The Alfa program launched in the 1970s by Italy,[6] focused on a Ballistic Medium-Range Missile produced by Aeritalia and similar to the Polaris A-3. With a range of over 1,600 km [N 1], it could potentially hit all the countries of the Eastern Bloc with a single nuclear warhead weighing 1 ton.
The Alfa project involved a two-stage solid-fuel missile. For the use on board was planned the cold launch system, in which the gas pressure was used to expel the missile from the launch container. The first stage would only light up when the missile was completely outside the launch vessel.
The first stage was 3,845 m long, weighed 6 959 kg and used 6 050 kg of solid fuel in five-pointed star grains HTPB[N 8] (composed of 12% aluminium, 15% binder (Binder)[16] and 73% ammonium perchlorate)[16] under Rocketdyne licence. [17] The first-stage BPD[7] engine had four carbon fibre [N 9] nozzles fitted with a cardan joint[16] and coated with graphite. The engine guaranteed a take-off boost
The Alfa project involved a two-stage solid-fuel missile. For the use on board was planned the cold launch system, in which the gas pressure was used to expel the missile from the launch container. The first stage would only light up when the missile was completely outside the launch vessel.
The first stage was 3,845 m long, weighed 6 959 kg and used 6 050 kg of solid fuel in five-pointed star grains HTPB[N 8] (composed of 12% aluminium, 15% binder (Binder)[16] and 73% ammonium perchlorate)[16] under Rocketdyne licence. [17] The first-stage BPD[7] engine had four carbon fibre [N 9] nozzles fitted with a cardan joint[16] and coated with graphite. The engine guaranteed a take-off boost