ROME - European missile house MBDA has officially confirmed the sale of its Spada 2000 air defense system to the Pakistan Air Force.

Speaking here April 16, Chief Executive Antoine Bouvier said the deal for 10 batteries was worth 415 million euros ($656.56 million) over five years, adding that the contract was signed last August and put into force in February.

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Asia & Pacific Rim
Air Warfare
The Spada 2000, produced by the Italian-controlled part of the firm, MBDA Italia, and used by Italy and Spain, includes a 60-kilometer-range radar and two firing sections, each containing two missile launchers with six Aspide 2000 missiles each. The missiles have an intercept range of more than 20 kilometers.

"This is a wonderful achievement," Bouvier said of the Pakistan deal. "It was a tough fight."

Industrial sources have told Defense News that the Spada system defeated competition from Raytheon, Diehl BGT and Saab.

MBDA Italia represents the 25 percent stake held in MBDA by Italy's Finmeccanica group.

A series of firing tests that formed part of the evaluation program with the Pakistan Air Force will be followed soon by further firing tests for qualification purposes, Bouvier said. He hopes the deal may be expanded in the future.

Although the deal officially fell under the responsibility of MBDA as a whole, Bouvier said "strong support" was provided by the Italian government and Finmeccanica. The Italian Air Force assisted with pre-contract firing tests in Pakistan, he added.

The export license for the deal was processed in Italy and helped push MBDA Italia to the top of Italy's chart of defense firms ranked by exports for 2007 - calculated on the basis of export licenses issued - with an 18.5 percent share of exports worth 443 million euros.


http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=348...c=EUR&s=AIR

10 batteries was worth 415 million euros ($656.56 million) . It is costly.
20 Km range.
No ToT mentioning.

Excellent system against Precision Guided Munitions.
Might be useful to protect the nuclear sites.

I would prefer if they are excellent systems to intercept Multirole fighter jets crusing at high to mid altitudes.

Sucks that the Europeans don't release DSCA type files to exactly state what is in the deal. As of now I think we should wait for more details before speculating on whether it involved kick-backs or not...remember, generally Western European systems are on the expensive side. I hope(d) that the PAF ordered the system with key technology know-how related to radars, operating centres, etc, with the intention to substitute Aspide-2000 with Vertical-Launch MICA missile. As France was not mentioned in the above news-piece, then my hope is unlikely - unless later down the line something else is revealed.

You got to admit though...

Raytheon SL-AMRAAM is at 17km range.
Saab BAMSE is at 15km range & project might face the axe by the Swedish government - hence future concerns.
Diehl BGT's IRIS-T SL is still in development, we don't know its range yet - future concerns as well.

Though there were reports of PA choosing Saab BAMSE, and not much has been revealed about the PAF Spada-2000 deal.

Only 10 batteries? And its a pretty short-ranged system as well. At 20km max range what could be the max altitude, we can hazard less than 10km. Thats 30 000 feet. Which isn't very bad if we had 40+ batteries to not only cover strategic sites but advancing fronts and mobile assets as well. We need for 'strategic sites' something of the likes of the S-300, at least the KS-1A. 20km's nothing if we want to kill the strike aircraft and not just its stand-off weapons.

Anyway its better than what we have already.

According to Usman Shabbir on PakDef - the most reliable source you will come across folks:

The PAF is getting Spada-2000 PLUS:
There are many additions and improvements compared to the ones in Spanish & Italian service. Overall he thinks the PAF got a pretty good deal. Personally I think we are looking at a longer-range or even phased-array radar with a different missile - possibly VL-MICA, hopefully not Aspide-2000.

The Pakistan Army is definitely getting RBS-23 BAMSE.

great news...but i don't see any SAM system above 25Km, all the above mentioned system are very advanced but PAF should try to acquire smth in class of S-300/SA-21+. I hope china tries to make some indigenous system by reverse engineering their S-300s.

P.S: Faisal, although i m no moderator but i give u a title of Senior Pakdef correspondent for other defence forums :D.

Why do Pakistan need Anti missile defence anyways in the present scenario?

I am sure we India arent going to wage a war against u guys and so there wasnt a need for buying such a costly system now

I can understand the present economic condition of pakistan

Why not spend those money n building infrastructure and improve ur economy?
no ofence guys......

considering ur present defence budgetof around 4+billion spending $656 million is not a small thing.

Unless u people pinch us and poke us we will never come for a war.
So instead of spending that much money on this defences why not spend on ur own people ?

Our Crotales need to be replaced and air defence network expanded; WTF is your problem?

Poking your nose here and there again the great indain jerk!!

So why does India need a military--why can't it not recruit monkeys??? Why does indian military need guns--why can't it not use cow pie?? Why does india need jets when it can use donkeys???? Why does india need a navy when it has jerk like you???

Why does india need Anti misse defence anyway in the present scenario?



I am sure we Pakistanis arent going to wage a war against you either, so there wasnt a need for you guys either to buy expensive systems over the years.



What is there to understand its doing pretty good and is running along quite decent.



I would advise you to do the same interms of helping indians who live below the poverty lines to improve their standard of living, give them jobs and means to help them selves and to develop infrastructure in the remote and backward area's of india i think you can also but your defence budget money to good use as well in a similar manner as your telling us to do.



4 billion dollars are marely given to maintain the armed forces and its equiptment, money for buying new hardware comes seprately in Pakistan, although most weapons we buy are financed on a long term credit i.e the equiptment is paid for coming 5 to 6 years.



Unless you people pinch us or finger us we will never come for a war either, So instead of spending that much money on this/your defence, why dont you take your own advice and spend the money on your own people, funny how you dont bother to give your pathetic advices to your own goverment to begin with.

we need to buy S400,

oh and also, china manufactures s300 under licence.

Excellent decision. These systems might not have the range of the patriot or S300 but are much more reliable and can target from shorter ranges and lower altitudes. The patriot/arrow/S300 are most effective against distant targets at high altitude, Pakistan does not have much depth and these sytems might prove inefective to guard our strategic assets against low flying jets and cruise missiles.

Once these are deployed at our sensitive installations, they would free up the existing systems to be moved more forwards and we will have a multilayer air defence sytem with greater coverage.

didn't know that...but chances of PA getting this system are bleak 'cause Russia won't allow it, indians would just annoy the A$$ out of 'em. The only option i see is integrating SD-10s with ground radars and making an indigenous long range SAM.

SD-10s turned into SAMs wouldn't be as good as S-300/400. There is a AMRAAM SAM but its not as good as Patriots.

true but china has extremely deep interests in the safety of pakistan as pakistan is to be one of their corridoors to the world, pakistan is to be the artery, not only suppleing raw material (oil, gas) but also transit route for goods, for western china. this is in key interest of the chinese for they have civil unest in north western aswell as south western regions due to economic inequality with eastern china, reason for this is simple, the ports are in east thus eas is more developed closest portt o these regions is gwader thus china is developing gwader so that she can direct foreign investment to western china. this relation is far more important to china then what the indians have to say....china will find a way to sell us s300 as it is a bigger market for russian made weopens and pakistan comes as a bonus along with china...so it is worth the russians while also...

Good News---> Great News.

How, ll explain later. had to go somewhere....

u just slaped ur own face arrogant indian.
China had cutted over 1 million PLA members in the early 90s to build a better economy while u ppl spending billions on ur MKIs and carrier while 70% of your population is starving. who started this arm race in south asia? it was u ppl and ur wet dream of being a "super power"



dont talk to our brothers like that u jackass

Look whox talking!!!
bhindianx

It is excellent system against any arial target which is trying to sneak into Pakistan's territory. For those who are worrying low altitude and range that is why we are procuring F-16,Jf-17 and FC-20. Don't forget about erieye as well.

The deal looks way too expensive by any stretch of mind, you could buy 32 JF-17 Thunders with that much money.

China has plenty of Air Defence weapons systems. I just don't know why Pakistan just keeps going back and back to West for over-priced weapons every time, our stupid short-sighted Commanders never learn anything from history.

Any Air Defence weapons system that is good enough to defend the mighty China, is good enough for Pakistan.

Hey u....

there is something called sophistication in any weapon, ur saying like that we dont need to buy f-16 Block 52s instead we should get more JF-17s. By getting these western technologies we can say that we hav an edge over India and the same case relies to the F-16 Block 52s.

PAF didnt ordered J-10s in bulk numbers cuz PAF was NOT impressed by its tachnologies. and in the cases of technologies the western products ROCK!!

PEACE OUT!

Looks to me like the Spada 2000 is a short-range SAM, and the reason we have spent so much money is that it is good for intercepting missiles. So if a Kh-31 or Brahmos is fired at one of our important installations, we can intercept it. Range of 20km is pretty decent for that.

And come on guys, lets try to be a little more well-behaved. He hasn't said anything out-right rude, so why should we be rude in response? Honestly I have no idea why so many Indians troll our boards, or even if they really are Indian. Maybe they are a glutton for punishment. Certainly I would not want to hang out at an Indian defence forum. But since they ARE here, at least we can answer their question without being rude.

Thats nice to hear, and I hope your government feels the same way.

Definitely that is something we would like to do ideally... but when we see India, who has the same level of poverty and problems as us, with a massive $20 billion military budget, we get worried. Why does India spend so much after all? Its not like china will attack it unless India pinches and pokes China... so it must mean India's big military is aimed at Pakistan.

Now you understand our position. If you guys toned it down, so would we, and then we can all try to solve our real problems like poverty and education and infrastructure.

Whatever happened to the Anza III series of SAMs I thought they had range of more than 20KM why are we buying such expensive system?

If that costly system caters our defence requirment well then whats the problem!

China hasn't even decided when it will allow for the export of J-10 to Pakistan, let alone how many it wants to export. PAF not being impressed by J-10's technologies is one of the stupidest things I've read. Last time I read, everyone here and PAF were gushing over the cockpit on JF-17. And that's just JF-17.

it is like the difrence between a 1L nissan micra and a bugatti veyron.

1 battery = 2 long range radars, 4 launchers (each 6 missiles)

S0 : 10*24 = 240 missiles. Atelast a few spares...

Highly mobile and netcentric. Short reaction time. They have no idea where it is till it hits them. And TOT. So next version will be lethal and the need a lot more then the brochure to hack it.

So is Pakistan getting the know-how for the radar & other sub-systems?

According to Usman Shabbir, the order itself is a lot better than previous Spada-2000 systems.

wow, Munir thats just a huge number.

I know the last time somebody did the math for this deal came out to have 40 missiles for 10 batteries.
If what u mentioned is true, the price for this deal is just right!

were u able to find out if its coming with Aspide 2000 or an upgraded version of it?

I only used the brochure... Doing math is one... Understanding the definitions of the system is valuable...

Just check the brochure and see how one battery works. You will see one gyraffe model radar. Two short range track radars linked with echt 2 launchers with each 6 missiles... And you will see connection with manpads etc... Knowing that... And knowing that you will need atleast 2/3 times the spares...

The whole system is transportable by a C130 (aha) and setup is very fast. I have no details about the exact TOT but understand it is much more then one would think...

twice more missiles then that...24 missiles are too less for our needs where we have many enemies with large airforces...

Bro read again wat Munir wrote... It is 240 not 24 missile. 240 Missile ready to be fired and then defiantly there will be some for reload. And please don'r forget number of long-range radars... 2 * 10 =20..

Dont act like a kid. Be technical. N yeah ur statement(highlighted) is only an arrogant comment. China HAS OFFERED PAF the J-10, and it was PAF which halted the aqusition simply because the technology was not catering the need of PAFs 4.5 generation fighter fleet.

Where as capability of JF-17s are concerned. U hav again posted a patriotic BS that PAF was gushing over the cockpit. Kid its the technologies which matter not the cockpit design. Yes the CHINESE JF-17 is superior to F-7s/Mirages and A-5s but here in PAF we are dealing with a true capable multirole platform which can over take all the roles which PAF conducts and this requirment will be fulfilled by the FRENCH oriented JF-17s. Chinese JF-17s will with out anydoubt improve the capability but ur saying like it is superior to Raptor!!!

PEACE OUT!!

It is not the high/mdiam altitute threat that we should be worried about but low level raiders. With common borders and launch bases close by, only a stupid attacker would climb and expose himself to long range radars. High/medium level threat can effectively be tackled by intercepters as we normally have enough early warning to scramble them. Low level had always been a problem. That is why we had always relied upon the visual MOUs to provide early worning followed by a chain of low lebvel pulse doppler radars. It ws these low looking radars that were used to shoot down Soviet attackers in Afghan wars. Low level/short range SAMs protect VPs for teh PAF to continue strike & AD ops. Now with the AWACs we will, Insha Allah have enough early warning for even low level threat.

it is 24 missiles per battery. we need a good 100 per battery to maintain a good defence.

i meant 24 missiles + extras for re arming the launchers.

You don't... It is for airfield protection... Do we have 100 military airfields?

if you read carefully what i wrote you will understand you need 100 batteries to cover 100 airfields...and i was not talking about bateries, but rather the missiles (the bits that go into air and follow the enemy plane and blow it up), the enemy isnt gonna strike once and then go away, to maintain a credible airdefence for our sensitive locations we need more missiles. the enemy is not gonna send 24 aircraft to a place such as khushab for example, and if it does send 24 aircraft there is no guarantee of 100% kill rate from these missiles. this means not every missile is going to take down a enemy.....it makes natural sense to buy munition, you doent buy such sofisticated systems and not buy eneough munition (missiles) for them to be effective....in a nutshell i was saying the figure of 240 missiles is a implausible ammount. and it is more probable that we will be getting a far higher ammount of missiles then what you calculated.