Airborne cruise missile ASMP (ASMP-A)

Work on the development of missile weapons with a powerful nuclear or thermonuclear BC, suitable for placement on strategic aircraft carriers, began in France in the late 1960s under the leadership of the company "Aerospatiale". In 1970 it was decided to start research and development on creation of perspective ALCM with thermonuclear BC, the first missile was to be produced no later than 1974. However in 1971, on the wave of successes achieved in the process of creation of MRBMs and SSBNs/ SSBNs, the problem seemed to have lost its urgency and the program of creation of such aircraft-based weapons was closed. However, in the second half of the 1970s, the French top military leadership became aware of the growing role of strategic aviation in a possible limited war, especially on the European TVD. In this case, neither MRBMs nor SLBMs could accomplish the necessary tasks, and Air Force aircraft (primarily Mirage-IVA medium-range strategic supersonic bombers) equipped with free-falling nuclear bombs of relatively low power (the most powerful, AN-22, had a power of no more than 70 kt and a mass of about 750 kg) were too vulnerable to air defense. Therefore, in 1977. Technical Department of the Ministry of Defense of the country issued an appeal to the leading aerospace companies of the country with the call to study the current situation and find the answer to new challenges. According to the results of the contest, the concept of "Aerospatiale Matra" corporation was recognized as the best concept.

The company started to develop a promising short-range thermonuclear missile in 1978, focusing as a carrier on the newest multi-purpose tactical supersonic aircraft "Mirage-2000", which was then under development and testing. The new missile was named ASMP ("Air-Sol Moyenne Portee" - a medium-range "air-to-ground" missile). SNPE was the developer of the propulsion system for the new missile. The division "Direction des Affaires Militaires" of the civil authority "Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique" was responsible for the production of the combat unit. The launch range of the ASMP missile was to allow for a strike against a selected target without the bomber entering the air defense zone of the target. The new missile had to become resistant to PFC, have a significant speed and high maneuverability, have a sufficiently powerful BC and high accuracy.

However, due to a delay in the creation of a new aircraft carrier, in 1979 it was decided to equip missiles ASMP primarily existing strategic supersonic bombers "Mirage-IVA" (with upgrading them to the level of "Mirage-IVP"). In 1980, it was also approved the concept of equipping these missiles light attack deck aircraft "Super Etandard", based on two multi-purpose aircraft carriers available in France, type "Clemenceau". Deck aircraft were to use new weapons not only against ground targets, but also against large surface groups of the Soviet Navy, the power of which after the introduction of heavy aircraft carriers and missile cruisers began to worry NATO analysts.

The serial production of new missiles began at the end of 1983, the first missiles entered the operational units in September 1985... The ASMP missile was officially adopted in 1986, when it was equipped with "Mirage-IVP" 91st strategic bomber squadron (May - 1st squadron, Mont-de-Marsan air base; December - 2nd squadron, Cazo air base, a total of 18 aircraft). The newest aircraft "Mirage-2000N" (N - from "nucleaire", ie special strategic "nuclear" modification, with a crew of 2 people and special electronics, especially resistant to PFN and allows you to make a long supersonic flight at low altitude with following the terrain) received the first rockets in July 1988, and "fleet" Super Etandard - in June 1989. For the basing of the modified aircraft "Super Etandard" was modernized, however, only one of the two available aircraft carriers - "Foch" (11th Navy Aviation Flotilla).

All manufactured ASMP missiles were upgraded in the period 1987-1991, when the TN-80 thermonuclear BC was replaced by an improved, lighter, safer and PFC-resistant BC TN-81 of the same capacity (the replacement was made by upgrading the TN-80 BC). In order to improve the attack aviation capabilities in the first half of the 1980s, France also purchased from the U.S. strategic air tankers KC-135F "Stratotanker" adapted to French conditions, which began to perform tasks in 1985.

In 1996, among the ASMP missile carriers were excluded aircraft "Mirage-IVP", transferred to the category of strategic scouts (in 2005, finally removed from service). At the same time, the ASMP missile should receive the latest supersonic multi-purpose aircraft "Rafale-B / C" (double / single attack option for the Air Force) and "Rafale-M" (single deck attack option for the Navy). Deck carriers are to be placed on Charles de Gaulle nuclear multipurpose aircraft carriers. KC-135FR and French strategic air tankers KC-135F "Stratotanker" have been upgraded to the level of KC-135F - the improved vehicles have the ability to transfer at refueling by 50% more fuel with the same range.

In the 90s, after the collapse of the IAB and the USSR, the probability of armed conflict in Europe decreased dramatically. However, despite this, France has been steadily improving the aviation component of its nuclear forces. In 1996, the study of the concept of an advanced missile to replace the ASMP began. Originally it was supposed to equip the promising carriers (first of all, the multi-purpose fighter-bomber Rafale) with a new ASLP missile with the promising TN-100 (TN-100) with a capacity of 200 kt. The new missile was to have a range from 140 to 1300 km, speed M=3 (near the Earth) and M=4 (at high altitude), length of 5.25 m, high accuracy. However, a thorough analysis of the project revealed its extremely high cost, which in the absence of a specific strategic adversary after the collapse of the USSR meant that the presented values of potential costs would not receive approval from the country's leadership. As a result, it was decided to develop a less ambitious new missile as a deep upgrade of ASMP.

In 2001, the Aerospatiale Matra Corporation received a contract from the French Ministry of Defense for the development and production of the ASMP-A ("Air-Sol Moyenne Portee - Amelioree", an improved medium-range air-to-ground missile), which is a deep upgrade of the ASMP missile. The new missile, first of all, should gain increased range and accuracy, get new, interference-proof electronics, become less visible to the enemy's radar. The new-generation combat unit with a choice of blast power should increase the effectiveness and flexibility of the ASMP-A missile against various targets. The first launch of the new missile was held from aboard the "Mirage-2000N" in January 2006. On the armament of aviation groups of the Air Force, equipped with aircraft "Mirage-2000N" and "Rafale", new missiles come from 2008, the process of rearmament should be completed in 2018. The only aviation group of the Navy, having in service the aircraft "Rafale-M", will receive new missiles in 2010.

Evaluating the project, it can be noted that France managed to create by its own forces quite effective "additional-strategic" (according to the French classification) weapons, which significantly increased the combat potential of attack aircraft in a military conflict of limited intensity.