DCNS Completes 100th Sylver Vertical Missile Launcher

A Sylver A50 for the Royal Navy

(September 9, 2009) -- DCNS today completed the 100th Sylver(r) vertical missile launcher. This type A50 eight-cell module will be integrated with a Royal Navy Type T45 destroyer.


"When the first Sylver launcher was produced in 2000, it was immediately seen as the new benchmark," says DCNS Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Bernard Planchais. "DCNS is the only European company producing multi-cell vertical launchers combining 360o coverage and high launch rates."

Sylver launchers can accommodate a wide variety of missile types. The 100 multi-cell modules produced to date are in use with five navies. DCNS currently has 48 Sylver modules on order, with good potential for further sales. The product range's key selling points are the range of variants, unprecedented mix-and-match weapon flexibility and excellent reliability.

Sylver launchers give client navies the peace of mind that only sea-proven hardware can offer. Sylver A43 and A50 launchers are designed for frigates, destroyers and larger vessels, including aircraft carriers. The A70, the latest addition to the range, is designed to launch MDCN cruise missiles and is currently in production for FREMM multimission frigates. The A35, recently qualified following a series of test firings, is designed for smaller missiles.

Sylver launchers, the world's safest for the host ship, offer high launch rates and ready adaptability to all types of missions by changing the weapon type. The host ship is thus well armed and equipped to fire missiles both safely and securely. While vertical launching ensures precision missile alignment relative to the host ship, vertical storage saves precious deck space. From an engineering perspective, the biggest challenge associated with shipboard systems for vertical missile ignition and launching is the evacuation of the missile's hot exhaust gases.

Sylver launchers are designed in compliance with an eco-design process to reduce environmental impact and produced at DCNS's Ruelle plant located near Angouleme in southwest France.

Source : DCNS