions fly in a formation about 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in radius, and have enough kinetic energy to manoeuvre to meet a target evading at 9 g at 7,000 metres (23,000 ft) altitude.[6]
Earlier laser guidance systems used a single beam that had to be kept on the target at all times, the missile homing in on laser energy reflected off the target; if it moved off the target, the reflection would end and guidance would be lost until the target was regained. This problem could be reduced by making the laser's beam wider, but at the cost of reduced accuracy and reflected energy. Starstreak's system allows for the beam area to be much larger than the target while retaining pinpoint accuracy.
On impact with the target a delayed-action fuze is triggered, allowing the projectile to penetrate the target before the explosive warhead detonates. The tungsten housing is designed to fragment and maximise damage inside the target.[6]
In September 1999, the missile was demonstrated against an FV432 armoured personnel carrier, illustrating the missile's effectiveness as a surface-to-surface weapon.[6] Each sub-munition dart travelling at 4,500 kilometres per hour (2,800 mph) has comparable kinetic energy to a shell from a Bofors 40 mm gun,[citation needed] though it lacks the armour-penetration capabilities of a purpose-built anti-tank guided missile or a dual-purpose missile (such as the Air Defence Anti-Tank System).
Starstreak has a number of advantages over infrared homing guided, radar homing guided, and radio command guidance MCLOS/SACLOS (e.g. Blowpipe or Javelin) missiles:
The missile was brought into service with 12th Regiment Royal Artillery and 47th Regiment Royal Artillery in 1997 as part of the High Velocity Missile (HVM) system equipped with both the Air Defence Acquisition Device (ADAD) and a ×60 thermal sight. Each regiment was equipped with 108 HVM self-propelled armoured launchers mounted on the Stormer tracked chassis capable of holding eight missiles ready to fire and a further eight reloads (the original capacity of twelve was reduced during a revision). The launchers could originally run on batteries for extended periods to minimise their signature, but significant upgrades dramatically increased the system's power requirements. A light-role variant known as HVM Lightweight Multi Launch (LML), capable of holding three ready-to-fire missiles, was also brought into service with the Air Defence Troop Royal Marines and a Royal Artillery Air Assault Battery attached to 16 Air Assault Brigade. The systems' armoured variant, the HVM Self Propelled (Stormer), saw service during the Second Gulf War but did not fire. The British Army currently uses the A5 fifth-generation missile, significantly improved from the original missile. The HVM SP and LML variants now carry a mix of both Starstreak A5 and Lightweight Multirole Missiles.
In 2012 HVM LML light role detachments equipped with Starstreak A4 missiles were emplaced on top of several blocks of flats in London to provide air defence for the 2012 London Olympics.[10][11] In 2013, the British MoD ordered 200 more Starstreak missiles.[12]
On 16 March 2022, following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced that the UK would supply Ukraine with Starstreak missiles to help prevent Russian air supremacy.[13] British soldiers trained Ukrainian forces to use the system.[14] HVM SPs were also deployed to Poland as an interim measure until the arrival of Sky Sabre.[15] In April 2022, Starstreak missiles were in use by Ukrainian soldiers,[16] and it was reported that Ukrainian forces appeared to have successfully used the system to shoot down a Russian Mi-28N attack helicopter.[17][18][19] The missile, according to footage released by the UK MoD, hit with all three projectiles, splitting the helicopter in half.[18] In April 2022, the UK announced it would be providing Alvis Stormer vehicles armed with Starstreak.[20] By June 2023, the system had been used to shoot down multiple Russian drones.[21]
The British Army deployed Starstreak missiles to assist with the security of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.[22]
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