Sagem’s Powered Smart Weapon underlines Rafale’s omnirole capability

A French Air Force Rafale executed an infraredguided precision air-to-ground strike with a 250 kg version of Sagem’s AASM (in French, Modular Air-to-Ground Weapon) and an air-to-air firing with MBDA’s MICA missile. According to an announcement by the French Ministry of Defence, this took place all in the same mission, carried out at the French defence procurement agency’s (DGA) test and missile launch centre at Biscarosse (south-western France), in the presence of the Indian delegation for Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft Field Evaluation Trial.

The AASM-250 was dropped off the coast and covered 50-plus km before striking its target with an expected precision in line with the strictest specifications of the latest competitive bidding for air-to-ground weaponry. The aircraft then fired its air-to-air missile at a remotely controlled target simulating an air threat. For the French Air Force, the success of these two firings “...demonstrates the Rafale’s ability to deliver a long range precision weapon while ensuring its defence when faced with air threats”.

Interestingly enough, the standard Mk-82 warhead fitted to the AASM proved to well exceed its specified penetration power. Actually this result was no real surprise as it comes down to the AASM’s capability to perfectly control flight parameters, among them speed and Angle of Attack at impact point, paramount to get the best of a Penetrator.