Roland missile

Infobox Weapon
is_missile=yes
name=Roland


caption=
origin=
type=Surface to air missile
used_by=
manufacturer=Euromissile
unit_cost=
propellant=
production_date=
service=
engine=Dual-thrust solid-fueled rocket:
* Booster: "Roubaix" rocket, 15.3 kN for 1.7 s
* Sustainer: "Lampyre" rocket, 1.96 kN for 13.2 s
engine_power=
weight=67 kg
length=2.40 m
height=
diameter=16 cm
wingspan=50 cm
speed=Mach 1.6
vehicle_range=8000 m
ceiling=
altitude=5500 m
filling=6.5 kg (14.3 lb) pre-fragmented high-explosive
guidance=tracking radar
detonation=
launch_platform=

The Roland is a Franco-German mobile short-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system. The Roland is one of a very few foreign SAM systems to be purchased for the US Army.

Versions

Four different versions of Roland have been produced so far:
# Roland 1 - manual optical tracking and guidance, entered service 1977
# Roland 2 - full automatic tracking and guidance with radar, 1981
# Roland 3 - extended range, enlarged warhead, 1988
# Roland VT1 - hypervelocity missile

Current systems are capable of launching Roland 2, 3 or VT1 missiles.

Carriers

The Roland system has been installed on a variety of platforms, amongst them:

; tracked
* AMX 30
* Marder; wheeled
* ACMAT 6x6
* MAN 6x6, 8x8

An airliftable shelter named Roland CAROL has also been developed, which is a 7.8t container that can be deployed on the ground to protect fixed assets like airfields or depots or fitted on a truck.

Users

Roland is currently in service with the defence forces of France, Argentina, Brazil, Nigeria, Qatar, Slovenia (9 Roland IIs), Spain, and Venezuela. It is no longer in service in Germany (The German Army will replace Roland with the new and much more capable development: LFK NG), the USA [ [http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/m-115.html Designation Systems] ] or Iraq. It is believed that an Iraqi Roland missile succeeded in shooting down an American A-10 Thunderbolt II at the beginning of the Iraq War. [ [http://www.washtimes.com/news/2004/sep/08/20040908-123000-1796r/?page=7 Washington Times - French connection armed Saddam ] ]

Rolandgate

In 2003, controversy erupted between Poland and France when Polish forces from the Multinational force in Iraq found French Roland surface-to-air missiles. Polish and international press reported that Polish officers claimed these missiles had been manufactured in 2003. France pointed out that the latest Roland missiles were manufactured in the early 1990s and thus the manufacturing date was necessarily an error (it turned out it was probably the expiry date that was indicated), and affirmed that it had never sold weapons to Iraq in violation of the embargo. Investigations by the Polish authorities came to the conclusion that the persons responsible for the scandal were low level commanders, Wojskowe Służby Informacyjne the Polish Army's intelligence had not verified their claims before they were leaked to the press. Poland apologized to France for the scandal, but these allegations against France worsened the already somewhat strained relationships between the two countries. The entire incident was called sarcasticly "Rolandgate" by the Polish media, using the unofficial naming conventions of USpolitical scandals after Watergate.

Operators

;ARG;BRA;FRA;GER (phased out, will be replaced by LFK NG);IRQ;flag|Nigeria;flag|Qatar;flag|Slovenia;ESP;USA;VEN

References

ee also

*LFK NG, the new short-range surface-to-air missile of the German Army

External links

* [http://www.army-technology.com/projects/roland/ Army Technology]