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| Science & Technology |
| Aegis ABMs Are Out There |
| 2005-11-23 |
| November 23, 2005: For the sixth time in the last three years, the U.S. Navy successfully tested itâs ABM (anti-ballistic missile) version of its Standard anti-aircraft missile (yes, thatâs the official name, the âStandardâ missile). There has been one test failure. The Standard 3 (or SM-3) is designed to reach out 500 kilometers to hit incoming missiles. The Standard 3 is based on the failed anti-missile version of the Standard 2 and costs over three million dollars each. The Standard 3 has four stages. The first two stages boost the interceptor out of the atmosphere. The third stage fires twice to boost the interceptor farther beyond the earth's atmosphere. Prior to each motor firing it takes a GPS reading to correct course for approaching the target. The fourth stage is the LEAP kill vehicle which uses infrared sensors to close on the target and ram it. The LEAP is a 20 pound warhead that destroys the targeted ballistic missile by hitting it. This system requires a modified Aegis radar system and the navy is modifying over a dozen ships so they can handle the SM-3. The Standard 3 system has been tested and works, or at least it works against the test targets it has faced so far. It gone six for seven in tests during the last three years. An improved version of the Standard 3 is in the works that will extend range first to 1,000 kilometers, then 1,500 kilometers. A new LEAP warhead will weigh 66 pounds and be more effective (because of better guidance and heavier weight.) The current thinking is that two or three Aegis cruisers equipped with Standard 3 missiles could shut down any attempts by North Korea or Iran to use their current ballistic missiles. The Standard 3 does this by spotting and hitting the missiles while they are still rising up into the atmosphere. Systems like Patriot 3 or Arrow hit the missiles while they are coming down. At this point the missile is moving at several times the speed of sound and is actually a harder target to take out. The navy is not saying how many SM-3 missiles it has, but there are apparently at least a few dozen of them in service. Warships equipped with the SM-3 are regularly stationed off Iran and North Korea. The SM-3 is believed particularly suitable to shutting down any attempt by North Korea to use ballistic missiles. For that reason, Japan is buying the SM-3 system for some of its Aegis equipped warships. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #8 From what I understand of the AN/SPY-1 capabilities with the SM-3 is that it can fire and control up to 20 (give or take a couple) missiles at 20 different targets. The initial problem the original block SPY-1 sets had were that they could not launch a second salvo at the same target until the target was verified killed. I believe this has been overcome currently and when/if the navy moves to the SPY-2 and SPY-3 sets it will be even more capable of handling more launches simultaneously while tracking the inbounds. |
| Posted by: Valentine 2005-11-23 20:47 |
| #7 I can't see Iran becoming an ICMB heavy or even a major IRBM player. Too expensive. Persian and Paki nukes are for show and skare. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-11-23 19:10 |
| #6 The basic concept of anti-missile defense is the layered defense, which is the flip side to ballistic missile overkill. However, you can only effectively layer if you have both distance and means available. That is, layering doesn't work as well on shorter distances, or when you have no place to put your defenses. North Korea, therefore, is "easier" to layer then Iran, because the US can have Japanese area defenses and mid-Pacific defenses and Alaskan defenses. This would force them to try something difficult, like putting their missiles on a cargo ship to get it closer to our coast. The US Navy would have something to say about that. Iran is more problematic because most of its targets are closer, and have both land and sea between them and Iran. If they shoot at a sea target, then the land-based anti-missile defenses are shooting laterally to the missile; if a land target, then the sea-based defenses have to do the same. Given that they have considerable choice in their targets in the region, and that their targets are closer, probably means that we also have to use airborne defenses, such as 747-based lasers, to improve our shoot-down odds. Their counter to this would be a massive nuclear and conventional launch from many different locations to many different targets as a salvo. Our response would be used to program their second salvo to take advantage of any weaknesses in our defenses. This means that our defenses have to be capable of taking down wave after wave of missiles flooding out from Iran, many of whom are conventional or dummy. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-11-23 18:53 |
| #5 LOL, say the majik word .com |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-11-23 18:36 |
| #4 I'll bet this scenario could easily be flooded with more targets than it could handle. Each launcher (MK 41 Vertical Launching System) carries 2 missiles... and the verbiage brags that one can be prepped while the other is fired - does that mean the "system" can fire and control 2 missiles? Or not? Does one have to "complete" before the other can be fired? And more... How many launchers per ship? How are the computers that control the missiles set up? Slaved to the launcher or general ship's computers? How many missiles can be successfully controlled in flight simultaneously? How many ships do they presume should be on-station? Even presuming a 100% firing to kill ratio, Iran has, at least, several dozen launch sites - probably many more. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-11-23 16:31 |
| #3 Ship - public info on the SM-3 is available here: http://www.raytheon.com/products/standard_missile/ |
| Posted by: PBMcL 2005-11-23 15:15 |
| #2 Hummm.... can't figure how they fit a missle that size into the VLS tubes. Then again, none of my business. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-11-23 13:53 |
| #1 Boost phase intercept, I take it? Hence the IR. What about AFTER the incoming missle has MIRVed? "Hint: Bend over, put your head between your knees...) |
| Posted by: mojo 2005-11-23 10:16 |