By RICHARD R. BURGESS, Managing Editor
An SM-2 Block IV Standard surface-to-air missile launched from a sea-based platform made the first intercept of a ballistic missile during the terminal phase of its flight in recent tests in the Pacific Ocean.
The SM-2 Block IV — built by Raytheon Missile Co. — was launched from the cruiser USS Lake Erie positioned at the Pacific Missile Range, Barking Sands, Hawaii, and guided by the ship’s Aegis Weapon System to intercept a short-range ballistic target missile during the last few seconds of its flight, according to the Missile Defense Agency.
The SM-2 Block IV destroys incoming missiles through a combination of direct impact and the effects of blast fragmentation of the warhead near the target.
In a related development, Raytheon has been awarded a Naval Sea Systems Command contract potentially worth $424 million for continued development of the SM-3 Block IA and Block 1B missiles.
The SM-3, similar to the SM-2 but equipped with a third-stage rocket, is designed to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles during the midcourse of their flight. The Block 1A features upgrades to improve missile reliability at reduced cost. The Block 1B has an advanced two-color infrared seeker and a divert-and-attitude control system to improve intercept capability.
Also, Boeing has delivered to Raytheon the first kinetic warhead designed for the SM-3 Block 1A missile. The warhead is designed to destroy incoming short- to medium-range ballistic missiles by impact.
Joint Strike Fighter EW System Delivered
BAE Systems has delivered the first electronic warfare system designed for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to the aircraft’s manufacturer, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co.
The electronic warfare suite is designed to enhance the situational awareness and self-protection of the F-35’s pilot by providing “next-generation threat identification, monitoring, analysis and countermeasures,” according to a company release.
The system’s components weigh less than 190 pounds, according to Dan Gobel, BAE Systems’ vice president of the Joint Strike Fighter Electronic Warfare Program.
Lockheed Martin is using the first set to conduct integration tests with the aircraft systems at its Fort Worth, Texas, facility. The first 20 production sets are being assembled by BAE Systems in Nashua, N.H. The first flight-ready set will be delivered to Lockheed Martin in early 2007.
Defense Industry Notes
- Northrop Grumman Ship Systems has been awarded a $2.5 billion Naval Sea Systems Command contract to build the sixth and seventh hulls of the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship, San Diego and Anchorage. The contract also provides funds for the procurement of long lead-time materials for the eighth ship, Arlington.
- Raytheon has delivered the final APG-73 radar for the F/A-18 strike fighter, marking the end of a production run of 932 radars for the air arms of six nations. The company has been awarded a $22.8 million contract to provide spare parts and support for the radars in service, and expects a total of more than $40 million in support contracts for 2006. The APG-73 has been succeeded by the APG-79 airborne electronically scanned array radar designed for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighter.
- The second unit of the Virginia-class of attack submarines — Texas, built by Northrop Grumman Newport News and General Dynamic’s Electric Boat — was to have been delivered to the Navy in June after successful completion of its initial sea trials. The submarine is the first to be completed and launched at the Newport News, Va., shipyard since 1996, when the last Los Angeles-class attack submarine was launched.
- The Integrated Submarine Imaging System — developed by Lockheed Martin and Kollmorgen Electro-Optical — is being installed on a U.S. Navy submarine, USS Hampton, this month for the first time. The system augments the optical light path of existing periscopes with mast-mounted high-resolution cameras that transmit images through fiber-optic cable to video displays in the submarine’s control room.
