MBDA’s Marte ER anti-ship missile has completed its first firing, successfully passing a major phase in its development say the firm.
The firing trial was carried out at an Italian test range.
The Marte ER missile flew for more than 100km on a planned trajectory that included several waypoints and sea skimming flight, successfully testing all flying phases.
Pasquale Di Bartolomeo, Executive Group Director Sales & Business Development and Managing Director MBDA Italia, commented:
“This test is a further confirmation of the robustness of the ER version of the Marte family of multi-platform anti-ship missiles that can be launched by ships, helicopters, coastal batteries and fast jets. The Marte family has a strong and successful history both at domestic and international levels: most recently with Marte ER being ordered earlier in 2018 by the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) for their new NH90 helicopters.
Marte is a single product family that can cover several missions, offering our customers a high level of operational flexibility in the area of maritime superiority, a domain where MBDA in Italy has been able throughout its long history not only to maintain but also to grow as well as further develop competencies and know-how.”
MARTE ER represents the 3rd generation within the MARTE family of missile systems and is derived from MARTE MK2/S which is already in service with the Italian Navy on its NFH90 and AW101 helicopters. The main difference between the two lies in the introduction of a turbo engine in place of the rocket motor.
Is Marte-ER integrated on Typhoon?
It appears so.
https://www.mbda-systems.com/product/marte-er/
Going to be, sorry!
Going to be for the Kuwaiti’s.
It could also be integrated into our merlins as an off the shelf Solution until the next generation of missiles are operational, but we will just wait around for all eternity with no real Air launched Anti ship missile until then.
It can’t be integrated into our Merlin’s as the computers are different to the Italians. It would be good for the MOD to make a small purchase of MARTE ER for our Typhoons to give us atleast some anti ship capability in the near term. It would also help keep faith with Italy at a key time for both countries and their European relations.
the merlin mission computers and the weapons computers are the same for both uk and italy. some software additions are required for RN, as we cant even carry sea eagle.
I would have that our Merlin’s would have the standard weapons bus etc for electronic integration otherwise we really overpaid for the HM MK2 upgrade. Hopefully the mod could use the Italian integration of marte to stop all the carriage trials etc. I personally think that marte er is a no brainer especially when harpoon bows out