IHS Aerospace, Defence & Security
Air-to-Air Mistral (ATAM)
IHS Janes Weapons: Air Launched
This abridged sample is a static extract for
indicative purposes only. The full, updated content
including photographs is available within IHS
Janes Weapons: Air Launched.
Type
Infra-red guided air-to-air missile.
Development
The French Mistral 1 short-range surface-
to-air missile started development at Matra
around 1974 and has gone on to become
a multipurpose multi-platform weapon. It
was primarily intended to be a man-
portable air defence system (MANPADS)
weapon (or in French a Sol-Air Trs
Courte Porte :SATCP) but MBDA has
gone on to produce a vehicle-mounted
system (ALBI and ATLAS), an armoured
turret with six missiles with a radar and IFF
(SANTAL) and small ship surface-to-air
missile (SAM) systems (SADRAL,
SIMBAD and TETRAL). It was a design
requirement that the individual Mistral
missiles be identical, regardless of launch
method and service. Full development of
SATCP started in 1980 and French Army
trials were carried out from 1986 to 1988
with the surface-to-air missiles entering
service in 1988.
In 1986, a contract was placed to develop
an air-to-air variant for use from
helicopters. This missile was originally
known as Hlicoptre-Air Trs Courte
Porte (HATCP), but later became the Air-
to-Air Mistral (ATAM). Development firings
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of ATAM were first made in 1990 from a
Gazelle helicopter, using a twin launcher
assembly.
An improved missile version, the Mistral 2,
was developed around 1995 and entered
service in 2000. This version has improved
manoeuvrability, increased flight speed,
and an increased launch envelope when
fired from helicopters.
The ATAM has been cleared for use by
the Eurocopter SA 342M Gazelle and
Eurocopter Tiger HAP helicopters. It has
also been fitted to the AgustaWestland A
129 Mangusta, Boeing AH-64 Apache,
Denel CSH-2 Rooivalk, Eurocopter
Fennec, Panther and Cougar helicopters.
Typical helicopter loads comprise two or
four missiles, with a theoretical maximum
of eight.
Description
The Mistral ATAM is a helicopter-
launched, short-range infra-red homing
missile and is developed based on the 'fire
and forget' concept. One of the striking
features of the missile is its unconventional
nose shape, with flat transparent
hexagonal pyramidal faces similar to the
(much) earlier UK Firestreak. At the front
of the missile, just behind the guidance
section, are four small rectangular control
fins and at the rear end of the motor
assembly are four wraparound stabilising
fins. Both sets of fins are designed to flip
out after the missile has left the launch
firing tube.
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IHS Aerospace, Defence & Security
The Mistral ATAM system comprises two
twin launchers (caters four missiles) and
each launch canister weighs 3.0 kg. It can
be integrated on various attack, liaison or
transport helicopters. The missile is fitted
with a 3 kg tungsten ball loaded warhead,
produced by Nexter (formerly Giat), that
incorporates both an impact fuze and a
laser proximity fuze, the latter being tuned
to prevent it being triggered by trees, sea
surface or clutter. Guidance is by IR
homing and the seeker is a development
of the Magic 2 system, with an increased
sensitivity to detect low infrared (IR)
signals, such as helicopter exhaust
signatures, at ranges up to 4 km. The IR
seeker is a two-colour system; it contains
a signal processor unit for flare and
background discrimination.
Mistral's ATAM seeker operates in the 3 to
5 m mid-wave infrared region using four
indium antimonide detectors, to provide an
inherently high signal-to-noise ratio. The
seeker logic varies the scan pattern, rather
than performing a fixed rosette scan. This
allows the scan rate to be reduced by a
factor of 10, so that each detector moves
past the target's point in space
comparatively slowly and can thus collect
a greater amount of target signature
energy. It uses a narrow-band pass
matched filter, which further enhances the
signal-to-noise ratio.
Mistral is delivered and fired from a non-
reusable canister that has opening nose
eyelids for protection of the dome. The
missile is powered by an Safran
(previously known as Snecma) two-stage,
solid propellant rocket motor using a
EURENCO propellant charge, with six
nozzles imparting a 10 rps stabilisation
spin (later models may use a fluted nozzle
to achieve the same effect). The booster
burns out for 2.2s within the launch tube,
which the missile leaves at a velocity of 40
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m/s. At a distance of around 15 m from the
launch helicopter, the sustainer motor is
ignited and the missile achieves a velocity
of 800 m/s (M2.5). The motor has a Kevlar
structure for reduced weight, and is based
on the motor used in the Super 530F air-
to-air missile.
The ATAM can be operated in one of the
two modes: the 'autonomous' mode in
which a simple collimator is used to fire
along the helicopter axis, and the
'integrated' mode in which a gyrostabilised
telescope is used to allow engagement of
targets off the helicopter boresight. Mistral
can be aimed by helmet-mounted or
cockpit-mounted sights or by the Gazelle's
SAGEM (formerly SFIM) APX M334 roof-
mounted HOT missile sighting system.
The standard two missile launcher rack to
which the launch tubes are attached is
fitted with NATO 356 mm (14 in)
suspension lugs and has a weight of 100
kg when fitted with two missiles. The
launcher rack contains the seeker cooling
bottle and supplies electrical power to the
missiles.
The Mistral 1 ATAM has a maximum range
of 6 km against aircraft targets, and can
intercept at up to 3 km (10,000 ft) altitude.
The Mistral 2 version has similar
dimensions and shape to Mistral 1, and
has a new motor giving an increased
maximum flight speed of M2.7. Other
improvements include the IR seeker and
digital data processing, new control
surfaces and new rear fins. The missile's
firing envelope extends from very low-level
(nap-of-the-Earth) flying to 15,000 ft from a
flight speed hovering to 370.4 km/h.
Maximum range for the Mistral 2 increased
from 6,000 m to 6,500 m with improved
manoeuvrability and wider launch
envelope when fired from helicopters. The
missile now has a high off-boresight
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IHS Aerospace, Defence & Security

capability. Minimum engagement range is

600 m. The seeker and processing have
been improved to be able to use the SAM
versions against incoming air-to-surface or
surface-to-surface missiles. MBDA notes
that the ATAM is effective at ranges of up
to 6,500 m even at high altitude. It can
also engage light armoured vehicles on
the ground. The weight of a four-missile
launcher system with complete helicopter
fittings is just under 200 kg.

Contractor

MBDA (MBDA France).

This abridged sample is a static extract for

indicative purposes only. The full, updated content
including photographs is available within IHS
Janes Weapons: Air Launched.

2014 IHS 3 www.ihs.com/jwal

IHS Aerospace, Defence & Security
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