Aster (missile family)

During the 1980s, the predominant missiles in Franco-Italian service were short-range systems such as the French Crotale, Italian Selenia Aspide or American Sea Sparrow, with ranges up to a dozen kilometres. Some vessels were also equipped with the American medium/long range RIM-66 Standard. France and Italy decided to start development of a domestic medium/long range surface-to-air missile to enter service in the first decade of the 21st century, that would give them comparable range but superior interception capability to the American Standard or British Sea Dart already in service. Thought was given in particular to the new missile's ability to intercept next-generation supersonic anti-ship missiles, such as the BrahMos missile developed jointly by India and Russia. This allowed the actual systems to have the characteristic of being specialised either in short-to-medium range "point defence" for e.g. ships, or in medium-to-long range "zone defence" of fleets. In May 1989, a memorandum of understanding was signed between France and Italy for the development of a family of future surface-to air-missiles. Eurosam was formed shortly afterwards. By July 1995 development had taken shape in the form of the Aster missile, and test firing of the first Aster 30 took place. The missile successfully intercepted a target at an altitude of and at speeds of . A Phase 2 contract was awarded in 1997 at US$1 billion for pre-production and development of the French-Italian land and naval systems. During development trials between 1993 and 1994 all flight sequences, altitudes and ranges, were validated. This was also the period during which the launch sequence of Aster 30 was validated. In May 1996, trials of the Aster 15 active electromagnetic final guidance system against live targets began. All six attempts were successful. During 1997 Aster was extensively tested, this time being pitted against targets such as the Aerospatiale C.22 target and first generation Exocet anti-ship missiles. In numerous engagements Aster scored direct impacts on its targets. During an engagement in November 1997 in a strong countermeasures environment, the Aster was not armed with its military warhead, so that the distance between the Aster and the target could be recorded. The target, a C22, was recovered bearing two strong cuts made by the fins of the Aster missile. In May 2001, Aster again completed the "manufacturer's validation firing test". It was deployed for the first time on the French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier . In June 2001, the Aster achieved a successful interception of an Arabel missile at low altitude in less than five seconds. In 2001, a target simulating an aircraft flying at speeds of Mach 1 and at an altitude of was intercepted by an Aster 15. The first ever operational firing of the Aster missile took place during October 2002 on board Charles de Gaulle. In November 2003, Eurosam was awarded the 3 billion euro Phase 3 production contract. Full production and exports to France, Italy, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom started. , France had spent €4.1bn at 2010 prices on 10 SAMP/T launchers, 375 Aster 30 missiles and 200 Aster 15 missiles. Another 80 Aster 30 and 40 Aster 15 were purchased for France's s under a separate programme. In January 2026, the Royal Navy began to study the feasibility of integrating Aster-30 into the Mk41 VLS. ==Characteristics==

There are two versions of the Aster missile family, the short-medium range version, the Aster 15, and the long range version, the Aster 30. The missile bodies are identical. Their difference in range and intercept speed is because Aster 30 uses a much larger booster. Total masses of the Aster 15 and Aster 30 are and respectively. The Aster 15 is long, rising to just under for the Aster 30. Aster 15 has a diameter of . • Aster 30 Block 0: Medium- to long-range surface-to-air missile. It can pull manoeuvres in excess of 50g. • Aster 30 Block 1: Variant with anti-ballistic missile capability; tailored to counter -class short-range ballistic missiles. • Aster 30 Block 2 BMD: Anti-ballistic missile under development and intended to counter up to -class ballistic and maneuvering missiles. Following a lack of information surrounding the variant, development is considered to have ceased. The Aster 30 Block 1 is used on the Eurosam SAMP/T system operated by the French Air and Space Force and the Italian Army. In 2015, France launched the development of the Block 1NT variant, a programme Italy would join in 2016. In 2022, the United Kingdom announced a series of upgrades to its Type 45 destroyers. This included the implementation of the Block 1 version for anti-ship ballistic missile defense. == Production ramp-up ==

In December 2024, during a hearing before the French National Assembly, the Delegate General for Armament, Emmanuel Chiva, announced a significant increase in annual production of Aster missiles, across all variants (Aster 15, Aster 30, Aster 30 B1 NT). Whereas the production forecast for 2025 had originally been capped at 32 missiles, a "tiger team"—a tightly coordinated group involving the DGA, industry and the military staff—has enabled a ramp-up to an estimated 80–100 units. The stated objective is to reach a sustained production rate of over 300 Aster missiles per year by 2028. ==Deployment==

Naval systems French Navy Current ships: • 1 × (4 × Sylver A43 with 8 × Aster 15 each) • 2 × (6 × Sylver A50 with 8 × Aster 15 / Aster 30 each) • 4 × (FR-ASW) (2 × Sylver A43 with 8 × Aster 15 each, 2 × Sylver A70 with up to 8 × Aster 30 each) • 2 × (FR-ASW) (2 × Sylver A50 and 2 × Sylver A70 with up to 8 × Aster 15 / Aster 30 each) • 2 × (FR-AAW) (4 × Sylver A50 with up to 8 × Aster 15 / Aster 30 each) Future ships: • 3 × Amiral Ronarc’h class (FDI) (2 × Sylver A50 with up to 8 × Aster 15 / Aster 30 each) • 2 × Amiral Ronarc’h class (FDI) (4 × Sylver A50 with up to 8 × Aster 15 / Aster 30 each) • 1 × Italian Navy Current ships: • 1 × (4 × Sylver A43 with 8 × Aster 15 each) • 1 × (2 × Sylver A50 with up to 8 × Aster 15 / Aster 30 each) • 2 × (6 × Sylver A50 with 8 × Aster 15 / Aster 30 each) • 4 × '''' (IT-GP) (2 × Sylver A50 with 8 × Aster 15 / Aster 30 each) • 4 × '''' (IT-ASW) (2 × Sylver A50 with 8 × Aster 15 / Aster 30 each) • 2 × '''' (IT-GP-e) (2 × Sylver A50 with 8 × Aster 15 / Aster 30 each) • 7 × (2 × Sylver A70 with 8 × MdCN / Aster 15 / Aster 30 each) Future ships: • 2 × DDX guided missile destroyer (12 × Sylver A50 and A70 with 8 × Aster 15 / Aster 30 each) • 2 × '''' (IT-FREMM-EVO) (2 × Sylver A50 with 8 × Aster 15 / Aster 30 each + 1 × Sylver A70 with 8 × Aster 15 / Aster 30) • 2 × (2 × Sylver A70 with 8 × MdCN / Aster 15 / Aster 30 each) • 8 × MMPC class (1 × Sylver A50 with 8 × Aster 15 / Aster 30 each) Royal Navy (UK) Current ships: • 6 × Type 45-class destroyer (6 × Sylver A50 with 8 × Aster 30 each) Note: the Type 45 got new silos to launch 24 × CAMM missiles, which replace the Aster 15 in their role, and the Sylver A50 can be equipped with only Aster 30 missiles (all gens). Algerian National Navy Current ships: • 1 × (2 × Sylver A50 with 8 × Aster 15 each) Egyptian Navy Current ships: • 1 × (FR-ASW) (2 × Sylver A43 with 8 × Aster 15 each) • 2 × '''' (IT-GP) (2 × Sylver A50 with 8 × Aster 15 / Aster 30 each) Hellenic Navy Current ships: • 1 × (FDI-class) (3 × Sylver A50 with 8 × Aster 15 / Aster 30 each) Future ships: • 3 × (FDI-class) (3 × Sylver A50 with 8 × Aster 15 / Aster 30 each) • 1 × '''' (IT-GP) (2 × Sylver A50 with 8 × Aster 15 / Aster 30 each) • 1 × '''' (IT-ASW) (2 × Sylver A50 with 8 × Aster 15 / Aster 30 each) Moroccan Navy Current ships: • 1 × (FREMM FR-ASW) (2 × Sylver A43 with 8 × Aster 15 each) Qatari Navy Current ships: • 1 × (2 × Sylver A50 with 8 × Aster 30 each) • 4 × Al Zubarah-class frigate (2 × Sylver A50 with 8 × Aster 30 each) Republic of Singapore Navy Current ships: • 6 × (La Fayette-class) (2 × Sylver A43 with 8 × Aster 15 each and 2 × Sylver A50 with 8 × Aster 30 each) Future ships: • 6 × Victory class (evolved arrowhead class) (2 × Sylver A50 with 8 × Aster 15 / Aster 30 each and 2 × Sylver A70 with 8 × Aster 30 each) Saudi Arabian Navy Current ships: • 3 × Al Riyadh-class frigate (La Fayette-class) (2 × Sylver A43 with 8 × Aster 15 each) Land systems The Aster 30 has been incorporated by Eurosam into a mobile SAM system, fulfilling the ground-based theatre air defence/protection requirement. It comes in the form of the Sol-Air Moyenne-Portée/Terrestre (French for "Surface-to-Air Medium-Range/Land-based"), abbreviated as SAMP/T. The system uses a network of radars and sensors – including 3D phased array radar – enabling it to be effective against various air threats such as aircraft, tactical ballistic missiles, standoff missiles, cruise missiles or anti-radiation missiles. SAMP/T NG uses either the Kronos Grand Mobile High Power or the Ground Fire 300 AESA radars. SAMP/T NG will be delivered from 2025. ==Operational history==

– 4th Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment "Peschiera" firing a SAMP/T Aster missile Testing • In April 2008, RSS Intrepid, a of the Republic of Singapore Navy, shot down an aerial drone off the French port of Toulon during a naval exercise. Then again in 2010, a frigate of the same class, RSS Supreme fired an Aster 15 and shot down an aerial drone off the coast of Hawaii as part of exercise RIMPAC 2010. The RSN conducted 6 successful live-firings of the Aster missile over 11 years. • Beginning with 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 jet which flies at speeds of up to at altitudes as low as or as high as . • In December 2011, an Aster 30 missile downed an Israeli Black Sparrow ballistic missile target, the first time an Aster missile had attempted such an engagement. • In April 2012, the , , of the French Navy downed a target simulating a sea-skimming supersonic anti-ship cruise missile flying at 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. • In Oct 2025, French frigate Alsace shot down a modified MICA air to air missile launched by the Rafale M jet using an Aster 30 missile. Russian invasion of Ukraine In May 2023, Italian newspaper reported that France and Italy had jointly delivered a SAMP/T air defense system to Ukraine. In June 2024, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced that Italy would be sending a second SAMP/T system to Ukraine. The date of arrival was not announced. In March 2025, according to the , Ukraine had practically run out of Aster missiles and was asking Italy and France for replenishment. Red Sea crisis In 2024, during Operation Aspides, it is likely that the French Navy utilised Aster 30 to intercept three Houthi ballistic missiles. The missile was also likely used by the Royal Navy to down another Houthi ballistic missile in April 2024. ==Operators==

, equipped with Aster 15/30 displayed in Singapore Air Show 2020 Current operators Naval surface-to-air missile ; : Algerian National Navy ; : Egyptian Navy ; : French Navy ; : Hellenic Navy – Aster 30 B1 for Kimon-class frigates ; : Italian Navy ; : Royal Moroccan Navy ; : Qatar Navy ; : Royal Saudi Navy ; : Republic of Singapore Navy ; : Royal Navy SAMP/T surface-to-air missile ; : French Air and Space Force ; : Italian Army : Italian Air Force ; : Republic of Singapore Air Force ; : One SAMP/T battery delivered jointly by France and Italy in 2023. The future delivery of another battery by Italy was announced in June 2024. Delivery of an additional battery was announced in May 2025. Future operators SAMP/T surface-to-air missile ; : Danish Defence – on 12 September 2025 it was announced that Denmark would acquire SAMP/T systems. Potential operators ; : Turkish Air Force – In January 2018, a contract was signed during a state visit by the President of Turkey in Paris for a project with Eurosam for a future Long Range Air and Missile Defense System (LORAMIDS) for a period of 18 months where Turkish companies Roketsan and Aselsan would participate in the joint-production of the missile system. It was stated that the SAMP/T air defense system project, which was stopped at the end of 2019 due to Turkey's launch of Operation Peace Spring in Syria, came to the agenda at the NATO Summit, and that Turkey, France and Italy would revive the project. ; : Slovak Air Force – Ministry of Defence of Slovak Republic is now negotiating and comparing offers for MRAD systems from Israeli companies, American–Norwegian NASAMS and French Aérospatiales SAMP/T system. Systems will replace old Soviet 2K12 Kub systems. Systems should be acquired in 2024. ; : Croatian Air Force – In a decisive strategic initiative to fortify its national air and missile defense capabilities, the Republic of Croatia is evaluating the SAMP/T NG missile defense system, outfitted with Aster 30 B1 NT missiles. This procurement would underscore Croatia's proactive efforts to bolster its military infrastructure amidst dynamically evolving global security challenges. ; : Sweden has expressed interest in acquiring the Aster 30 air defense system from France to equip its new Luleå-class surface combatants. These vessels, currently under development, are intended to enhance the Swedish Navy’s capabilities in anti-air warfare and are expected to complement the existing Visby-class corvettes. ==See also==