Journal Article

TECHNICAL ASPECTS REGARDING THE IMPROVEMENT OF AEROSPACE AIR DEFENSE VECTORS’ PERFORMANCES

Şandru, Vasile

2013

Overview

Confronted with the spectacular evolution of the aircraft and other aerial vehicles, the systems destined to combat them, especially Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (SAMS), went through an accelerated loss of their performance. The financial crisis has forced an extension of the system operation even if the system is outdated. Therefore, a new modernized version has been designed. Many times, it is better to improve an existing system than to buy a new one. This article describes the diversity of SAMS’s challenges, involving a decrease in time regarding their number. The types of challenges can be divided in two categories: technical and institutional ones. The technical challenges can be also divided in two categories: deterioration of material and obsolescence. The classes of material that present interest for us are aerodynamic vector structure, propulsion, and special systems. From an institutional point of view, the main problems are: cost versus performance and cost versus the remaining lifetime (technical resource) of the air defense system. The article finishes with conclusions that support the possibility and necessity of a SAMS upgrade, given the change of the threats characteristics.

• Publisher: Regional Department of Defense Resources Management Studies,\"Carol I\" National Defence University
• Subject: Acoustic microscopes / Aging / Air defense / Air-to-surface missiles / Analysis / Armed forces / Carbon fibers / Categories / Control systems / Corrosion / Crack initiation / Defense industry / Economic aspects / Economy / Epoxy resins / Finishes / Forecasts and trends / Guided missiles / LCC (Life Cycle Cost / Maintenance costs / Mathematical analysis / Military aspects / Missiles / Obsolescence / Product development / SAMS (Surface-to-Air Missile Systems) / Stress / Surface to air missiles / Technical and Institutional challenges / Vectors (mathematics)