Russian Weapons To Be Installed On Spanish Patrol Boats

Russian arm manufacturer Rosoboronexport and Spanish company Navantia have signed a contract to arm Spanish Avante-class patrol ships with Russian weapons which will then be further exported to third-party countries. “Modern Russian artillery, air-defense and missile complexes may be adapted for use on Spanish ships,” says Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies. Under the contract, Rosoboronexport will contribute its know-how, while the Spanish side will provide financing and ensure NATO certification of the finished product, according to reports. The 3M-54E system’s diameter allows it to be used in standard torpedo launchers, whereas the subsonic version of the missile can be installed in the transporter-launcher containers used in NATO member countries. The missile has a range of about 137 miles, which is the distance of its closest competitors, the American Harpoon and French Exocet. The 3M-54E is launched as a standard subsonic missile, guided by an inertial navigation system. It locks on the target with an active or optical-electronic homing device, drops two subsonic stages 37 miles from the target and activates the third, supersonic stage with a solid engine, which accelerates the missile to 0.6 miles per second in a fraction of a second. Its velocity and low flight pattern (about 6.5-10 feet above the surface) make it virtually impossible to intercept with naval air-defense systems and guarantee target destruction. “The 3M-54E is one of the best-sellers of the Russian defense industry. The missile is actively advertised and promoted in foreign markets. Rosoboronexport is ready to supply it as part of a coastal missile package and install it in surface ships and submarines. Povzee-class ships can also be equipped with these missile systems,” says Vadim Kozyulin, professor at the Academy of Military Sciences.