MICA missile family

I've never really paid attention to the submarine launched MICA variant. Wikipedia actually has it listed against the Barracuda and Kalvari Classes as a weapon system.

Has it died a death long ago? Or is there still hope it will be developed?
 
Hi guys, a question: are air-launched version of MICA missile interchangeable with land/ship-launched version ( launched from containers )? Can you take air version missile and put her into a conteiner on a ship/land and vice versa?

Thanks in advance.
 
Croatian Sailor said:
Hi guys, a question: are air-launched version of MICA missile interchangeable with land/ship-launched version ( launched from containers )? Can you take air version missile and put her into a conteiner on a ship/land and vice versa?

Thanks in advance.
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Pretty sure the missiles are nearly identical, but I would bet you can only load a naval VL Mica canister at the factory, not in the field. I don't know how the missile is supported in the canister, but I suspect it is different from the rails or ejectors used in the air launched version.
 
I would think that the versions are identical .... and other than the differences in "how they are loaded in the field" as mentioned by TomS above, the software could contain both modes of operation ... and a pre-launch command would be able to tell the missile whether it is in Air-Air or Surface-Air mode ......
 
timmymagic said:
Missed this from June....French MoD obviously wanting to know if MICA can intercept spy balloons....
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They are probably also worried about their potential as both Electronic Warfare and NBC agent dispersal platforms.
 
Croatian Sailor said:
Hi guys, a question: are air-launched version of MICA missile interchangeable with land/ship-launched version ( launched from containers )? Can you take air version missile and put her into a conteiner on a ship/land and vice versa?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Yes.
The "old" MICA, nearly ended their life under wings, can be easily put in ground or sea lauchers.
 
TomS said:
Pretty sure the missiles are nearly identical, but I would bet you can only load a naval VL Mica canister at the factory, not in the field. I don't know how the missile is supported in the canister, but I suspect it is different from the rails or ejectors used in the air launched version.
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No, the rails are the same.
 

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timmymagic said:
I've never really paid attention to the submarine launched MICA variant. Wikipedia actually has it listed against the Barracuda and Kalvari Classes as a weapon system.

Has it died a death long ago? Or is there still hope it will be developed?
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Only a project so far.
 
Croatian Sailor said:
Hi guys, a question: are air-launched version of MICA missile interchangeable with land/ship-launched version ( launched from containers )? Can you take air version missile and put her into a conteiner on a ship/land and vice versa?

Thanks in advance.
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I've read, some years ago, that the air to air missiles, once their life time under wings is nearly over, can be tansfered to ground or ship launchers, quite easily (ie a kind of second life).
 
BonPlan2 said:
I've read, some years ago, that the air to air missiles, once their life time under wings is nearly over, can be tansfered to ground or ship launchers, quite easily (ie a kind of second life).
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Unless they're going to be expended in a live missile test those rounds would be sent back to their manufacturer to be refurbished (And maybe upgraded too).
 
NMaude said:
Unless they're going to be expended in a live missile test those rounds would be sent back to their manufacturer to be refurbished (And maybe upgraded too).
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No such news, but not impossible.
The cost mays be nearly the one of a brandnew missile as you have to dismantle it, change the powder engine, probably the explosive load and as you say an upgraded seeker.
 
BonPlan2 said:
change the powder engine, probably the explosive load
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The rocket-motor and warhead could be remanufactured by the warhead being dismantled and rebuilt with a fresh HE charge while the rocket-motor could be reopened, the old propellant cleaned out (And maybe the combustion chamber liner replaced if needed) and the casing reloaded with fresh solid-propellant.
 
NMaude said:
Unless they're going to be expended in a live missile test those rounds would be sent back to their manufacturer to be refurbished (And maybe upgraded too).
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Or export. Once the weapon fits the export market it is politically better to sell than recycle.
 
H_K said:
6,000 MICA sold to date... that's more than the 4,500 missiles of the Matra R530 / Super 530 family that were sold in the 1960s-1990s.

(Though Matra also sold 11,000 Magics, and MICA has the benefit of MICA VL SAM sales).
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Probably worth noting that loadouts with MICA probably average close to 4 missiles per aircraft, whereas AFAICS the early 530s were often one or two per aircraft. So basic warloads for a similar number of aircraft are likely to take more missiles now than it did then.
 
overscan (PaulMM) said:
MICA NG looks really good, given Meteor for long-range capability.
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I'm very intrigued by the tactical possibilities when firing a pair of MICAs, one missile with new AESA radar seeker and the other IR guided. Both would be silently guided via datalink; when the AESA radar switches on and the target starts maneuvering in afterburner, the IR seeker should have a field day...

The combination of radar and IR missiles has been mentioned as a tactic for a long time, but it seems to me that the ability to do this silently from longish range (~80-100km head on), with much higher terminal maneuverability than an AMRAAM (thanks to the new dual pulse motor), makes it much harder for the opposition.
 
Well, the target is not supposed to take the punch without firing back but in a commercial placard.
 

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