PAAMS

Italian Horizon-class destroyer, Caio Duilio, equipped with the PAAMS(E) integrated anti-aircraft warfare system

The Principal Anti Air Missile System (PAAMS) is a joint programme developed by France, Italy and the United Kingdom for an integrated anti-aircraft warfare system. The prime contractor is EUROPAAMS, a joint venture between Eurosam (66%) and MBDA subsidiary UKAMS (33%). MBDA also owns 66% of Eurosam, in effect giving it a 77% share of the project. In the United Kingdom PAAMS has been given the designation Sea Viper.^[1]

The PAAMS warfare system is in service with the Royal Navy, French Navy and the Italian Navy.

Background

The Action Information Centre aboard HMS Daring, 2009

PAAMS was originally intended to be deployed in the 'Common New Generation Frigate' (also known as the Horizon-class frigate) for the navies of the United Kingdom, France and Italy.^[2] The French DGA placed a contract with EUROPAAMS on 11 August 1999 for the development production of the PAAMS warfare system along with the associated Long Range Radar (LRR) system. The contract included including one PAAMS system and one LRR for each of the first British, French and Italian new class of warships. However irreconcilable differences in the design requirements led to the United Kingdom leaving the 'Common New Generation Frigate' project in October 1999. After withdrawing, Britain instead decided to pursue a national warship design, designated the 'Type 45 destroyer'. The United Kingdom remained committed to the PAAMS project.^[3] As a result of efforts to achieve economies of scale, the PAAMS command system shares common architecture between the Horizon-class and Type 45 destroyers. On 28 January 2009, the PAAMS was given its official designation of Sea Viper by the Royal Navy.^[1]

PAAMS components

• PAAMS(S) — British variant with SAMPSON Multi-Function Radar (MFR)
• PAAMS(E) — French/Italian variant with EMPAR Multi-Function Radar
• Automatic Command and control system
• Consoles running Windows 2000 operating system
• Sylver Vertical Launching System
• MBDA Aster missiles:
  • Aster 15, range; 1.7–30 km
  • Aster 30, range; 3–120 km

Both variants of the PAAMS operate in conjunction with the S1850M Long Range Early Warning Radar.

Capabilities

HMS Diamond firing Sea Viper surface-to-air missile for the first time

PAAMS is designed to track, target and destroy a variety of high performance air threats, including saturation attacks of very low altitude, supersonic cruise missiles, fighter aircraft and UAVs. PAAMS can launch 8 missiles in under 10 seconds with its Sylver Vertical Launching System, and simultaneously guide up to 16 missiles at once.^[4] The British PAAMS(S) variant consists of both the SAMPSON and S1850M long range radars and is capable of tracking in excess of 1,000 targets at ranges of up-to 400 km. BAE Systems also claims that its SAMPSON radar has "excellent detection of stealth aircraft and missiles".^[5] Nick Brown the editor-in-chief of Jane’s International Defence Review was quoted by The Huffington Post saying, "It’s [Type 45 destroyer] certainly one of the most advanced air defence ships in the world... The US Aegis system is similar, but Sea Viper (PAAMS) is more advanced."^[6]

Testing

• During its first major warfare sea exercise aboard HMS Daring the ship's Combat Management System crashed while under simulated air attack due to a power failure and the ship lost use of its combat management system; the ship's crew reverted to use of binoculars to spot incoming airborne threats until the CMS had been restarted.^[7]
• In 2009, two test firings of PAAMS in the British configuration from the Longbow trials barge failed due to "failures in the terminal phase of the engagement." It was believed that "production weaknesses" in a batch of Aster 30 missiles imported from France were to blame.^[8]
• Beginning with HMS Dauntless in September 2010, all of the Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyers have successfully intercepted Mirach drones with Aster missiles at the Benbecula ranges off the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Mirach is a 13 ft jet which flies at speeds of up to 600mph (966km/h) at altitudes as low as 10ft (3m) or as high as 14,000ft (4km).^[9][10][11]
• In April 2012, the Horizon-class frigate, Forbin, of the French Navy downed an American GQM-163 Coyote target simulating a sea-skimming supersonic anti-ship cruise missile traveling at Mach 2.5 (3000 km/h) with an altitude of less than 5 metres. It was the first time a European missile defence system destroyed a supersonic sea-skimming "missile". The trial was described as a "complex operational scenario".^[12]

Operators

Current operators

Map with PAAMS operators in blue

 United Kingdom

•  Royal Navy
  • Type 45 destroyers - six ships

 France

•  French Navy
  • Horizon-class frigates - two ships

 Italy

•  Marina Militare
  • Horizon-class frigates - two ships

See also

• Aegis Combat System
• Anti-aircraft warfare

References

External links

• Navy Matters on PAAMS
• UK's Parliamentary Defence Select Committee: Session 2001/02 Update on weapons programmes.
• UK's Parliamentary Defence Select Committee: Session 2002/03 Update on Type 45, PAAMS, and other surface ships.