The Aspide is a medium-range missile with semi-active radar guidance. Its navalizzata version is used in the system Albatros developed, on request and NATO specifications, with the Italian participation from Selenia, to develop ex novo a missile system surface-air navalizzato analogous to the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow, navalized version of the AIM-7 Sparrow missile. The Albatros system is produced by the MBDA consortium, consisting of Matra, Bae, Dynamics and Alenia, a 50% subsidiary company which was merged into Leonardo S.p.A. (new name of Finmeccanica since 2017) heir to Selenia.
The missile in the Albatros system can operate in any weather condition, with multi-role capability, designed to combat threats to naval units from aircraft and missiles providing both area and point defense capability, with very high efficiency and probability of hitting the target and shoot it down with a single shot, as well as with the ability to discriminate against the individual target even if the latter flights in closed formation with others.
Over seventy Albatros systems are currently in service both in the Italian Navy and in those of foreign customers.
The missile in the Albatros system can operate in any weather condition, with multi-role capability, designed to combat threats to naval units from aircraft and missiles providing both area and point defense capability, with very high efficiency and probability of hitting the target and shoot it down with a single shot, as well as with the ability to discriminate against the individual target even if the latter flights in closed formation with others.
Over seventy Albatros systems are currently in service both in the Italian Navy and in those of foreign customers.
