Standard Missile

[locksly]

Star Wars missle defence is important to stop Arab missle attack.
Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) is being developed as part of the US Navy’s sea-based ballistic missile defense system and will provide theater-wide defense against medium and long range ballistic missiles. In 1992, the Terrier LEAP (Lightweight Exo-Atmospheric Projectile) demonstration program culminated in four flight tests and demonstrated the feasibility of theater-wide ballistic missile defense. This program evolved into today’s SM-3 development program which is based on the SM-2 Block IV airframe and propulsion stack, but incorporates a Third Stage Rocket Motor, a GPS/INS Guidance Section and the SM-3 Kinetic Warhead.
The United States Navy and the Missile Defense Agency are developing Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) as part of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System that will provide allied forces and U.S. protection from short to intermediate range ballistic missiles. The SM-3 Kinetic Warhead (KW) is designed to intercept an incoming ballistic missile outside the earth’s atmosphere. SM-3 is under development by Raytheon at its Missile Systems business unit in Tucson, Arizona.

Configuration
The Aegis BMDS builds upon the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization/Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (SDIO/ BMDO) investment in Lightweight ExoAtmospheric Projectile (LEAP) technology and the Navy’s Aegis weapon system including Standard Missile and MK41 Vertical Launching System currently deployed on many U.S. Navy and international surface combatants.

The SM-3 KW is a highly modular, compact, space tested kinetic warhead designed to defend against short to intermediate range ballistic missile attacks. Raytheon has engineered two prior generations of LEAP designs starting in 1985 under contracts with SDIO and BMDO. This third generation LEAP design integrates the teamed experience of Raytheon and Boeing in KW designs and Alliant Techsystems’ expertise in Solid Divert and Attitude Control. The SM-3 KW design features a large aperture wide field of view long wave infrared seeker that provides acquisition ranges greater than 300 km against typical ballistic missile threats. Seeker pointing and intercept guidance are supported by a production IFOG Inertial Measurement Unit and wooden round simplicity of the SDACS propulsion providing over 2 miles of terminal divert capability. The KW includes a fully encrypted data downlink capability for full engineering evaluation of KW performance and to support rapid kill assessment.

The SM-3 evolves from the proven SM-2 Block IV design. SM-3 uses the same booster and dual thrust rocket motor as the Block IV missile for the first and second stages and the same steering control section and midcourse missile guidance for maneuvering in the atmosphere. To support the extended range of an exo-atmospheric intercept, additional missile thrust is provided in a new third stage for the SM-3 missile, containing a dual pulse rocket motor for the early exo-atmospheric phase of flight and a Lightweight Exo-Atmospheric Projectile (LEAP) Kinetic Warhead (KW) for the intercept phase. Upon second stage separation, the first pulse burn of the Third Stage Rocket Motor (TSRM) provides the axial thrust to maintain the missile’s trajectory into the exo-atmosphere. Upon entering the exo-atmosphere, the third stage coasts. The TSRM’s attitude control system maneuvers the third stage to eject the nosecone, exposing the KW’s Infrared (IR) seeker. If the third stage requires a course correction for an intercept, the rocket motor begins the second pulse burn. Upon completion of the second pulse burn, the IR seeker is calibrated and the KW ejects. The KW possesses its own attitude control system and guidance commands are acted upon by a solid divert propulsion system. The IR seeker acquires the target. Tracking information is continuously transmitted to the guidance assembly which controls the divert propulsion system.

Discrimination algorithms enable defense systems to compare objects in a target scene to determine which to intercept. Increasingly complex threats with separated target elements, countermeasures, and debris, require advanced signal processing and discrimination algorithms to identify object features needed to provide robust target selection. SM-3 has flown and demonstrated fundamental discrimination capability for unitary threats.

Computer program design upgrades are in work to expand the current selection accuracy and add capability against more stressing unitary and separating target scenes using target features observed by the Aegis radar system and the KW LWIR seeker to optimize selection confidence. Leveraging off discrimination architecture used across Raytheon’s missile programs, SM-3 continues to evolve an integrated discrimination design for insertion with the current seeker design and each of the sensing and signal processor upgrades available to counter advancing threats.

Raytheon is working closely with the Navy to ensure that SM-3, based on legacy Standard tactical missile designs, stands ready to provide immediate emergency Aegis BMD capability against preponderant threats. The SM-3 Block I KW configuration features a single color LWIR seeker, a solid DACS propulsion, target identification and discrimination, and lethal intercept accuracy.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/sm3.htm



Sea-Based National Missile Defense
The Heritage Foundation report Defending America, A Plan to Meet the Urgent Missile Threat advocates a combined sea-based and space-based, global BMD architecture. The initial defense capability would be based upon the U.S. Navy’s twenty-two AEGIS cruisers carrying NTW Block II interceptor missiles, supported by a constellation of low orbit Space-Based Infrared (SBIRS-Low) satellites for launch detection, target tracking and engagement control. The Heritage Report focuses on a sea-based, global anti-missile capability, which they believe could provide the earliest protection against emergent Rest of World (ROW) ballistic missiles. The capability alone does not meet all the requirements of the JROC-approved NMD Operational Requirements Document (ORD). The ORD requires an initial NMD system able to achieve a high confidence, highly effective defense of all 50 states, against a simple, stressful, strategic ballistic missile threat.
The strategic ballistic missile threats to the US have different characteristics than the ballistic missiles that threaten overseas theaters of operation. NMD threat missiles are faster; cooler due to payload separation and an extended exoatmospheric flight; and may incorporate sophisticated penetration aids. The NTW Block II interceptor features a LEAP kill vehicle. Although LEAP appears to have sufficient divert capability to support engagement of unsophisticated NMD threats, it would require improvement of the infrared sensor to acquire cooler, more advanced NMD threats. Engaging the most difficult threats would require kill vehicle capabilities similar to those found in the EKV now being developed for the land-based NMD system.

If suitable external sensors are employed, the NTW Block II interceptor would become capable of using early commit-quality tracks of ICBM and SLBM boosters and reentry vehicles. In this modified configuration, an NMD system based on the NTW Block II interceptor could protect the US against attacks from N. Korea and other “Rest of World” (ROW) threats. Depending on the attacking country and details of the attack scenario, modified ships may be needed in as few as 3 different locations at sea to provide this protection, or in as many as 13 locations to provide protection against all of these countries simultaneously.

The cost for the stand-alone sea-based architecture to protect all 50 states is estimated to be $16B to $19B (ROM) (includes estimated $700M for NTW Block II RDT&E). More than $8B (ROM) is associated with sensors and BM/C3. For the sea-based architecture case, lower military construction costs would be offset by higher interceptor development and procurement costs, since this case would require a new interceptor not now under development, and it would require many more interceptors than are needed for the land-based case. In addition, the sea-based case would require dedicated launch platforms. These may be as simple as platforms equipped with the vertical launch system and the appropriate communications system, or as complex as full-up AEGIS ships. The afore stated estimate includes the cost of 3 to 6 AEGIS-type ships as a rough estimate of the ship acquisition costs. The sea-based architecture case could also add $0.1B per year (ROM) to O&S.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/..._sea-based.htm


ABM capability with LEAP homing vehicle. 3 stage rocket consisting of 1 x Mk 72 + 1 x Mk 104 + 1 x ASAS

Historical Essay © Andreas Parsch

Raytheon RIM-161 Standard SM-3

The SM-3 (Standard Missile 3) is a derivative of the RIM-156 Standard SM-2ER Block IV missile, and is the missile component of the U.S. Navy's forthcoming theater-wide ballistic missile defense system, called NTW-TBMD (Navy Theater Wide - Theater Ballistic Missile Defense). It is an upper-tier ballistic missile defense weapon, originally planned to complement the lower-tier SM-2ER Block IV A, but the latter has been cancelled in December 2001.

The SM-3 missile, designated RIM-161A, uses the basic SM-2ER Block IV A airframe and propulsion, and adds a third stage rocket motor (a.k.a. Advanced Solid Axial Starge, ASAS, made by Alliant Techsystems), a GPS/INS guidance section (a.k.a. GAINS, GPS-Aided Inertial Navigation System), and a LEAP (Lightweight Exo-Atmosspheric Projectile) kinetic warhead (i.e. a non-explosive hit-to-kill warhead). The launching ships will be updated with Aegis LEAP Intercept (ALI) computer soft- and hardware.

The LEAP uses a FLIR (Forward-Looking Infrared) sensor to locate its target, and was tested in a 4-flight series called Terrier/LEAP from 1992 to 1995. These tests used modified Terrier and Standard SM-2 missiles. Two intercepts were attempted during these tests, but the LEAP failed to hit the target in both cases. The first flight-test of an RIM-161A SM-3 missile occurred in September 1999, and the third test (in January 2001) demonstrated successful missile flight and control up to fourth stage (i.e. kinetic warhead) separation. In January 2002, the first all-up test of an RIM-161A succeeded in hitting an Aries ballistic target missile. Testing of the basic SM-3 and ALI system capabilities will continue through 2003, and flight tests against more realistic targets are currently planned to begin in late 2003 or early 2004.

http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/stardsm3.htm

Raytheon RIM-161 Standard SM-3
The SM-3 (Standard Missile 3) is a derivative of the RIM-156 Standard SM-2ER Block IV missile, and is the missile component of the U.S. Navy's forthcoming theater-wide ballistic missile defense system, called NTW-TBMD (Navy Theater Wide - Theater Ballistic Missile Defense). It is an upper-tier ballistic missile defense weapon, originally planned to complement the lower-tier SM-2ER Block IV A, but the latter has been cancelled in December 2001.

http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/m-161.html
National Missile Defense system

http://www.mda.mil/mdalink/html/mdalink.html

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Last edited by locksly : 02-16-2008 at 06:35 PM.

[David]

Great post, thank you locksly