- Yes
- No
Description: Back in 1983, the Italian companies Aeritalia and Snia BPD, united in the CASMU consortium (Consorzio Armamenti Spendibili Multi Uso), started the development of a weapon to solve the problem of the German MW1 cluster bomb dispenser. The problem was that for dropping the bombs with the MW1, the aircraft should have been on the target at close range, and for that, it will be a lot more vulnerable to enemy anti-aircraft weapons. The Skyshark, with a range that could go from 20 km to over 250 (depending on the version), was able to solve this problem since the aircraft was at an extremely safe distance. The new dispenser was also designed to be modular on a lot of aspects, being capable of using both submunitions or a standard warhead and different engines, making the weapon extremely adaptable to any situation. The shape of the missile was also designed with a stealth reduce visibility design in order to male the missile deadlier and more difficult to detect. Aeritalia provided the platform and the integration of the systems, while the Snia BPD was responsible for the submunitions. The flight test campain was started in 1988 at the Poligono Interforze Salto Di Quirra in Sardinia, Italy, where the weapon was mainly launched by the Tornado. The developers of the “Piripicchio” group (Aeritalia’s “skunk-works” design group at that time) decided to avoid putting folding wings to avoid other issues related to that one. The development featured three variants: a glider version with a maximum range of 20 km, a rocket propelled One with a turbojet propeller with a maximum range of 50 - 65 km, and a turbojet One with a max range of over 250 km. For being a bomb, it was also very fast, with a maximum speed of Mach 0.8. It also featured a warhead that could go from 500 kg to 900 kg, giving to the bomb a maximum weight of 1500 kg. Despite its very good performance and development, The SkyShark was abandoned in the 1990s without any further development.
Panavia Tornado A200A
Capable of carry 3 (2 under the wings pilon and 1 under the fusulage)
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Aeritalia AMX
Capable of carry 2 (Both under the wings pilon)
Spoiler
Others Pictures/Books
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Why it should be in the game:
If added this weapons will increase a lot the performance of the Tornado (and in future of the AMX) because it will make those aircraft able to strike enemy Base and Airport being at a safe distance from them. It can also be very good in ground battles since the player would be Able to cover entire part of the map and kill tanks Will AP bomblet or nuke a spawn with various 500 kg or 900 kg Cruise missiles with conventional warhead and be safe at a long range. It will also make more unique the Italian Tornado with a completly new Italian weapon.
Sources
Riepilogo
Books:
