Denel Dynamics, the guided weapons division of South Africa’s Denel, carried out the first live-fire tests of the land-based version of its Umkhonto naval surface-to-air missile (SAM) between 1 and 3 October.
The tests also saw an Umkhonto-IR destroy a target at 20 km for the first time, a feat achieved after recent modifications to the Block 2 variant, and the first use of Reutech Radar Systems’ new RSR-320 dual-band, 3D radar to provide mid-course guidance for the missiles.
Observers from nine countries joined South African defence and military officials at Denel’s Overberg Test Range for the shoot. All three war-shot missiles scored kills on Low-Cost Aerial Target Systems (LOCATS), two at 15 km range and one at 20 km…
http://www.janes.com/article/28033/land-based-umkhonto-fired-for-the-first-time
By: wilhelm - 16th October 2013 at 15:54
The Umkhonto SAM’s birth lies in the SAHV-3 SAM from the 1990’s.
The Block 1 missile has now been replaced with the Block 2, which has a range of 15km and a ceiling of 10 000m.
The Umkhonto ER missile that is now in testing has a range of 20km and higher ceiling, and is dimensionally identical to the current Block 2, and will be retrofitted into it’s place.
The Umkhonto R is the radar version that work has been done on, and this is heavier and longer, with a range of 25km and a ceiling of 12 000m.
In the pipeline are versions stretching the range out to 30km, as well as a radar version taking range out to 80km.
Denels new Marlin BVRAAM and R Umkhonto will share seeker technologies.
The Umkhonto is currently operated by South Africa and Finland, and it has been reported that Algeria will fit it onto the new Meko A200 class that are under construction.
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October 15, 2013 at 2:42 pm