Aster 30 surface-to-air missile: Just over three years after it was initially deployed, Singapore’s next-generation air defence system, the Aster 30 Medium-range Surface-to-Air missile (MSAM), has reached full operational capability status, according to a statement made by the Ministry of defence (MINDEF) on Wednesday, Nov. 29.
Since August 2020, the Aster 30 has been providing round-the-clock air defence operations. It is a next-generation, all-weather, ground-based missile system that can counter a variety of air threats, including fighter aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters, and precision-guided munitions.
Moreover, it has a greater range of intercepting air targets than the I-HAWK air defence missile system it replaced.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, we were in the process of switching from I-HAWK to Aster 30 while continuing to use I-HAWK for round-the-clock air defence,” Major Graci Wong, the commanding officer of the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s 163 Squadron, stated.
“Since then, we have successfully transitioned over fully to Aster 30 for 24/7 peacetime air defence and have trained our NSmen who were previously operating the I-HAWK on the old system.”
According to Channelnewsasia, the French-developed Aster 30 missile system can engage fighter planes at a distance of up to 70 km and at a height of up to 18 km. An Aster 30 missile may reach a speed of Mach 4.5, or four and a half times the speed of sound, at a length of five metres and a weight of 450 kilogrammes.
The Aster 30 is connected with other cutting-edge sensors, shooters, and command and control systems as part of the RSAF’s Island Air defence (IAD) system to provide a multi-layered, networked, and intelligent air defence that is available 24/7 throughout the island.
The missile system can also engage numerous air threats at once at a larger range and with more precision. It can also use data from other sensors in the IAD network to fight air threats quickly and efficiently.
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Aster 30 surface-to-air missile
Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How stated on Wednesday that it is “imperative” that Singapore takes its air defence seriously, citing the disputes between Israel and Hamas in the Middle East and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in Europe.
Ukraine claimed on Saturday that Russia had attacked it with 75 drones during the course of the night, calling it the largest strike of that kind since the invasion’s commencement in February 2022.
At a ceremony marking the Aster 30’s full operational capability status, Mr. Heng stated, “It is imperative that Singapore takes our defence and air defence evermore seriously, especially with so much geopolitical turbulence in the world.”
“The RSAF must introduce more capable systems to keep up with the ever-evolving range of threats. Given Singapore’s shallow geographical depth, the Aster 30 missile system is very appropriate.
