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| Southeast Asia |
| Malaysia To Test Fire Latest Anti-ship Missile |
| 2006-03-10 |
| For the first time in the region, the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) will test fire its latest anti-ship missile --the Sea Skua --next week, but the location is still being kept secret. The Sea Skua has never been used by any ASEAN navy and it will be the first time that it will be fired from a helicopter. According to a defence source, RMN's latest helicopter, the Super Lynx 300 has been entrusted the responsibility to launch the British-made weapon. "The purchase of the Sea Skua had never been announced but has been in RMN's inventory since last year, and will be tested by RMN for the first time next week," the source told Bernama. According to reports in several defence journals, the purchase of the Sea Skua for RMN's Super Lynx helicopters was sealed in 2001 but details had been kept secret. The source said that probably only one Super Lynx would be involved in the exercise but the location would be closely watched by RMN's state-of-the art warships like the KD Jebat and KD Lekiu, which are equipped with the sophisticated Seawolf missile system. It is believed that only one of the missiles - which proved its worth during Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf - will be test-fired during the exercise. |
| Posted by:Pappy |
| #6 sounds like a Johnny Quest© weapon |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-03-10 20:32 |
| #5 Yeah, but Sea Skua is just a hell of a good name. |
| Posted by: 6 2006-03-10 19:29 |
| #4 It's a tipical Light Heli anti ship missile. Nothing to talk about dozens of firings like this are made in whole world every year. Including big ones(Western standart) like Harpoon or Exocet |
| Posted by: Omoter Hupolurt9095 2006-03-10 11:23 |
| #3 For the first time in the region, the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) will test fire its latest anti-ship missile --the Sea Skua --next week, but the location is still being kept secret. Maybe, hopefully, on a pirate ship in the Malaccan Strait? |
| Posted by: Hupoting Groluse9049 2006-03-10 10:44 |
| #2 Wikipedia: The Sea Skua is a lightweight short range Air-to-Surface (ASM) missile designed for the helicopter launched anti-shipping role. It is primarily used by the Royal Navy on the Lynx helicopter, although it can be ship launched and is in place as a shore battery in Kuwait. With a weight at launch of only 320 lb (145 kg), the Lynx can carry up to four missiles simultaneously. The missile flies at high subsonic speed over ranges of 15.5 miles (25 km). It can be set to travel at one of four pre-selected heights, depending on the surface conditions. Near the target the altitude is raised to target acquisition height. The Sea Skua has semi-active radar guidance; the launching helicopter illuminates the target with its radar (originally the specially developed Ferranti Seaspray in the case of the Lynx), and the missile's homing head homes in on the reflected energy. On impact it penetrates the hull of a ship before detonating the 44 lb (20 kg) blast/fragmentation warhead. The Sea Skua is judged capable of sinking ships of approximately 1,000 tons displacement with a single shot, and can disable much larger vessels. As well as the United Kingdom, the Sea Skua has seen service with Germany, India and Turkey. It was launched 12 times during the Gulf War, sometimes in appalling weather conditions, registering direct hits on every occasion. |
| Posted by: Steve 2006-03-10 08:26 |
| #1 I'm sure the RN zapped argie ships with this during the falkland conflict a quarter century ago, hardly modern. |
| Posted by: pihkalbadger 2006-03-10 06:17 |