ALAS missile system

[Milos Sijacki]

ALAS (Advanced Light Attack System) is new Serbian missile system developed by private company EdePro and sponsored by Yugoimport SDPR. New system is developed for attacks on the ground targets such as tanks, command posts, industrial targets, ships, low flying helicopters, as well as other targets. It can be used by helicopters, armoured vehicles, small ships and infantry. The main advance of this system is precision. The ALAS has combinited TV/IC guidance, which can not be jammed. Missile is tied with fiber-optic cable guided from the ground. Man decide what target will be attacked, not a computer. That is very important in reducing of collateral damage. Based on its own several-years long research in the field of development of jet propulsion group (development of the TMM-040 MUNGOOSE turbojet engine), long engineering experience in the design of aeronauti-cal and rocket systems, as well as on the following of the latest world trends in the field of the unmanned systems for different applications. The ALAS system itself is categorized as a tactical infantry support system, whose main component is the modern guided missile with its own propulsion. The ALAS system is intended for battlefield isolation and for combat against armored vehicles on medium and long ranges (up to 25 km), as well as for engagement of important spot targets in the depth of the enemy territory. Additionally, the ALAS system is a multi modal system. Autonomous guidance on fixed targets, active guidance on selected targets, and the free search of the field, with the selection of the desired target. The multi mode function of this system is reflected in the possibility to change the priority targets in the course of the mission (based on the decision of the operator), and the possibility of maneuvering in the zone of action, of change of the kind and type of the warhead, depending on the type of the target, which is based on a high level of modularity of warhead section, as well as on the possibility to choose the programmed trajectory, based on input of the data on the known target, and trajectory parameters, by inputting data into the memory of the on-board flight computer before the execution of the mission. The ALAS system possesses a modern TV subsystem for search, tar- get acquisition and guidance, while the command signals from the ground, as well as the TV subsystem picture from the missile, are transmitted through an optic cable to the ground station. The ALAS system is envisaged to be able to operate as an independent defensive/offensive system: in anti-armor com- bat, anti-ship combat, as well as against static targets. The ALAS system is easy to integrate into larger units, and it shows its full strength and efficiency in coordinated action with networked reconnaissance systems, which feed it with the necessary data on target locations. ALAS flies at very low attitude and has very small radar and IC reflexion. Missile use turbofan motor instead turbojet motor. ALAS system can be use like UAV. New system will start to enter Serbian army from 2008

 

[timshatz]

Any idea how much each one costs? I think the Hellfire is about 100K (USD) per copy.

 

[Kruska]

25 km range and tied with fiber-optic cable? Doesn't sound right to me.

Regards
Kruska

 

[solo]

um........so it kind of mini-Tomahawk(with fiber-optic cable)is it?

 

[Matt308]

Interesting. However without any autonomy and reliant upon a fiber optic cable, that would imply the need to steer that pig all way in. While nice for collateral damage concerns, sure makes the launch platform vulnerable.

 

[Milos Sijacki]

Don't know how much it will cost, but this is the best we can do for now.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Fiber optic cable for that distance?

You are better off spending your money and buying something from someone.

 

[Milos Sijacki]

Agree. However, it is entering into use with the army, so we will see how it works and how efficient it is.

 

[JugBR]

Fiber optic cable for that distance?

You are better off spending your money and buying something from someone.

is something wrong here !!! couldnt be fiber optic !

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

is something wrong here !!! couldnt be fiber optic !

The post stated:

Missile is tied with fiber-optic cable guided from the ground. Man decide what target will be attacked, not a computer.

That means that it is guided by someone controlling it all the way to the target, and the imputs from the controller are sent to the missile via fiber optic cable.

It also states the range of the missile is 25km.

I am saying that it would be better to design a missile with a better guidance system that did not rely on fiber optic cable.

 

[timshatz]

I can see it having certain uses. Fire it far away from the target area and visually run it in. Thinking distance here. With optic direction in the front of the missle, it has the possibility to be pretty nasty. Especially if it can fly very low, under the radar.

Thinking more along the lines of a sniper missle than anything else. Standoff and hit from no-where.

Trick is, how are you going to know where (and what) about your target? If it is stationary, I can see it being very effective. Moving, less so.

Definitely has potential for irregular warfare.

 

[Milos Sijacki]

Maybe the design team will change fiber optics with laser guidance.

 

[Kruska]

Maybe the design team will change fiber optics with laser guidance.

Right, and how are you going to guide a missile over 25 km via a laser if it relies/developed on a fiber cable till now?

This missile seems to be a very ill borne idea to me.

1. Fibre cable = cheap, but limited in Range(Usually 4-8km) and as Matt308 already forwarded, the firing platform would be vunerable for a long period, to guide through a distance of 25 km is impossible due to terrain structures (hills, trees etc.) and earth not being a plate but a globe.

2. Laser = expensive, range limited 1-6km if meant for ground to ground use.

3. Independent onboard guidence system = very expensive and therfore does not meet its initial requirement of a cheap missile system.

Regards
Kruska

 

[timshatz]

It seems the real key to this thing is the cable. It can't be jammed. Primary is not radar, GPS or radio driven, but hard wired. Kind of like an air torpedo. Once it is on the way, it is very hard to stop short of shooting it down.

Works the intermediate ranges. Hellfire works out to a couple of kilometers, cruise missle goes for hundreds. This one would be a combination of both and is targeted for the intermediate range.

Could work, could be a bust. If it is cheap enough, it would be a world beater.

 

[Kruska]

Could work, could be a bust................

On which tree, rock, house, power mast, motorcyclist or any other object is this cable going to entangle after about 8-10 km? unless it is used under water or airborne and guided by an airborne craft, that would need to follow the missile in line or remain static (Helicopter).

Regards
Kruska

 

[RabidAlien]

Not to mention the fact that some quick-thinkin grunt on the ground may stumble upon this cable that seems to be drifting in the air....whip out a K-Bar, and cut that puppy. More likely, it'll get caught up in a tree somewhere, or snag on a rock outcropping. Even if they manage to fire the thing and get 25km of cable to unspool evenly and without any snags/knots, you still have to take into account the wind between you and the target. Over a distance (not necessarily a very large distance), gravity takes effect, and the cable will start to sag earthward. This loose-hanging cabling is now subject to being tossed around anywhere a breath of wind wants to throw it.

I'd say this would be a weapon best used in a video game....er.....in an open-terrain environment, against a more-or-less permanent target.

 

[biggy]

It cant be fiber optic someone wrote: Well Germany, france and italy was making an identical fiber optic missile range 60km i think it was called poythene something like that, when you read about alas on wikipedia youll find it.
But they cancelled the project cause the italians dropped out and the german navy was gonna use one version for their ships .
A fiber optic cable makes it impossible to jam , serbia has signed a contract with an advanced weapons company from the united arab emirates so they will develope the missile toghether wich is good because the arabs have alot of cash and other resorces, and i dont know if they have a back up system if the cable is cut. But i dont think big countrys like france and germany would even think of building these kind of missiles if they weren t good!QUOTE].