The Crotale EDIR (Ecartométrie Différentielle InfraRouge, "InfraRed Differential Ecartometry") is an all-weather short-range anti-air missile, which can be used to intercept low-flight anti-ship missiles and aircraft.The origins of this air defense system lie in South African order. In 1964 South Africa ordered Thomson-Houston (later Thomson-CSF and now Thales) to develop a point defense system. Development was mostly funded by South Africa, and partially by the French government.Developed by Thales Air Defense (formerly Thomson-CSF Airsys) based at Bagneux in France.
These systems were delivered to South Africa between 1971 and 1973. It was locally named the Cactus. Soon after the French air force ordered this system for airfield defense, naming the system Crotale. It entered service in 1972. By 1978 a total of 20 batteries were delivered.
Development
Originally the Crotale R440 system was developed by Rockwell International and Thomson-Houston (and Mistral) in France for South Africa, where it got the name Cactus. However, the achievements of the system impressed the French Armed Forces, who purchased the system both for the air force and for the navy.
The firing system includes the main sensors of the ship, the firing system of the turret, and a central coordination system. The turret holds eight missiles ready for launch in watertight containers. The magazine behind the turret holds 18 missiles.
The French army first utilised a 4x4 wheeled vehicle, armed with four launchers. In order to ensure higher mobility, it was decided to mount the system on the chassis of the French AMX-30 main battle tank. At the same time, the number of launchers were increased to six. In Finnish Army service, the Crotale NG system has been mounted on Sisu Pasi vehicles. Here the number of launchers is eight.
The Crotale system has also been installed on various military ships. For instance the French Navy La Fayette class frigates have a Crotale 8-tubed launcher near the helicopter flight deck.
Technology
The Crotale missile system consists of two components; a vehicle for transport, equipped with 2-8 launchers, a tracking radar is located between the launchers. A second vehicle carries the surveillance radar. The radar surveillance vehicle can be connected to several launcher vehicles, in order to achieve an effective air-defence system. The Crotale NG has incorporated both the launcher and the surveillance radar in one vehicle.
The missile is driven by solid-propellant fuel. It can reach its maximum speed of Mach 2.3 within only two seconds and then follows the radar beam, until its infrared fuze senses that it is near its target and explodes.
The surveillance radar and fire direction radar has a range of 20 km and the TV-link works up to 15 km. The TV-guidance system uses both regular and infrared cameras. The system can follow 8 targets simultaneously, and the guidance radar can follow both hovering helicopters as well as fighters exceeding speeds over Mach 2. The Crotale can also use surveillance data from other systems, data from optical surveillance and from the general aerial picture from the national air defence communications system.
In March 1988, Cuban intelligence operatives evaluated the system as deployed by the South African Defence Force during the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale. They claimed it was ineffective against attack profiles of the MiG-21 and MiG-23 operated by the Angolan Air Force, criticising the design as "shoddy", "outdated", and "useless".
Variants
R440 Crotale
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| Crotale R440 launchers aboard the frigate Tourville |
HQ-7
China developed the HQ-7 SAM system partly from reverse-engineering Crotale. An improved version, the HQ-7A/FM-90, is known to exist.
Shahab Thaqeb
In 2002 Iran revealed details concerning a domestically produced surface-to-air missile system, named Shahab Thaqeb. The system, mounted on a 4-wheel trailer, closely resemebled the Chinese HQ-7/FM-80/90 series of which Iran had already received. It was unclear whether these systems were actually manufactured in Iran, or whether some portion of the assembly had been conducted domestically.
The Ya Zahra air defense system was introduced in 2012.
R460 SICA (Shahine)
Thomson-CSF (now Thales) developed a specific version of the Crotale known as "Shahine" for Saudi Arabia. The system became operational in 1980. The main visible differences are mainly the carrier (an AMX 30 armoured carrier instead of the non protected classic carrier), and that it carries a six missile firing unit (instead of four). The purpose of the changes was to allow the Shahine firing and acquisition units to follow and protect the armoured units of the Saudi Armed Forces on the battlefield. The Shahine units were among the first vehicles to liberate Kuwait City in February 1991 - a picture taken of the scene was widely publicised by Newsweek magazine.
Crotale NG (VT-1)
An updated version, New Generation. Finland was the first operator of the system. The cost of the system is roughly 8 million euros (excluding the vehicle). Greece is another user, and paid 1 Billion French Francs in 1998 for 11 systems: 9 for the Hellenic Air Force and 2 for the Hellenic Navy. In 2002 euros, that would have amounted up to 12 million euros per unit.
Crotale Mk.3 (system)
Thales is developing the Crotale mk3, a new long-range variant of the Crotale NG. The Crotale mk3 has a maximum effective range of 16,000m and altitude of 9,000m. With the new Shikra 3D multibeam surveillance radar (derived from the Thales Netherlands SMART-S Mk2 search radar), Crotale mk3 forms Thales's Multishield system designed to protect sensitive sites and theatres of operation.
The Crotale mk3 was first test fired in February 2007 at the DGA Centre d'Essais des Landes (CELM) missile launch range at Biscarrosse in South West France. The mk3 intercepted and destroyed the target at a range of more than 14,000m.
In January 2008, the mk3 missile system successfully intercepted and destroyed a Banshee target drone at altitude 970m and range 8,000m in an 11 seconds engagement. In a second test firing Crotale mk3 destroyed the target flying at an altitude of 500m and range of 15,000m.
K-SAM Pegasus
In 1999, the Republic of Korea Armed Forces awarded a contract to Samsung Thales to jointly develop a South Korean-augmented Crotale NG system for the K-SAM Pegasus short range air defense system. A new sensor system was jointly developed by Samsung and Thales to meet the required operational capability of the upcoming K-SAM Pegasus, as well as a new indigenous missile by LIG Nex1. The electronics and radars were developed by Samsung Electronics. Doosan DST integrated this modified Crotale NG system with a K200 vehicle. 48 units were initially produced for a price-tag of 330 million Euros. A second batch of 66 units was ordered in 2003, valued at 470 million Euros.
Multi-Shield 100
Thales revealed an updated Crotale NG system with Shikra radar at the Paris Air Show in 2007. The system combines Crotale Mk3 VT-1 missile and Shikra multi-beam search radar, with 150 km (detection range). Thales has demonstrated that the system's VT-1 missile has extended range to 15 km.