Crotale NG/GR Anti-aircraft systems

Anti-aircraft systems

Crotale: All-wheather Short Range Air Defence System developed by France.

Entered service with the Greek Air Force in 2003.

The latest version of the “Crotale-NG”, system was designed to provide coverage to front line troops, tanks, armored vehicles against aircrafts and helicopters.

The “Crotale-NG”, A/A system incorporates the “VT-1” missile, developed by the American company LTV and the French firm “Thomson-CSF for the USA within the Faad Army program.

According to representatives of “Thomson-CSF” this A/A system was developed as an answer to modern threats like all-weather aircrafts and helicopters.

It is still being manufactured. The production line started in 1989 and in 1990 entered service.
Besides French Armed Forces (Air Force 12 airborne container type units), the system has been exported to other countries like Finland (Army 20 units on vehicles Sisu XA-180), Greece (9-11 systems for the Air Force and the Navy), and also Holland, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Oman.

Crotale NG/GR

The system is embedded in a towed container which consists of:
Search and locking radar
FLIR system
Fire control system
and the octaple missile launcher

The “Crotele-NG” version is practically a new system, thought it was based on a series of modernized earlier versions.

Search radar TSM (TRS) 2630

Search radar TSM (TRS) 2630, E-G band, with a rotation of 40 rpm. It has an advanced flat antenna, provides more resistance to jamming and can scan while the system is moving.

Maximum detection range is 20000 m for aircrafts and about 8000 m for helicopters. Maximum detection height is 5000 m.
It's capable of tracking 8 targets while continuing the detection.

Detection radar

Detection radar: Ku band tracking mono-pulse radar (J), with increased jamming resistance. Provides a maximum range up to 30000 m and can track aircrafts and helicopters, even when they fly with speeds more than 2 Mach.

Optic-electronic tracking system

Optic-electronic tracking system: it includes the FLIR Castrol Thermal Tv Camera, with a maximum range of 15 km, with two view fields (8,1^o x 5,5^o and 2,7^o x 1,8^o), a TV camera J3 with a range of 10 km and the goniometer IR with a range of 10 km.

VT-1 missile (Vought-Thomson), that was developed by “LTV” under a contract with “Thomson-CSF” (in 1986), with a radio command guidance system. Maximum range of the missile is 10 km, with a load limit of 35g at 3,5 Mach, resulting to a target locking from a distance of 8 km in 10 s.

Missile VT-1

Technical specifications

DESIGNER	Thales Air defence (former Thomson-CSF Airsys)
COUNTRY	France
TYPE	Anti-aircraft systems
POWER-PLANT	Solid propellant rocket
Thrust, kgf	-
DIMENSIONS
Length, mm	2.400 (2.290)
Diameter, mm	165
Wing span, mm	-
Fin span, mm	-
WEIGHT
Maximum missile weight, (with container), kg	73 (85)
Warhead weight, kg	14
PERFORMANCE
Range, km	0,5 - 10
Height of target destruction, km	0,015 - 6
Maximum speed, m/s	4.287
Average flight speed at a distance of 10 km, m/s	710
Maximum target speed, m/s	500
Number of simultaneous attacks against targets	1
Time of preparation, launch, min	3-4
Target detection range with radar cross section 1m², km	20
Maneuverability (maximum overload), g	35
Target engagement range, km
- guidance by commands, with a radar cross section of 1m²	16
- visual direction	15
Number of missile in the launcher	8
Reaction time, s	5
Flight time at a distance of 8 km, s	10
Warhead type	non-contact detonator fuse mechanism (with time delay) and contact detonator fuse mechanism
Guidance system	With electro-optical sensors infrared search and track.

Crotale NG/GR Anti-aircraft systems

Technical specifications

Photos Crotale NG/GR Anti-aircraft systems