Overview  |  Description  |  Technical card  |  Industrial card  |  Equipment and ammunition  |  Countries equipped  |  Cooperation

The PAAMS system (Principal Anti Air Missile System) will be the primary weapon for the future air defence frigates Horizon (a cooperative Franco-Italian project) and T45 destroyer for the UK Royal Navy. It will simultaneously provide self-defence for thecarrying vessel and local area and medium range air defence for a warship group. The system is based on numerous items of the FSAF family and consists of :

  Multifunction radars integrated into a fire control system:EMPAR for France and Italy and SAMPSON for the UK,
  S1850M long range radar,
  ASTER 15 (medium range) and ASTER 30 (long range) missiles, able to intercept saturating attacks by aircraft and manoeuvring supersonic missiles.
  Vertical launchers using the SYLVER vertical launchmodule,
  A command and control system based on the MARA VME computer and MAGICS II consoles used to monitor the tactical situation, to evaluate the threat, and to provide fire control for the missiles, integrated into the ship’s combat system or, as a backup, independently.

The ASTER family, designed and developed by MBDA is based on atwo-stage missile which is launched vertically and which has an original "PIF-PAF" control system (see table), which combines conventional aerodynamic control with gas-jet control at the centre of gravity of the missile.