Cruiser, amphib test Aegis today in shootdown

 

By Audrey McAvoy - The Associated Press

Posted : Thursday Jun 5, 2008 8:01:30 EDT

 

HONOLULU — The U.S. military plans to intercept a ballistic missile in its first sea-based missile defense test since the cruiser Lake Erie shot down an errant satellite in a real-world mission earlier this year.

 

The test, off Kauai, is the latest test of the Aegis ballistic missile defense program. The military will fire a Scud-like missile, which has a range of a few hundred miles, from the decommissioned amphibious assault ship Tripoli.

 

The Lake Erie will fire two interceptor missiles at the target with the intention of shooting it down in its final seconds of flight.

 

If all goes well, the intercept should occur within the Earth’s atmosphere, or within 100 miles of the Earth’s surface.

 

The Aegis system accomplished a similar task once before: two years ago, the Lake Erie shot down a missile fired from the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai in its final stage of flight.

 

In February, the ship successfully shot down a U.S. spy satellite in the Aegis’ system’s first real-world mission.

 

The satellite had lost power and become uncontrollable, creating worries it would break up and spread debris over several hundred miles if it fell to earth.

 

Find Navy Times article here.

From Defense Aerospace

 

Successful Sea-Based Missile Defense Intercept

(Source: US Missile Defense Agency; issued June 5, 2008)

 

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) announced the successful completion of the latest flight test of the sea-based Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) element, conducted jointly with the U.S. Navy off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii.

 

The event, designated as Flight Test Maritime-14 (FTM-14), marked the fourteenth overall successful intercept, in sixteen attempts, for the Aegis BMD program and the second successful intercept of a terminal phase (last few seconds of flight) target by a modified Standard Missile-2 Block IV (SM-2 Blk IV) interceptor.

 

The mission was completed by the cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70), using the tactically-certified Aegis BMD shipboard weapon system, modified for a terminal capability, and the modified SM-2 Blk IV. This is the 35th successful terminal and mid-course defense intercept in 43 tests since 2001.

 

Aegis BMD is the sea-based mid-course component of the MDA's Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) and is designed to intercept and destroy short to intermediate-range ballistic missile threats. In 2006, the program's role was expanded to include a sea-based terminal defense effort, using a modified version of the SM-2 Blk IV. Unlike other missile defense technologies now deployed or in development, the SM-2 Blk IV does not use "hit to kill" technology (directly colliding with the target) to destroy the target missile. Rather, it uses a blast fragmentation device that explodes in direct proximity to the target to complete the intercept and destroy the target.

 

At 8:13 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time (2:13 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time) a short range target was launched from a mobile launch platform 300 miles west of the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF), Barking Sands, Kauai, Hawaii. Moments later, the USS Lake Erie’s Aegis BMD Weapon System detected and tracked the target and developed fire control solutions.

 

Approximately four minutes later, the USS Lake Erie’s crew fired two SM-2 Blk IV missiles, and two minutes later they successfully intercepted the target inside the earth's atmosphere, about 12 miles above the Pacific Ocean and about 100 miles west-northwest of Kauai.

 

FTM-14 test objectives included evaluation of:

-- the BMDS ability to intercept and kill a short range ballistic missile target with the Aegis BMD, modified with the terminal mission capability;

-- the modified SM-2 Blk IV missile using SPY-1 cue; and system-level integration of the BMDS.

 

MDA and the U.S. Navy cooperatively manage the Aegis BMD Program. Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors of Moorestown, New Jersey is the Combat System Engineering Agent and prime contractor for the Aegis BMD Weapon System and Vertical Launch System installed in Aegis equipped cruisers and destroyers.

 

Raytheon Missile Systems of Tucson, Arizona is the prime contractor for the SM-2 and SM-3 missile and all previous variants of Standard Missile. The SM-2 program is managed by the Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C. (ends)

 

 

 

Lockheed Martin Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Weapon System Destroys Ballistic Missile In Terminal Phase

(Source: Lockheed Martin; issued June 5, 2008)

 

MOORESTOWN, NJ. --- Lockheed Martin's Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Weapon System successfully detected, tracked and intercepted a short- range unitary ballistic missile target in the terminal phase of its trajectory during a test today at the Pacific Missile Range off the coast of Hawaii.

 

This mission was the first to use the latest version of the Aegis BMD weapon system -- Aegis BMD 3.6.1. – which adds to the proven sea-based missile defense system the capability to defeat short-range ballistic missiles, that have re-entered the atmosphere in their final stage of flight. The system will be certified for U.S. Navy fleet operations later this year.

 

In the test mission, the SPY-1B radar on the Aegis BMD cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70) detected and tracked the ballistic missile target, and computed a targeting solution to guide two SM-2 Block IV missiles to a successful endo-atmospheric (within the atmosphere) intercept. Once the SM-2s were launched from the ship’s Lockheed Martin-developed MK-41 Vertical Launching System (VLS), Aegis guided the missiles through the terminal phase of the intercept. The SM-2 Block IV missiles were recently modified to perform the terminal phase endo-atmospheric intercept of a ballistic missile.

 

While this event marked the first test in the Missile Defense Agency’s evaluation of Aegis BMD against a ballistic missile in its terminal phase, this is the second Aegis success in the terminal phase. In May 2006, the USS Lake Erie successfully intercepted a short-range ballistic missile in its terminal phase in a Navy-sponsored test using a version of the Linebacker Program first developed in 1998.

 

In addition to the terminal phase successes, Aegis BMD has 12 successful exo-atmospheric intercepts in 14 attempts in the midcourse phase of flight. Separate from the ballistic missile defense tests, USS Lake Erie’s Aegis BMD Weapon System was temporarily modified and successfully destroyed an errant United States satellite in February.

 

“Ballistic missiles present different challenges during each phase of flight, and Aegis BMD is proving its full range of flexibility,” said Orlando Carvalho, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Surface/Sea-Based Missile Defense line of business. “That flexibility reflects the disciplined systems engineering that invented, evolved and continues to develop Aegis capabilities against threats yet to come. Engaging ballistic missiles from the sea in the terminal phase is challenging for both the Sailors who executed this mission and the weapon system they used. Sea-Based Terminal is a critical capability in the Aegis BMD weapon system that provides protection to population centers, our deployed forces abroad, and critical infrastructure.”

 

The Missile Defense Agency and the U.S. Navy are jointly developing Aegis BMD as part of the United States’ Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). Currently, 12 U.S. Navy Aegis-equipped warships have the ability to conduct long-range search and track, and engage ballistic missiles. Another five Aegis warships are equipped with Aegis BMD long-range surveillance and track capability. By the end of 2008, 15 Aegis destroyers and three Aegis cruisers will have the capability to engage short to intermediate-range ballistic missile threats and support other BMDS engagements using the Aegis BMD Weapon System and the SM-3. The Aegis BMD 3.6.1 tested today will be installed on all U.S. Navy Aegis BMD ships beginning in 2009.

 

Japan has purchased Aegis BMD capability for its Kongo-class Aegis destroyers, and completed its first successful test of Aegis BMD in December 2007.

 

The Aegis Weapon System is currently deployed on 85 ships around the globe with more than 20 additional ships planned or under contract. In addition to the U.S., Aegis is the maritime weapon system of choice for Japan, South Korea, Norway, Spain and Australia.

 

Lockheed Martin is a world leader in systems integration and the development of air and missile defense systems and technologies, including the first operational hit-to-kill missile defense system, Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3). It also has considerable experience in interceptor systems, kill vehicles, battle management command, control and communications, precision pointing and tracking optics, as well as radar and other sensors that enable signal processing and data fusion. The company makes significant contributions to nearly all major U.S. Missile Defense Systems and participates in several global missile defense partnerships.

 

Headquartered in Bethesda, MD, Lockheed Martin employs more than 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2007 sales of $41.9 billion. (ends)

 

 

 

Raytheon Standard Missile-2 Intercept Demonstrates Near-Term, Sea-Based Terminal Capability

(Source: Raytheon Co.; issued June 5, 2008)

 

KAUAI, Hawaii --- Two Raytheon Company-built Standard Missile-2 Block IV missiles successfully intercepted and destroyed a short-range ballistic missile target above the Pacific Ocean June 5. The successful engagement demonstrated a near- term, sea-based capability for stopping threat ballistic missiles in their terminal or final phase of flight.

 

The short-range ballistic missile target was launched from the Mobile Launch Platform operating off the coast of Kauai on the Pacific Missile Range Facility while the crew of the guided missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG-70) fired the modified SM-2 Block IV surface-to-air missiles.

 

"This intercept is a major step toward deploying a viable sea-based capability to stop threat ballistic missiles in the final moments before they strike," said Frank Wyatt, Raytheon Missile Systems vice president of Naval Weapon Systems. "SM-2 Block IV can destroy incoming missiles through either direct impact or by exploding close to the target."

 

This was the second test of a modified SM-2 Block IV and the first to use an operational version of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense combat system that includes the terminal BMD mission capability.

 

Raytheon also produces Standard Missile-3 designed to defend against short-to-intermediate range ballistic missile threats in the midcourse phase of flight as well as the Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle, a key element of the U.S. Army's Ground-based Midcourse Defense program.

 

Raytheon Company, with 2007 sales of $21.3 billion, is a technology leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 72,000 people worldwide.