Sea Killer

Sea Killer is an Italian anti-ship missile. It has been built in several versions, with differing guidance systems, and suitable for launching from ships or aircraft (in which form the weapons system is known as Marte).

Contraves Italiana, an Italian subsidiary of the Swiss armaments company Oerlikon Contraves began development of a short-ranged (10 kilometres (6.2 mi)) ship-based anti-ship missile system, named Nettuno in 1963. Guidance of Nettuno was by beam riding for course control, with altitude controlled automatically by an onboard radar altimeter, allowing the missile to carry out sea-skimming attacks. Command guidance was an alternative guidance method if jamming made the beam-riding method unusable. Contraves Italiana began work on an improved missile, Vulcano in 1965, this having the same guidance system, but with a two-stage (booster + sustainer) rocket motor to give a longer (25 kilometres (16 mi)) range. Both missiles could be fired from a five-round trainable launcher.

Testing of Nettuno began in 1966, with a trial installation being made on the Freccia class patrol boat Saetta of the Italian navy, with the five-round launcher replacing a Bofors 40 mm gun. Testing of Vulcano began in 1969.

In 1967, the Italian company Sistel (Sistemi Elttronici) was set up as a joint venture by five Italian companies, including Contraves Italiana, and the missile division of Contraves Italina was transferred to Sistel, along with the Nettuno and Vulcano missiles in 1969. Nettuno and Vulcano were renamed Sea Killer Mark 1 and 2 respectively for export, and these names gradually replaced the older names.

Sea Killer Mark 2 was purchased by Iran to arm its Saam class of four frigates, each of which was fitted with a single 5-round launcher. No other sales of the ship-based version were made, but development of Sea Killer Mark 2 into an all-weather anti-ship missile to equip the Italian Navy's helicopters began in 1967, with the helicopter based weapon system being named Marte.

Marte entered service with the Italian Navy in 1977, with its SH-3 Sea Kings being fitted with two Sea Killer Mark 2 missiles. In 1983, a new version, Marte 2, was announced, with the beam-riding guidance replaced by an active radar homing seeker based on that used by the Otomat anti-ship missile. Testing of Marte 2 started in 1984, with the missile entering service with the Italian Navy in 1987.