RMN SUCCESSFULLY CONCLUDES ASPIDE MISSILE FIRE

KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 (Bernama) -- The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) has
successfully concluded its live firing of the Aspide missile launched from the
naval surface-to-air system in the Strait of Malacca (Melaka) early Thursday.

The Strait of Malacca is a narrow, 805 km (500 mile) stretch of water
between Peninsular Malaysia (West Malaysia) and the Indonesian island of
Sumatra.

Fleet Operations Commander Vice-Admiral Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad
Badaruddin said the missile was launched from one of its war ships, KD Laksamana
Hang Nadim.

"The missile hit a target flown by a Learjet. To save cost, the navy
conducted the missile campaign simultaneously with the ongoing weekly Pangkor
War exercise series," he said in a statement Thursday.

Ahmad Kamarulzaman said the success of the exercise had proven the RMN
preparedness in handling threats especially an anti-air warfare, one of the
four-dimension maritime war.

Aspide is an Italian missile system developed from the American Sparrow
AIM-7E Sparrow, employed as both an air-to-air and surface-to-air missile that
first entered into service in 1987.


The Aspide missile is one of anti-air missile systems onboard the RMN war
ships ranging from the Laksamana class, aged over 26 years.

"Despite that, KD Laksamana Hang Nadim, a war ship, had shown its capability
with the success of the missile launch. The missile was guided by a semi-active
radar with a high accuracy up to a distance of 20km at the speed of 600 metres
per seconds.

Ahmad Kamarulzaman said the exercise also involved KD Sri Inderapura, KD
Perak, KD Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil, KD Laksamana Tan Pusmah, a Fennec
helicopter, a CB90 boat, the Test Control and Weapon System Assessment Division,
and the RMN armour and explosive depot.

The Science and Technology Institute for Defense (STRIDE) analysed the
missile firing campaign, he added.

-- BERNAMA