Los misiles Exocet pueden durar muchos años, con los devidos cuidados (cambio de motores cohetes), calibraciones y otros (que se hacen en Chile, Perú, Argentina y Brasil).
Por ejemplo, los MM-38 tienen más de 25 años de servicio...y siguen ahí...
Además de los 6 SM-39 de cada Scorpene, los 4 submarinos chilenos tienen la capacidad de usar los nuevos torpedo BlackShark (fuente,
IDR de Jane's de abril de 2006):
As said, Finnmeccanica-owned company WASS is engaged in a fierce technical and commercial rivalry - a so-called 'torpedo vendetta' - with Atlas Elektronik in the international heavyweight torpedo market, with the former aggressively marketing its new Black Shark weapon.
Development of Black Shark began in 1997 to meet the Italian Navy's requirement of a new-generation heavy weight torpedo for its new U212A-class submarines. Originally known as the A184Advanced - indicating its provenance in the earlier A184 Mod 3 heavyweight torpedo - the weapon was renamed to reflect WASS' assertion that its capabilities were significantly superior to the legacy A184 line. DCN St. Tropez, as partner to WASS, is taking responsibility for the development of the Black Shark's battery system and electric motor.
Black Shark incorporates a new Advanced Sonar Transmitting and Receiving Architecture (ASTRA) active/passive acoustic homing head; an updated guidance-and-control section; a fibre-optic guidance link and spool; a new electric motor; and a skewed contra-rotating propeller. ASTRA, originally developed under a separate national programme, is a multibeam steerable planar array with digital pulse compression in any transmission mode, multifrequency operations in both active (frequency modulation and continuous wave) and passive modes, and independent processing of each frequency (active and passive) on each lobe.
ASTRA operates at 15 kHz (passive medium frequency only) and 30 kHz (active and passive high frequency). The seeker can operate simultaneously in both frequencies in passive mode, allowing the torpedo to discriminate between signals from a real target and signals from an acoustic countermeasure decoy. A fibre-optic link has been introduced in place of a conventional wire-guidance link. This carries sensor data and command and guidance signals to and from the submarine, allowing the torpedo to operate as a forward-deployed sensor for the submarine. Use of optical fibre allows a higher data exchange rate between the submarine and its weapon, offering a nominal 100 percent increase in guidance range.
Propulsion is provided by a brushless axial flux motor powered by a new AlAgO battery fitted with an electrolyte management system (a low-cost rechargeable lithium ion battery is being developed for exercise use).
The propulsor itself uses contra-rotating 13-blade and 10-blade carbon fibre propellers. Top speed exceeds 52 kt.
Black Shark has entered low-rate production prior to final completion of acceptance testing. A first operational launch was taken in November 2004 from O'Higgins, the first of two Scorpene submarines being acquired by the Chilean Navy. The trial, forming part of the submarine's acceptance programme, was carried out by DCN International in international waters along the French-Spanish coastline.
Chile also plans to outload Black Shark to its two Type 209/1300 submarines, Thompson and Simpson. Both boats are to receive a command and weapons-control system update from UDS International, which will offer commonality with the Scorpenes and enable them to operate Black Shark alongside the existing SUT weapon.
Italy will outload Black Shark on to its new U212A submarines, Salvatore Todaro and Sciré. It willl also equip the existing submarines of the Sauro class, which are currently armed with the A184 Mod 3 heavyweight torpedo.
As well as being sold to Chile, Black Shark has also secured a berth aboard the two new Scorpene submarines being purchased by Malaysia from Armaris, and the two Type 209/1500PN boats ordered by Portugal from Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (part of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems).
Saludos cordiales,
, acho pouco.
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