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Pakistan To Test-Fire Italian Air Defense Missiles in 2010 - Defense News
By tom kington
Published: 12 May 2009 15:33
ROME - Pakistan will test-fire next spring the Spada 2000 air defense system it has acquired from MBDA Italia, officials at the Italian firm said.
The test-firing, which will be staged in Pakistan in the first half of 2010, will follow the delivery in February of the first of 10 Spada batteries ordered by Pakistan for 415 million euros ($565.1 million) in 2007.
"We aim to deliver all 10 of the batteries within 36 months of the test-firing, that is to say by 2013," said Antonio Perfetti, CEO of MBDA Italia, which is the Finmeccanica-owned Italian operation within the European missile house MBDA.
Operated by Italy and Spain, each Spada 2000 system features two firing sections, each containing two to four missile launchers, each hosting six Aspide 2000 missiles. The missiles have an intercept range of more than 20 kilometers.
Since the contract became operational in February 2008, MBDA has launched the construction of facilities in Karachi for maintenance on the systems.
The set-up forms part of an offset arrangement on the sale, which Perfetti said had been "important" to winning the contract.
Two facilities are being prepared, one for maintenance of the Spada system and a second for guidance system testing and maintenance of the Aspide missiles, both completed in February.
Training of Pakistani technicians will start this year, while Pakistani military officials visited MBDA in Italy last week to follow progress, part of a cycle of visits.
Perfetti said the Italian military was continuing to act as liaison with the customer. A second MBDA official added that the Italian Air Force had already helped prove the effectiveness of the system in 2005 when it staged eight test-launches at its Salto di Quirra range for visiting Pakistani officials.
By tom kington
Published: 12 May 2009 15:33
ROME - Pakistan will test-fire next spring the Spada 2000 air defense system it has acquired from MBDA Italia, officials at the Italian firm said.
The test-firing, which will be staged in Pakistan in the first half of 2010, will follow the delivery in February of the first of 10 Spada batteries ordered by Pakistan for 415 million euros ($565.1 million) in 2007.
"We aim to deliver all 10 of the batteries within 36 months of the test-firing, that is to say by 2013," said Antonio Perfetti, CEO of MBDA Italia, which is the Finmeccanica-owned Italian operation within the European missile house MBDA.
Operated by Italy and Spain, each Spada 2000 system features two firing sections, each containing two to four missile launchers, each hosting six Aspide 2000 missiles. The missiles have an intercept range of more than 20 kilometers.
Since the contract became operational in February 2008, MBDA has launched the construction of facilities in Karachi for maintenance on the systems.
The set-up forms part of an offset arrangement on the sale, which Perfetti said had been "important" to winning the contract.
Two facilities are being prepared, one for maintenance of the Spada system and a second for guidance system testing and maintenance of the Aspide missiles, both completed in February.
Training of Pakistani technicians will start this year, while Pakistani military officials visited MBDA in Italy last week to follow progress, part of a cycle of visits.
Perfetti said the Italian military was continuing to act as liaison with the customer. A second MBDA official added that the Italian Air Force had already helped prove the effectiveness of the system in 2005 when it staged eight test-launches at its Salto di Quirra range for visiting Pakistani officials.
