avia.wikisort.org - Weapon

The Missile d’Interception, de Combat et d’Auto-défense (English: "Interception, Combat and Self-protection Missile") or MICA is a French anti-air multi-target, all weather, fire-and-forget short and medium-range missile system manufactured by MBDA France. It is intended for use both by air platforms as individual missiles as well as ground units and ships, which can be equipped with the rapid fire MICA Vertical Launch System. It is fitted with a thrust vector control (TVC) system. It was developed from 1982 onward by Matra. The first trials occurred in 1991, and the missile was commissioned in 1996 to equip the Rafale and Mirage 2000. It is a replacement for both the Super 530 in the interception role and the Magic II in the dogfighting role.

MICA
An air-launched MICA IR on a Dassault Rafale
Type	Short/medium range air-to-air and surface-to-air missile
Place of origin	France
Service history
In service	1996–present
Used by	See Operators
Production history
Manufacturer	MBDA France
Specifications
Mass	112 kg[1]
Length	3.1 m[1]
Diameter	160 mm[1]
Warhead	12 kg warhead[1]
Detonation mechanism	Proximity or direct impact[1]
Engine	Solid-propellant rocket motor
Operational range	Air-launched: Up to 60 km [2][3][4] Vertical-launched: Up to 20 km[1]
Flight altitude	Vertical-launched: 0–9 km[5]
Maximum speed	Air-launched: Mach 4[6] Vertical-launched: Mach 3[7][unreliable source?]
Guidance system	Midcourse: Inertial guidance[8] Datalink Terminal: MICA-EM: Active radar homing MICA-IR: Infrared homing
Launch platform	Surface ships Submarines Ground batteries Dassault Rafale Mirage 2000 Mirage F1 Su-30MKI

On 11 June 2007, a MICA launched from a Rafale successfully demonstrated its over-the-shoulder capability by destroying a target behind the launch aircraft. The target was designated by another aircraft and coordinates were transmitted by Link 16.[9]

Characteristics

There are two MICA variants; MICA RF has an active radar homing seeker and MICA IR has an imaging infra-red homing seeker. Both seekers are designed to filter out counter-measures such as chaff and decoy flares. A thrust vector control unit fitted to the rocket motor increases the missile's agility. The missile is capable of lock-on after launch (LOAL) which means it is capable of engaging targets outside its seeker's at-launch acquisition range. Mounted on the Rafale, the MICA IR can provide IR imagery to the central data processing system, thus acting as an extra sensor.[10]

MICA can also be employed as a short-range surface-to-air missile. It is available in a ground-based version, VL MICA, fired from a truck-mounted box launcher, and a naval version, VL MICA-M, fired from a ship-fitted vertical launch system.[7] On October 23, 2008, 15:30, at CELM, Biscarosse (Landes), a VL MICA missile successfully performed the last of its 14 test firings meaning it is now ready for mass production. The target drone was flying at low level, over the sea, 12 km away; despite this distance, MICA, equipped with an active radar seeker, locked on the target and shot it down.

Corvettes too small to have the big and costly Aster missile system are the most likely customers for the VL MICA-M, which offers similar capability as the Aster 15 but without its booster and PIF-PAF vectorial control.[11]

While the VL MICA has an advertised range of 20 km, aerodynamic performance is significantly degraded at those ranges. From 0 to 7 km MICA has maneuverability of 50g, however by 12 km this is reduced to 30g as energy is lost.[12]

Variants

• MICA RF
• MICA EM
• MICA IR
• VL MICA RF
• VL MICA IR
• VL MICA-M RF
• VL MICA-M IR
• MICA NG . Second generation of MICA designed against stealthy targets. Infrared seeker will use a matrix sensor providing greater sensitivity. The radio frequency seeker will use an AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array).[13]

Operators

Current operators

 Botswana

• Botswana Ground Force: VL MICA on erector launcher, acquired in 2016.[14]

 Egypt

• Egyptian Air Force: MICA EM/IR used on Rafale aircraft.[15]
• Egyptian Navy: VL MICA-M installed on Gowind-class corvettes.

 France

• French Air Force: used on Mirage 2000-5, Mirage 2000D RMV and Rafale aircraft.[16][17][18]
• French Navy: used on Rafale M aircraft[18] and Barracuda-class submarine.

 Georgia

• Georgian Air Force: VL MICA[19][20] along with Ground Master 200 and 400 radars from Thales Raytheon Systems.[21]

 Greece

• Hellenic Air Force: MICA EM/IR[22][23] on Mirage 2000 and Rafale fighters.

 India

• Indian Air Force: 200 MICA-IR and 1000 MICA-RF missiles are integrated on upgraded Mirage-2000s and Rafales.[24] Indian Air Force successfully tested MICA missile from its aircraft Sukhoi Su-30MKI.[25]
• Indian Navy: on Kalvari-class submarines.

 Indonesia

• Indonesian Navy: VL MICA-M installed on Martadinata-class frigate.[26]

 Morocco

• Royal Moroccan Army: Ground based VL MICA.[27]
• Royal Moroccan Air Force[28]
• Royal Moroccan Navy: VL MICA-M installed on Sigma-class design.

 Oman

• Royal Navy of Oman: VL MICA-M used on the Khareef-class corvettes.

 Qatar

• Qatar Emiri Air Force[29]

 Saudi Arabia

• Saudi Arabia National Guard Air Defence: VL-MICA.^{[citation needed]}

 Singapore

• Republic of Singapore Navy: Independence-class littoral mission vessel is equipped with the VL MICA-M.[30]

 Republic of China

• Republic of China Air Force: 960 originally purchased to equip Mirage 2000-5 fighters of the RoCAF. The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology has been tasked with upgrading the missile in 2016.[31]

 Thailand

• Royal Thai Army: VL MICA on truck-mounted box launcher.

 United Arab Emirates

• United Arab Emirates Air Force: on the Mirage 2000.[32]
• United Arab Emirates Navy: VL MICA-M on Falaj 2-class patrol vessel.

Future operators

 Malaysia

• Royal Malaysian Navy: VL MICA-M has been selected to be installed on six Maharaja Lela-class frigates.

 Croatia

• Croatian Air Force: With the purchase of the Rafale F3R fighter jets come MICA missiles in radar-guided and infrared versions.

 Bulgaria

• Bulgarian Navy: In september 2022 bulgarian government decided for the purchase of VL MICA for the two future patrol ships of bulgarian navy. The first ship is under construction and will be commissioned in 2025.

See also

References

External links

• "MBDA's Anti-Ship & Air Defence Weapons at LIMA 2013: Multiple Solutions For Multiple Missions", Navy recognition.

На других языках

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[de] MICA

Die MICA (Missile d’Interception, de Combat et d’Autodéfense) ist eine Kurz- und Mittelstrecken-Luft-Luft-Rakete, die ursprünglich von Matra (heute MBDA) entwickelt wurde. Sie soll die von Matra entwickelte R.550 Magic sowie die Super 530 ersetzen.

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- [en] MICA (missile)

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[fr] MICA

Le missile français anti-aérien MICA (acronyme de « Missile d'Interception, de Combat et d'Auto-défense ») a été conçu pour remplacer à la fois le Super 530D (moyenne portée) et le Matra R550 Magic II (courte portée), équipant les Mirage 2000 et le Rafale, pour les engagements au-delà de la portée visuelle (BVR). Le MICA remplit donc les missions qui nécessitent habituellement l'emploi de deux missiles, par exemple AIM-120 AMRAAM et AIM-9 Sidewinder. Avec ses 112 kg, soit de 50 kg inférieur à celui d'un AIM-120A, il affiche une portée comparable, qui est de 60 km pour la version IR et 80 km pour la version EM[4],[5],[6], tout en obtenant une très grande manœuvrabilité grâce à ses gouvernes aérodynamiques et surtout à la poussée vectorielle dont il est le premier missile occidental à bénéficier, égale à celle de l'AIM-9 Sidewinder pourtant plus léger de 27 kg[7].

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[it] MICA (missile)

Il Matra MICA (MBDA MICA) è il più recente ed efficace missile antiaereo francese a medio raggio. MICA è l'acronimo di « missile d'interception, de combat et d'auto-défense » che significa "missile di intercettazione di combattimento e di autodifesa". L'arma è giunta in servizio con diversi anni di ritardo rispetto all'AMRAAM americano, ma si fa notare per il suo peso incredibilmente ridotto, 110 kg, paragonabile a quello di missili a corto raggio. Eppure il MICA ha una gittata utile di 0,5-80 km[1][2], maggiore del predecessore Super R.530; con un radar, attivo nella testata, può agganciare i bersagli automaticamente. Il caccia lo può guidare tramite datalink fino al bersaglio, grazie al radar RDY multimodale di cui gli ultimi Mirage 2000 sono dotati, e l'RBE del Dassault Rafale. Il MICA è stato sviluppato anche nel modello IR che, se non fosse per il costo, avrebbe rimpiazzato il Matra R.550 Magic. Dieci anni fa creò scalpore la vendita di 60 Mirage 2000 a Taiwan, associati a non meno di 960-1440 missili MICA.

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[ru] MICA

MICA (фр. Missile d’Interception de Combat et d’Autodéfense, буквально «ракета перехвата и самообороны») — французская авиационная ракета класса «воздух-воздух» для поражения высокоманёвренных целей на малой и средней дистанции. Была разработана в качестве замены ракет средней дальности Matra Super 530D/F и ракет ближнего боя Matra R550 Magic II для вооружения истребителей Mirage 2000 и Rafale.

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