French Navy frigate Forbin makes first Aster 30 missile interception of AASM guided bomb.

The French Navy confirmed that the air-defense frigate Forbin has achieved a world first by intercepting a guided bomb launched from a Rafale Marine using an Aster 30 missile. The successful test marks a new chapter in naval air defense, proving that modern warships can neutralize advanced precision weapons before impact.

In a milestone for European naval defense, the French Navy announced on October 17, 2025, that its Horizon-class frigate Forbin successfully intercepted a live AASM (Armement Air-Sol Modulaire) bomb launched from a Rafale Marine fighter aircraft. The strike was neutralized using an Aster 30 surface-to-air missile, marking the first real-world demonstration of a warship defeating an air-launched precision weapon. French defense officials described the test as a decisive validation of the Forbin’s combat system and a key step in strengthening the Navy’s multi-layered shield against next-generation aerial threats.
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French Navy Horizon-class frigate Forbin fires an Aster 30 surface-to-air missile during a live-fire exercise, successfully intercepting an AASM precision-guided bomb launched by a Rafale Marine in the first operational interception of an air-to-ground bomb by a European warship. (Picture source: French Navy)

The Aster 30 missile, integrated aboard Horizon-class frigates through the PAAMS (Principal Anti-Air Missile System), is designed to neutralize a wide spectrum of aerial threats, including supersonic aircraft, maneuvering missiles, and emerging missile-class munitions. What distinguishes this test is the target: the AASM is not a conventional bomb but a modular, precision-guided air-to-ground weapon capable of autonomous mid-course correction, high-G evasive maneuvers, and low-RCS (Radar Cross-Section) profiles. The French Navy configured the test to simulate a complex strike scenario wherein the AASM was fired from a distance and approached the ship at low altitude and high speed.

Using its Thales-developed Héraklès multi-function radar, the Forbin acquired and tracked the incoming AASM in real time. Within seconds, the PAAMS combat system computed an intercept solution and launched an Aster 30 missile from the ship’s Sylver A50 vertical launch system. The missile achieved a direct hit on the incoming munition before it could reach its terminal phase, validating both the reactivity of the fire-control system and the precision of the Aster 30’s guidance.

Technically, the engagement underscores the evolving role of naval air defense systems beyond traditional anti-aircraft warfare. The Aster 30 uses an active radar seeker with an extended engagement envelope exceeding 120 km, and features a unique combination of aerodynamic controls and a lateral thrust vector system for endgame maneuverability. This agility is critical for intercepting non-ballistic targets like guided bombs, which do not follow predictable trajectories and can execute high-speed dives with last-second course adjustments.

The Aster 30, developed by MBDA as part of the Franco-Italian missile program, is the long-range interceptor within the Aster missile family, paired with the shorter-range Aster 15. Onboard the Forbin, the Aster 30 forms the core of the ship’s anti-air warfare capabilities. Loaded into the Sylver A50 vertical launch system, the missile can engage threats at ranges exceeding 100 km and altitudes up to 20 km. It employs an active radar seeker, inertial navigation with mid-course updates, and a solid-fuel two-stage motor for rapid acceleration. The missile’s PIF-PAF guidance system—based on aerodynamic fins and a lateral gas thrust vector system—allows it to perform sharp course corrections during the final intercept phase, ensuring high hit probability even against maneuvering or stealthy targets. The Aster 30 is capable of engaging not only aircraft and cruise missiles but also certain classes of tactical ballistic missiles and, as this test confirms, air-launched precision weapons such as the AASM.

The successful interception demonstrates that the Forbin’s PAAMS architecture is not limited to defending against aircraft or cruise missiles, but can now effectively target inbound strike munitions before they impact surface units. This gives the French Navy an operational edge in layered defense, enabling early neutralization of threats at the outer edge of engagement range. It also allows the frigate to protect multiple units within a task group, including the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle or the future PANG, from saturation attacks that rely on massed guided weapons rather than traditional air platforms.

The air-defense frigate Forbin (D620) is one of two Horizon-class frigates operated by the French Navy, specifically engineered for fleet air-defense and high-threat environment operations. Commissioned in 2010, Forbin is equipped with the PAAMS (Principal Anti-Air Missile System), incorporating the Thales Héraklès multifunction radar, a combat management system derived from DCNS’s SENIT platform, and 48 Sylver A50 vertical launch cells capable of deploying Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles. With a full-load displacement of approximately 7,000 tons and a top speed exceeding 29 knots, the frigate combines advanced sensor fusion with layered missile defenses to detect, track, and neutralize aerial threats at long range. Designed as the French counterpart to the Italian Andrea Doria class, the Forbin provides outer layer protection for carrier strike groups, amphibious task forces, and high-value maritime assets, and serves as the principal air-defense escort to the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.

This event aligns with current naval warfare trends where aircraft deliver ordnance from beyond the ship’s radar horizon, reducing exposure to shipborne SAMs. By intercepting the munition itself rather than its launch platform, the Aster 30 system demonstrates flexibility in modern combat environments dominated by standoff precision-guided munitions, swarm attacks, and networked multi-axis engagements.

The Forbin class, along with its sister ship Chevalier Paul, forms the core of France’s high-tier air defense capabilities at sea. Each is equipped with 48 Sylver A50 cells and integrates seamlessly with NATO air defense grids via Link 16 and Cooperative Engagement Capability protocols, allowing shared targeting across allied vessels and aircraft. The performance in this trial affirms the viability of these ships as strategic air defense nodes in multinational maritime operations.

With this successful engagement, the French Navy confirms that its Horizon-class frigates equipped with the Aster 30 are not only capable of defending against traditional aerial threats but are also fully adapted to intercept advanced munitions designed to evade modern air defenses. As naval warfare shifts toward faster, smarter, and more evasive aerial weapons, France’s ability to neutralize them at standoff range positions its fleet among the most combat-capable in Europe.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.