AEGIS-BMD: CG-70
launches SM-3
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The AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense System seamlessly integrates the SPY-1 radar, the MK 41 Vertical Launching System for missiles, the SM-3 Standard missile, and the ship’s command and control system, in order to give ships the ability to defend against enemy ballistic missiles. Like its less-capable AEGIS counterpart, AEGIS BMD can also work with other radars on land and sea via Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC). That lets it receive cues from other platforms and provide information to them, in order to create a more detailed battle picture than any one radar could produce alone.
AEGIS has become a widely-deployed top-tier air defense system, with customers in the USA, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Norway, and Spain. In a dawning age of rogue states and proliferation of mass-destruction weapons, the US Navy is being pushed toward a “shield of the nation” role as the USA’s most flexible and most numerous option for missile defense. AEGIS BMD modifications are the keystone of that effort – in the USA, and beyond.
The AEGIS Naval Ballistic Missile Defense System
What Is AEGIS?
AEGIS Combat Control
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Aegis, named after the legendary protective shield of Zeus, is deployed on over 80 serving naval ships around the globe, with many more Aegis-equipped ships planned or under contract. It’s the primary weapons control system on board American Ticonderoga Class Cruisers (CG-47) and Arleigh Burke Class Destroyers (DDG-51), as well as Japan’s Kongo & Atago Class destroyers, Korea’s KDX-III Class destroyers, Norway’s Fridtjof Nansen Class frigates, and Spain’s F-100 Alvaro de Bazan Class frigates. Australia’s Hobart Class F100 derivatives will join this set shortly.
The heart of these ships’ defensive suites is the AN/SPY-1 Radar System, a 3D air/surface search and tracking radar. This high-powered phased array radar is able to perform search, track and missile guidance functions simultaneously, with the ability to track over 100 targets at over 100 miles. Terminal guidance depends on mounted illuminators, since current SM-2 missiles are limited to semi-active radar homing.
Partial AN/SPY-1
The other key to Aegis is the Aegis combat system software, which takes input from a number of systems in order to create a unified picture of the threat environment. AEGIS equipped ships are key elements in modern carrier and battleship battle groups, providing fleet area defense and communicating an integrated air picture for more effective deployment of naval aircraft.
Most Aegis suites can be converted to missile defense, with the addition of hardware upgrades and a set of software updates. We refer to these upgraded systems as AEGIS BMD. The AN/SPY-1B radar variants that equip Ticonderoga class cruisers CG 59-73, and the AN/SPY-1D variant that equips DDG-51 destroyers and foreign Aegis ships in Japan, South Korea, and Spain, can be upgraded to support missile defense. On the other hand, the AN/SPY-1A radar on some Ticonderoga class cruisers is reportedly ineligible. The much smaller AN/SPY-1F hasn’t received a BMD upgrade design, and may or may not be capable.
Aegis was designed from the outset to operate with the Standard missile family, and both systems reach their maximum potential when deployed together. The current mainstay for air defense is the SM-2 Block IIIB. For missile defense, the longer-range SM-3 is the system’s main option, and it’s capable of exo-atmospheric kills up to 200 miles away, as ballistic missile prepare to re-enter the atmosphere. The “Burnt Frost” intercept showed that modified SM-3s were even capable of killing satellites in lower orbits.
A new variant of the SM-2 Block IV is being revived and fielded as the Near Term Sea-Based Terminal weapon (NT-SBT), for last-phase endo-atmospheric intercepts as the warhead descends toward its target. The new SM-6 will begin taking over that terminal defense role as of 2015.
As a ship combat system, Aegis can and does operate with a variety of other weapons, but Raytheon’s Standard family missiles are the only ones with ballistic missile defense capabilities.
AEGIS BMD: Versions & Capabilities
SM-3 Launch –
note rocket booster
AEGIS BMD went to sea with its initial operating capability in October 2004. During at-sea tests, the system and its missiles have been successful in 25/31 interception attempts – and 80.6% success rate.
AEGIS BMD 3.0. Its Long Range Surveillance & Tracking (LRS&T) wasn’t recommended for engaging ballistic missiles, but it reportedly extended the ship’s radar tracking range to 500 km/ 300 miles. That allowed equipped vessels to support engagements by other ships. Over time this version was phased out, as AEGIS BMD ship systems were upgraded.
AEGIS BMD 3.6 Supports full engagement, and was certified for tactical deployment by the U.S. Navy and the USA’s Missile Defense Agency in September 2006. The most recent certified version as of November 2014 is AEGIS BMD 3.6.3. This system retains long range tracking, can engage enemy missiles, and adds the capability to target short-range ballistic missiles as they re-enter the atmosphere in their final stage of flight. This allows them to make full use of SM-2 Block IV variants like NT-SBT, alongside longer-range options like the SM-3. Testing has demonstrated some unplanned bonus capabilities, including the ability to launch using another system’s tracking data, and to intercept MRBMs (1,000 – 3,000 km range).
AEGIS BMD 4.x Improvements include both hardware inserts and software development. Incorporation of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Signal Processor (Aegis BSP) into the AN/SPY-1 radar helps the system detect, track and classify objects more effectively, in order to defeat more complex ballistic missile threats like decoys and multiple warheads. The Aegis BSP, which has been installed in all new Aegis destroyers beginning in 2010, is an open architecture design. BMD 4.x also adds an adjunct computing suite that will continue AEGIS BMD’s migration toward open architecture electronics, and supports the improved SM-3 Block IB missile. The 4.0.2 sub-version on a number of current ships changes the timing of SM-3 rocket pulses, as a response to the FTM-16E2 test failure.
BMD capability will be included in modernized, open architecture combat systems in Aegis cruisers and destroyers starting in 2012, and even US Navy Aegis ships that are not slated for BMD will be changing over to a full open architecture (OSA/ MOSA) system as part of ongoing upgrades to the DDG-51 and CG-47 ships. The move lets the Navy buy commercial electronics components from a much wider variety of suppliers, saving money and ensuring easier future upgrades.
AEGIS BMD 5.0. AEGIS BMD 5.0 is expected to complete the system’s open architecture shift, with a new multi-mission processor and new computing workstations and display systems. There are proposals to upgrade all American Aegis ships with AN/SPY1B/D radars to have AEGIS BMD capability, so the full OSA/MOSA migration could prove significant.
In 2015 – 2016, a BMD 5.0 CU upgrade will restore terminal phase intercept capability within the atmosphere, allowing ships to use the SM-6 as a 2nd line of defense. This upgrade is also known as Aegis Baseline 9.C1, and has already been fitted to some ships, but they haven’t tested terminal intercept capability yet.
SM-3 evolution
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AEGIS BMD 5.1. The next big step forward for AEGIS BMD will be a new missile, coupled with the AEGIS BMD 5.1 software. The SM-3 Block IIA will use a different design that’s 21″ in diameter, instead of 13.5″ like the Block Is. That will allow for more powerful rocket motors, and considerable increases in range. The SM-3 Block I is mostly designed for use against short and medium-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs/MRBMs), and lacks the range to defend countries like Poland or The Czech Republic from the sea.
The Block II’s range will put most of the Czech Republic and Poland within range of inshore ships, and could allow just 2 ships to offer full coverage of Japan. Its improved range and speed will add effectiveness against Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles (IRBMs) that have ranges of 3,000 – 5,000 km, as well as some capability against full Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs). It’s due in 2018.
AEGIS BMDS: The Program
CEC Concept
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Tracking program spending on ship modifications is difficult to do in isolation, as Pentagon budget documents tend to treat “AEGIS BMDS” as a single category, which includes both ship upgrades and SM-3 missiles. The floating “SBX” radar deployed in the Pacific is also used in naval ballistic missile defense, but it is not an Aegis system and so does not come under AEGIS BMD budgets.
Based on Pentagon documents and outside sources, funding patterns include R&D, ship conversions, and SM-3 missile purchases. A GAO study gives totals over the years as:
FY 1995: $75 million.
FY 1996: $200.4 million.
FY 1997: $304.2 million.
FY 1998: $410 million.
FY 1999: $338.4 million.
FY 2000: $380 million.
FY 2001: $462 million.
FY 2002: $476 million.
FY 2003: $464 million.
FY 2004: $726.2 million.
FY 2005: $1.16 billion.
Beyond that:
The US MDA states that an in-service Aegis ship with no BMD capability can be given AEGIS BMD 3.6.1 capability for about $10 million to $15 million, or a AEGIS BMD 4.0.1 capability for about $53 million. An in-service ship with AEGIS BMD 3.6.1 installed can be upgraded to AEGIS BMD 4.0.1 for about $45 – $55 million more, for a total upgrade cost of $55 – $70 million if you have to do it twice.
BMD Ships & Deployment
We talked to the US Navy in order to confirm the ships, homeports, and combat system details of the fleet’s ships. As of October 2013, every ship from DDG 51 – DDG 77 will have received AEGIS BMD or have entered conversion. Conversions will continue within the fleet, and new ships under the current multi-year contract for DDG 117 – DDG 123 will all be delivered with BMD capabilities pre-installed – likely 5.0CU to start.
It has been a steady rvolution for the fleet, as it morphs toward its new “shield of the nation” role.
In March 2007, just 6 American warships had the ability to engage ballistic missiles, while another 10 were equipped with AEGIS Long Range Surveillance & Tracking version 3.0.
By July 2009, the number of fully BMD-capable ships had grown to 18, with 42 SM-3 missiles and 47 SM-2 Block IV variants available for use.
By the time CRS issued its FY 2012 report, there were 22 ships with AEGIS BMD 3.6.1, 2 with BMD 4.0.1, a store of 104 SM-3 missiles (92 Block IA and 12 Block IBs) to accompany about 100 SM-2 Block IVs.
The FY 2012 budget brought the total number of ordered BMD ship conversions to 35, and a combination of conversions, upgrades, and new-build ships will keep growing that number. From a FY 2013 CRS report:
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In the end, these CRS charts reinforce the belief that a significant portion of America’s destroyer and cruiser fleets will eventually receive these upgrades. Indeed, the US Navy’s FY 2015 – 2043 long-term plan will plateau between 80 – 97 BMD-capable ships.
AEGIS BMD Test History
Beyond the USA
JS Kongo into Pearl
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American ballistic missile defense ships won’t be alone on the seas. Japan has its own AEGIS BMD program, and began full installation of AEGIS BMD 3.6.1 systems in its Kongo Class Aegis destroyers in 2007. All 4 ships have now finished their installations, deployed SM-3 Block I missiles, and participated in BMD tests. The Japanese are also partnered with the USA to develop the SM-3 Block II: a larger, faster missile variant with an improved kill vehicle. This implies long-term upgrades for JMSDF combat systems to AEGIS BMD 5.1.
According to the US Congressional Research Service, other countries that the US military views as potential naval BMD operators of American equipment include the United Kingdom (Type 45 Daring Class, PAAMS/Aster-30 and possibly SM-3 too), the Netherlands (De Zeven Provincien Class, Thales BMD/SM-x), Spain (F100 Class, AEGIS BMD/SM-x), Germany (F124 Class, Thales/SM-x), Denmark (Ivar Huitfeldt Class, Thales/SM-x), South Korea (KDX-III, AEGIS/SM-6 confirmed), and Australia (Hobart Class, AEGIS/SM-6 confirmed, could add SM-3). Note that all countries listed here as potential operators could add SM-3s to Mk.41 vertical launch systems on board, as well as shorter-range SM-6 point defense BMD missiles. Infrastructure for one equals infrastructure for the other.
Aegis ships operate variants of the passive array SPY-1D radar, and one country has already taken steps. Spain already has ships equipped with AEGIS Long Range Surveillance & Tracking version 3.0, and ESPS Menendez Nunez has participated in US missile defense exercises as a tracking ship. The non-Aegis European countries mentioned here use variants of Thales’ SMART-L for long-range scans, coupled with modern active-array fire control radars. The Dutch De Zeven Provincien Class ship HNLMS Tromp has participated in US missile defense exercises as a tracking ship, sporting its Thales combat system and advanced Thales APAR/SMART-L active array radars. The Dutch are currently working to extend the class’ radar range even farther, in preparation for full BMD capabilities.
The US CRS omits France and Italy, even though they host the PAAMS combat system and BMD-capable Aster-30 missile on their 4 Horizon Class ships. France is also committed to building a national BMD system, so their omission is especially puzzling.
Contracts & Updates
FY 2015 – 2016
1st BMD 5.0CU test.
FTM-25 explained
October 19/16: October 19/16: Aegis or THAAD? With the expectation that Tokyo will request additional money external link to fund missile defense upgrades to repel North Korean ballistic missiles, a study will be funded on whether to buy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system or Aegis Ashore. It’s believed that money will also be provided to improve their existing PAC-3 air defense system as well. However, any purchases or modernizations will take time to implement as North Korea continues with its escalation of missile tests.
September 7/16: The US Navy will field-test the latest Aegis Baseline 9.2C alongside the first intercept test for the SM-3 Block 2A interceptor next month. A new feature added to the software build is the “engage-on-remote” capability that will allow the SM-3 missile to target a ballistic missile during data derived from another sensor such as a satellite. However October’s test will not see that feature tested.
August 22/16: The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has scheduled the testing of the SM-3 Block 2A ballistic missile defense interceptor this October. A joint development involving both the MDA and Japan, the interceptor has been previously flight tested twice by the agency without any target intercepts initially planned. October’s test will see it engage and destroy a medium-range ballistic missile target. If successful, the SM-3 will be in full-rate production in 2017.
August 18/16: Lockheed Martin has received $112 million as part of the 2016 Aegis modernization program. The US Navy contract modification covers the production of multi-mission signal processor equipment sets, ballistic missile defense 4.0.2 equipment, Aegis weapon system modernization upgrade equipment, as well as associated spares to support the fielding of Aegis modernization capabilities to the fleet. Under the program, vessels receiving the upgraded systems will experience increased computing power as well as improved detection and reaction capabilities of its radars.
August 17/16: Japanese and South Korean destroyers are to receive the latest variant of the Aegis combat system after contracts were issued by the US DoD. Two upcoming Japanese and three new Korean vessels will receive the Aegis Baseline 9 system alongside all future US Navy destroyers. Completion of the $490 million deal is expected for June 2022.
June 27/16: Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $357 million contract for Advanced Electronic Guidance and Instrumentation System (AEGIS) in-service combat systems for several nations. The contract will see the company provide computer program maintenance, annual inspection and regular overhaul execution support, in-country support, and staging. Replacement of legacy cathode ray tube character readout devices for Japan, logistics depot support for Norway unique line replaceable unit, and AEGIS implementation studies for future Foreign Military Sales (FMS) AEGIS shipbuilding programs to fulfill AEGIS lifetime support requirements of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force, Republic of Korea Navy, Spanish Armada, Royal Australian Navy, and Royal Norwegian Navy. Completion is expected for November 2019.
June 2/16: Raytheon has been awarded a $365.8 million contract for the production of Aegis Weapon System AN/SPY-1D(V) Radar Transmitter Group, Missile Fire Control System MK 99 equipment, and associated engineering services. The contract combines purchases for the US Navy, South Korea, and Japan and contain options that could amount to $423 million. Completion of the contract is expected by October 2022.
May 26/16: USS John Paul Jones was used to validate the ability of the Aegis Baseline 9 to track Medium Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM) targets within the Earth’s atmosphere recently. Supported by the Navy, Missile Defense Agency, and Lockheed Martin the use of the missile destroyer marks the first demonstration of Aegis’s ability to conduct a complicated tracking exercise against an MRBM during its endo phase of flight. The development comes as targets and threats have become more advanced, with Aegis BMD evolving over the last 20 years from a tracking experiment to today’s capability in which it can detect, track and engage targets.
December 9/15: The crew of the USS John Paul Jones got quite a workout while testing the Aegis combat system during an exercise off Wake Island on October 31. They first intercepted a short range air launch target (SRALT) missile with the THAAD missile defense system. The Aegis was then tested as a C-17 then launched an extended medium range ballistic missile (EMRBM) through the debris of the first intercept. If that wasn’t enough, the crew were simultaneously engaging a BQM-74E air-breathing target with a Standard Missile-2 Block IIIA guided missile at the time. The tests were aimed at improving and enhancing the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense, which is the naval component of the Missile Defense Agency’s Ballistic Missile Defense System.
Nov 6/14: FTM-25. USS John Paul Jones [DDG 53] successfully engages 1 short-range ballistic missile target with an SM-3 Block IB missile, and 2 cruise missiles with a par of SM-2 Block IIIAs, in the FTM-25 Stellar Wyvern test.
DDG 53 has the Aegis 9.C1 combination, which represents the next evolutionary step. It finishes the system’s open architecture shift, adding a new multi-mission processor and new computing workstations and display systems. The upgrade’s goal is to rapidly switch between BMD and the area air defense role, allowing full use of SM-6 missiles in a terminal BMD role as well as multiple engagements like this one.
Other test participants included discriminating sensors flown on two MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles and sensor systems ashore; Command and Control, Battle Management, and Communications (C2BMC) Enterprise Sensors Lab; C2BMC Experimentation Lab; and the Aegis Ashore Missile Defense Test Complex located at PMRF. Sources: US MDA, “Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System Completes Successful Intercept Flight Test” | Defense Update, “System upgrades are key in Aegis destroyer’s success defeating ballistic, cruise missile raid on the recent test”.
Oct 17/14: FTX-20. USS John Paul Jones [DDG 53] engages in the FTX-20 tracking test of a ballistic missile target, testing both the combined Aegis 9.C1 combat system (Aegis Baseline 9 with BMD 5.0 Capability Upgrade), and the ability to launch and engage based solely on tracks from remote airborne sensors.
Other test participants included the Sea-Based X-band Radar (SBX), Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS) Demonstrators; Discrimination Sensor Technology (includes a UAV – likely MQ-9 – with an MTS-B optical sensor turret); Command and Control, Battle Management, and Communications (C2BMC) Enterprise Sensors Lab; C2BMC Experimentation Lab; and the Aegis Ashore Missile Defense Test Complex located at PMRF. Sources: US MDA, “Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System Detects and Tracks Medium-Range Ballistic Missile Target”.
FY 2014
BMD 5.0 contracted for development, but won’t become universal; CRS highlights program cuts, GAO highlights software glitches and Euro deployments.
FTM-22 test
Jan 15/15 29/14: Raytheon announced that the Navy has approved the SM-6 for additional Aegis systems, to include those Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers from the 1994-keel-laid The Sullivans (DDG-68) onward.
This appears to put to rest concerns that the Zumwalt-class (DDG-1000) program wouldn’t be able to employ (see “Weapons” section) the standard family of missiles.
Sept 29/14: Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training in Moorestown, NJ receives an $8.1 million contract modification for a single FY 2015 AEGIS BMD 4.0.2 ship installation, bringing the contract’s total value to date to $2.0106 billion.
Work will be performed at Moorestown, NJ, with an expected completion date of March 27/16. The US Missile Defense Agency in Dahlgren, VA manages the contract (HQ0276-10-C-0001, PO 0154).
Aug 8/14: 4.1/ 5.0. Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training in Moorestown, NJ receives a $193.6 million contract modification for necessary material, equipment, and supplies to define, develop, integrate and test Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense 4.1 and 5.0 Capability Upgrade baselines through their respective certifications. At present 4.0.2 is the most recent fielded version. $19.5 million in FY 2014 Navy RDT&E funds is committed immediately, and the entire modification brings the contract’s cumulative face value to $2.003 billion.
Work will be performed at Moorestown, NJ, with an expected completion date of May 31/16. fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $19,500,000 are being obligated at time of award. The Missile Defense Agency, Dahlgren, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HQ0276-10-C-0001, PO 0150).
July 23/14: Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training in Moorestown, NJ receives a $40.7 million not-to-exceed contract for 1 multi-mission signal processor equipment set, ballistic missile defense 4.0.2 equipment (the most modern fielded variant), and Aegis Weapon System upgraded equipment to support fielding Aegis modernization capabilities to the fleet. $20.3 million is committed immediately, using FY 2014 budgets.
Work will be performed in Moorestown, NJ (57.8%); Clearwater, FL (41.5%); and Owego, NY (0.7%), and is expected to be complete by March 2016. This contract was not competitively procured, pursuant to 10 U.S. C. 2304(c)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1. US NAVSEA in Washington, DC manages the contract (N00024-14-C-5106).
May 27/14: Limited Upgrades. USNI reports that many existing BMD ships won’t receive an upgrade to Aegis Baseline 9, which lays a foundation for the use of missiles like the new SM-6 beyond the ship’s radar range, and for terminal ballistic missile defense:
“Out of 28 early Arleigh Burke-class DDGs (Flight I/II), 21 will not receive a full upgrade to their Aegis combat systems and instead have a midlife upgrade that will focus on the mechanical health of the ship and some will have upgrades to the ships’ anti-submarine warfare systems as part of a cost saving strategy, Naval Sea Systems Command told USNI News on Friday…. The estimated cost of the reduced upgrades is about $170 million per ship for the news systems and testing. The full upgrade costs about $270 million…. Ships without a combat system refresh at some point — usually during a midlife upgrade — only average from 17 to 19 years in the fleet, several naval experts told USNI News.”
Our chart of BMD ships has been updated accordingly. Sources: USNI, “Navy Quietly Downscales Destroyer Upgrades”.
April 8/14: CRS Report. The Congressional Research Service updates their backgrounder covering the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system. They confirm DID’s charts regarding these areas, though CRS doesn’t divide general naval BMD from the land-based European implementation.
The FY 2015 budget cuts 132 SM-3 missiles from the FY 2014 budget’s 2015-2018 buys, and it will also change the composition and makeup of the naval BMD fleet via a combination of slower upgrades, and the mothballing of 4 BMD ships. The US Navy’s FY 2015 decision to sideline its 11 newest Ticonderoga Class cruisers (CG 63 – 73) will remove 4 ships from the BMD fleet until the late 2020s, and the damaged USS Port Royal will probably never return to service. Expected returnees include CG 67 USS Shiloh (2024, BMD 4.0.1 now), CG 70 USS Lake Erie (2026, BMD 4.0.2 now) and CG 72 USS Vella Gulf (2027, BMD 3.6.1 now).
Aegis BMD 4.0 is at an advanced stage, but there are still a few things everyone would like to see. They include a test featuring remote authorized engagement with an SM-3 Block IB against a medium/intermediate-range ballistic missile target, operationally realistic testing using its improved engagement coordination with THAAD and PATRIOT missiles, and
an Aegis BMD 4.0 test featuring simultaneous BMD/cruise missile intercepts.
April 7/14: Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training in Moorestown, NJ receives a $13.7 million modification to contract for support of Aegis BMD Program Office advanced concepts initiatives, to identify technology for introduction into present and future Baselines/Spirals. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $1.789 billion, from $1.775 billion.
All funds are committed immediately, using MDA FY 2014 RDT&E budgets. Work will be performed at Moorestown, NJ, with an expected completion date of June 30/14. The US Missile Defense Agency in Dahlgren, VA manages the contract (HQ0276-10-C-0001, P00138).
April 1/14: GAO Report. GAO-14-351 focuses on acquisition goals and reporting for missile defense in general. A 17 month delay in the modernized Aegis system is at a problematic point:
“Discovery of software defects continues to outpace the program’s ability to fix them; fixes may have to be implemented after software is delivered.”
March 14/14: GAO report. The GAO releases GAO-14-248R, regarding the USA’s EPAA plans for defending Europe from ballistic missiles. With respect to Aegis Ashore, they note that the Phase 2 system in Romania will be installed with an interim version of its software. The final version won’t be ready until 2017, which makes one wonder about the AEGIS BMD v5.1 software that supposed to be ready for deployment by 2018. This is a wider theme for GAO, who say that:
“A highly concurrent schedule for Aegis Ashore installations and Aegis weapon system development mean issues discovered during testing could require fixes, possibly after operational deployment. DOD believes that concurrency risk is properly balanced… flight testing will not affect technical design.”
March 4/14: MDA Budget. The MDA finally releases its FY15 budget request, with information spanning from FY 2014 – 2019. AEGIS BMD has a number of related budget lines: Aegis Ashore Phase II & III construction, BMD Aegis R&D, Land-Based SM-3 R&D, Aegis SM-3 Blk IIA R&D, Aegis Initial Spares procurement, Aegis Ashore Phase III procurement and AEGIS BMD O&M.
That’s $2.135 billion in FY15, for a diverse set of programs from missiles to ship refits to land-based installations. If BMD testing and BMD targets are added, on the grounds that most MDA testing involves AEGIS BMD systems, the FY15 total rises to $3.006 billion.
Jan 28/14: DOT&E Testing Report. The Pentagon releases the FY 2013 Annual Report from its Office of the Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E). The SM-3 Block IA went 4/5 this fiscal year, thanks to a faulty IMU chip in the FTI-01 test’s missile (q.v. Oct 25/12). That chip is only present in a few Block IAs, and isn’t in Block IB. The SM-3 Block IB went 3/3 in FY13, but after a string of 5 successful flights, the report notes an issue with the 2nd missile’s TSRM cold gas regulator during FTM-21. Overall:
“With the completion of FTM-21 and FTM-22, the IOT&E flight testing phase for Aegis BMD 4.0 and SM-3 Block IB guided missiles is nearly complete. However, the program needs to complete Flight Test Other-18 (FTX-18) and planned HWIL testing of raid engagement capability and Information Assurance testing using accredited models and simulations in the test runs-for-the-record before an assessment of effectiveness and suitability can be made. Additionally, the program needs to test Aegis-Aegis, Aegis-THAAD, and Aegis-Patriot engagement coordination; only the first of these three types of engagement coordination is planned for live-target testing before the SM-3 Block IB Full-Rate Production decision in 4QFY14.”
Oct 3/13: FTM-22. An SM-3 Block IB missile from the cruiser USS Lake Erie destroys a medium-range, separating ballistic missile target that was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai, Hawaii. It represents the 5th successful test in a row of the SM-3-IB/ AEGIS BMD 4.0.x combination since the September 2011 failure. Sources: MDA release, Oct 4/13 | Lockheed Martin release, Oct 4/13 | Aerojet Rocketdyne release, Oct 4/13.
FY 2013
BMD 5.x development contracts; BMD 4.x installation contracts; SM-3 Block IIB is terminated after reports cast doubts on it; Glitches in FTI-01 test, but successes in 3 others.
FTM-20 launch
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Sept 23/13: R&D. Lockheed Martin Mission System and Training in Moorestown, NJ receives a $20 million sole-source cost-plus-award-fee contract modification. They’ll identify technology for introduction into present and future Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Baselines and upgrades. Initial funding begins with just $50,000 in RDT&E dollars.
Work will be performed in Moorestown, NJ, with an estimated completion date of June 30/14. The US Missile Defense Agency in Dahlgren, VA manages the contract (HQ0276-10-C-0001, P00125).
Sept 18/13: FTM-21. USS Lake Erie [CG 70] ripple-fires 2 SM-3 Block IB missiles at a short range, separating ballistic missile target. As it happens, missile #2 isn’t needed, because the 1st one hits. The bad news is that missile #2’s TSRM cold gas regulator, which was redesigned after the FTM-15 fail, glitched out during the 2nd pulse rocket motor firing. It didn’t affect the score, but the Navy wants to know if there’s a common underlying root cause they haven’t quite fixed.
As usual, the test centers around the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai, Hawaii. It’s the 4th consecutive success for the SM-3 Block IB since the Sept 1/11 failure. Sources: the FY 2013 Annual Report | US MDA release, Sept 18/13 | Lockheed Martin release, Sept 19/13.
Sept 10/13: FTO-1. A successful joint test of AEGIS BMD and land-based THAAD missiles from the Pacific Kwajalein Atoll/Reagan Test Site destroys 2 medium range target missiles.
The test involved full inter-operation. A land-based TPY-2 radar was positioned forward as the warning radar. It acquired the targets, and passed that onto the joint C2BMC (Command, Control, Battle Management, and Communications) system. C2BMC cued DDG 74 USS Decatur, outfitted with AEGIS BMD 3.6.1 and the SM-3 Block IA missile. Decatur acquired the track, then launch and killed its target. C2BMC also passed the track to a land-based THAAD battery’s own TPY-2 radar, which provided the intercept guidance for a successful pair of THAAD missile shots. The 2nd THAAD missile was actually aimed at the SM-3’s MRBM, in case it had failed to achieve intercept, but that turned out not to be necessary this time. Sources: US MDA, Sept 10/13 release | Lockheed Martin, Sept 11/13 release | Raytheon, Sept 10/13 release.
July 1/13: 5.1 + Increment 2. Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training in Moorestown, NJ, receives a sole-source, cost-plus-incentive-fee/cost-plus-award-fee/cost-plus-technical-schedule incentive fee contract modification worth $295 million, raising the total contract value to date to $1.73 billion. This covers system engineering and program management for BMD 5.1 software through the Critical Design Review (CDR), and SM-6 interceptor Increment 2 through Preliminary Design Review (PDR).
Work will be performed in Moorestown, NJ until March 2015. SM-6 Increment 2 will provide terminal-phase ballistic missile defense capability, allowing the missiles to act as a 2nd layer beneath SM-3. BMD 5.1 software and SM-6 Increment 2 are scheduled to reach Initial Operational Capability (IOC) by 2018 (HQ0276-10-C-0001).
May 16/13: FTM-19. An SM-3 Block IB missile is launched from the cruiser USS Lake Erie [CG 70, BMD 4.0.2], and hits a separating, short-range ballistic missile target. This is the 3rd consecutive successful test for the SM-3 Block IB, after its September 2011 failure. Which should clear the way for the full FY 2013 missile order. Overall, this test brings the SM-3 family to 25/31 (about 80%) in ballistic missile intercept tests. US MDA | US DoD | ATK | Lockheed Martin.
April 25/13: BMD 5.0. Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training in Moorestown, NJ receives a $69.4 million sole-source, cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-award-fee contract modification to continue developing AEGIS BMD 5.0, increasing the total contract value from $1.34 billion to $1.41 billion.
Work will be performed in Moorestown, NJ, and is expected to be complete by May 31/14. The US Missile Defense Agency in Dahlgren, VA manages the contract (HQ0276-10-C-0001).
April 10/13: FY 2014 Budget. The President releases a proposed budget at last, the latest in modern memory. The Senate and House were already working on budgets in his absence, but the Pentagon’s submission is actually important to proceedings going forward. See ongoing DID coverage. The biggest news is the SM-3 Block IIB Next-Generation Aegis Missile’s effective termination into a technology demonstration program. Its ability to defend the USA from European bases became questionable, and its timelines were never realistic. The USA will buy the originally-planned number of land-based GBI missiles instead.
March 15/13: R&D. Lockheed Martin MS2 in Moorestown, NJ receives a sole source, cost-plus-award-fee contract modification. The $24 million option supports Program Office efforts to identify technology for introduction into present and future Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Baselines/Spirals. The total contract value jumps from $1.316 billion to $1.34 billion.
The work will be performed in Moorestown, NJ through Dec 31/13. The contract has no Foreign Military Sale components, and the US Missile Defense Agency in Dahlgren, VA manages it (HQ0276-10-C-0001).
Feb 13/13: FTM-20. CG-70 USS Lake Erie uses AEGIS BMD 4.0.2 and an SM-3 Block IA missile to hit a medium-range ballistic missile target, based on tracking data from in-orbit Space Tracking and Surveillance System-Demonstrator (STSS-D) satellites. The 4.0.2 system incorporates the changes made in the wake of the FTM-16E2 failure, and changes the timing of SM-3 rocket pulses.
Tracking from space can extend ship launch ranges, which allows one ship to cover a larger area. On the other hand, a September 2012 NRC report saw the system’s PTSS successor constellation as a waste of money, which provides very little value beyond existing satellites. They recommended that the USA should invest in upgrading the land-based GMD and its radars instead, in order to improve ICBM intercepts.
The missile target was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility, as usual. The SM-3 destroyed its target, and initial indications are that all components performed as designed. MDA’s release says that FTM-20 is the 24th successful SM-3 intercept in 30 flight test attempts since intercept tests began in 2002. US MDA | US DoD | ATK | Lockheed Martin | Northrop Grumman | Raytheon.
Feb 11/13: GAO Report. GAO-13-382R: “Standard Missile-3 Block IIB Analysis of Alternatives” throws cold water on the idea that the SM-3 Block 2B can defend the USA from bases in Poland or Romania. The geometry isn’t very good, and success may require a boost-phase intercept. Those are very tricky, and have limited range, because you have to hit the enemy missile within a very short time/ distance.
Some members of the military think it’s possible, at an initial estimated budget of $130 million extra. The problem is the tradeoffs. Liquid propellants can boost speed, but are unsafe on Navy ships due to the fire risks. On the other hand, the middle of the North Sea offers much better missile intercept geometries. Maybe Block 2B shouldn’t be land-based at all, but then why replace Block 2A in such an expensive way? MDA still needs to set the future missile’s performance requirements and limits. Where should the tradeoffs be made?
This brings us to the GAO’s point about the MDA developing the SM-3 Block IIB under a framework that dispenses with a good chunk of the usual paperwork, including an Analysis of Alternatives. On reflection, this is more than a bureaucratic point driven by “records show that programs doing the paperwork usually fare better.” One of the EPAA’s key underlying assumptions is now in question, and the proposed solution must now be in question as well. Is the best solution for land-based European missile defense still SM-3 Block IIB? What are the tradeoffs vs. using a system like the NRC’s recommended GMD-I from the USA (vid. September 2012 entry), and making Block 2B a ship-deployed missile? Does Block 2B even make sense now? Without good answers regarding capability, options, and maintainability, how does the MDA decide – or pick the right winning combination among the Block 2B competitors? A full AoA could improve those answers, and hence the odds of a smart pick.
Feb 7/13: +3 destroyers. Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Sensors in Moorestown, NJ has its sole-source-cost-plus-incentive-fee/ cost-plus-award-fee contract limit raised by $30.2 million, in order to install AEGIS BMD 4.0.1 on 3 US Navy destroyers. This raises the overall contract from $1.286 billion to $1.316 billion.
Work will be performed in Moorestown, NJ; Pearl Harbor, HI; San Diego, CA, and Norfolk, VA through March 15/15. Initial funding will use FY 2013 Research, Development, Test and Evaluation funds. The Missile Defense Agency, Dahlgren, Va., is the contracting activity (HQ0276-10-C-0001).
Oct 25/12: FTI-01. The US Army and Navy conduct a combined developmental and operational tests that involves the back-end C2BMC system, Army PATRIOT PAC-3 and THAAD missile intercepts, and Navy SM-2 and SM-3 missiles launched from USS Fitzgerald [DDG 62]. The PAC-3, THAAD, and SM-2 intercepts all work. The SM-3 Block IA intercept does not.
“The flight test began with an Extended Long Range Air Launch Target (E-LRALT) missile airdropped over the broad ocean area north of Wake Island from a U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft, staged from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. The AN/TPY-2 X-band radar, located with the THAAD system on Meck Island, tracked the E-LRALT and a THAAD interceptor successfully intercepted the Medium-Range Ballistic Missile. THAAD was operated by Soldiers from the 32nd AAMDC.
Another short-range ballistic missile was launched from a mobile launch platform located in the broad ocean area northeast of Kwajalein Atoll. The PATRIOT system, manned by soldiers of the 94th AAMDC, detected, tracked and successfully intercepted the target with a PAC-3 interceptor. Additionally, a second PAC-3 interceptor also intercepted a low flying cruise missile target over water.
The USS FITZGERALD (DDG 62) successfully engaged a low flying cruise missile over water. The Aegis system also tracked and launched an SM-3 Block 1A interceptor against a Short-Range Ballistic Missile (SRBM). However, despite indication of a nominal flight of the SM-3 Block 1A interceptor, there was no indication of an intercept of the SRBM.”
Sources: US MDA, “MDA completes BMDS FTI-01 live-fire demonstrations” | Lockheed Martin, “Lockheed Martin’s Missile Defense Systems Engage Multiple Targets During First Ever Integrated Ballistic Missile Defense System Test” | Raytheon, “U.S. Military Engages Targets With Raytheon Equipment in Largest Missile Defense Test in History”.
FTI-01: mixed results
FY 2012
BMD 4.0.1 certified; BMD 5.0 install contract Navy wants to scrap 7 cruisers, Congress wants to keep damaged CG 70; CRS report lays out BMD ship plans; European deployments to Rota planned; 2 tests go well; Key NRC report analyzes ballistic missile defense in-depth, says SM-3-IIB can’t protect USA from European bases.
FY 2013 Budget fight
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Sept 28/12: Keep USS Port Royal? In the wake of Senate Appropriations Committee support, and partial agreement from the House Appropriations Committee support, the US Navy is now saying that it wants to keep USS Cowpens (CG-63), USS Anzio (CG-68), USS Vicksburg (CG 69) and USS Port Royal (CG-73) in service, instead of decommissioning them in March 2013.
USS Port Royal, which ran aground off of Hawaii in 2009 (q.v. Feb 8/09 entry), is the only BMD-capable ship in that set, and her required repairs will pose a separate problem for the Navy and for Congress. It may well be cheaper to pay $55 million and convert one of the other 3 rescued cruisers for the BMD role, than it would be to repair USS Port Royal. Naval Technology.
Sept 25/12: Lockheed Martin Mission Systems & Sensors in Moorestown, NJ receives a $27 million contract modification to previously awarded contract for the production of 2 multi-mission signal processor equipment sets that upgrade a SPY-1D radar for BMD, 3 AEGIS BMD 4.0.1 equipment sets, and 5 Aegis Weapon System upgraded equipment sets.
Work will be performed in Moorestown, NJ (74%); Clearwater, FL (25%); and Akron, OH (1%), and is expected to be complete by December 2014. $11.8 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year, on Sept 30/12. US Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC manages the contract (N00024-11-C-5118).
Sept 14/12: Lockheed Martin Mission Systems & Sensors in Moorestown, NJ receives a $58.1 million contract modification to produce 1 one FY 2012 multi-mission signal processor equipment set (which upgrades a SPY-1D radar for BMD), 2 AEGIS BMD 4.0.1 equipment sets, and 1 upgraded Aegis weapon system equipment set.
Work will be performed in Moorestown, NJ (74%); Clearwater, FL (25%); and Akron, OH (1%), and is expected to finish by December 2014. US Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington DC (N00024-11-C-5118).
September 2012: NRC report. The US National Research Council publishes “Making Sense of Ballistic Missile Defense: An Assessment of Concepts and Systems for U.S. Boost-Phase Missile Defense in Comparison to Other Alternatives.” The report staff have deeply impressive backgrounds related to missile defense, and their main conclusion is that very fundamental reasons of geography and physics make boost-phase defense systems a waste of time.
This includes AEGIS BMD systems. The report explains very clearly that the window for stopping a warhead before it has enough energy to hit “defended” areas makes it difficult to impossible to position a ship in a place that allows even future SM-3 Block II missiles to hit their target. The report still believes that AEGIS BMD has a strong role to play, and will form the core defense of critical locations like Hawaii.
Aug 29/12: BMD 5.0 for 4. Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Sensors in Moorestown, NJ receives a $7.9 million sole source cost-plus-incentive fee/ cost-plus-award-fee contract modification. It exercises an option to install, test and check out the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Baseline 5.0 Weapon System on up to 4 Arleigh Burke Class Destroyers, raising the total contract value from $1.272 billion to $1.28 billion. These ships will enter service in FY 2013 and FY 2014.
BMD 5.0 will finish the system’s migration into the DDG Modernization Program’s Open Architecture (OA) efforts, which would allow the installation of Aegis BMD capability as a retrofit to all serving American destroyers. Firing the longer-range US/Japanese SM-3 Block IIA missile will require another upgrade, however, to AEGIS BMD 5.1.
Work will be performed in Moorestown, NJ from Aug 29/12 through Dec 31/15. FY 2012 Research, Development, Test and Evaluation funds will be used, but they won’t expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The US Missile Defense Agency in Dahlgren, VA manages the contract (HQ0276-10-C-0001).
Aug 10/12: CRS Report. The US Congressional Research Service issues its latest update of “Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Program: Background and Issues for Congress” [PDF]. Key issues highlighted or examined by Mr. O’Rourke include the cost of forward-deploying 4 destroyers to Spain, the FY 2013 budget’s proposal to slow the 2013-2020 ramp-up rate for BMD ships, the potential for European contributions to naval BMD, the inability to simulate China’s DF-21 ship-killing ballistic missile, SM-3 Block IIB risks, and concurrency and technical risk in the AEGIS BMD program generally.
Issues involving the SM-3 Standard missile family are covered in that FOCUS article, while European missile defense is covered in a separate DID Spotlight piece. Other key excerpts:
“As can be seen Table 4, under the FY2013 budget, there are to be 36 BMD-capable Aegis ships by FY2018 [32 converted + 4 new destroyers], or 7 less than projected under the FY2012 budget for FY2018 [37 converted + 6 new destroyers]. The proposal under the FY2013 budget to retire seven Aegis cruisers early, in FY2013 and FY2014… may explain part of the difference… Some observers have been concerned that demands for BMD-capable Aegis ships are growing faster than the number of BMD-capable Aegis ships… [in addition] The Navy projects that implementing the 30-year plan would result in a cruiser/destroyer force that remains below 90 ships every year… except FY2027, and that reaches a minimum of 78 ships… in FY2014-FY2015 and again in FY2034. The projected cruiser-destroyer shortfall is the largest projected shortfall of any ship category…”
June 27/12: FTM-18. USS Lake Erie [CG-70] with its AEGIS BMD 4.0.1 system successfully launches an SM-3 block IB missile to hit a separating ballistic missile target. This is the same configuration that will be used for the land-based Phase 2 of the USA’s European missile defense plan, and represents an important success for the SM-3 block IB after the FTM-16 failure. This firing makes the AEGIS & SM-3 combination 23/28 in intercept tests so far (82.1%), vs. 31/40 (77.5%) for all other missile defense system intercept tests.
The Aegis BMD 4.0.1 configuration and its improved signal processor were certified in March 2012. It is now operational on 2 Navy ships, with installations underway on 2 more. US MDA | Lockheed Martin | Raytheon.
May 9/12: FTM-16E2a. This test goes better than FTM-16E2 (q.v. Sept 1/11), as USS Lake Erie [CG 70] successfully fires its SM-3 Block IB missile and intercepts the target. Sources: US MDA, “Second-Generation Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System Completes Successful Intercept Flight Test”.
March 15/12: Scrapping CG 73. The US Navy proposes to scrap 7 Ticonderoga Class cruisers, in order to reduce operations and refit expenses as part of proposed budget cuts. USS Port Royal, an AEGIS BMD capable cruiser that ran aground in 2009, is scheduled for scrapping in March 2013. Information Dissemination on NAVADMIN 087/12.
Feb 16/12: DDGs to Europe. The US Navy announces the 4 Arleigh Burke Class guided-missile destroyers which will be forward deployed to Rota, Spain in FY 2014 and 2015. See also DoD Buzz.
“The four include three from Norfolk, Va; USS Ross, USS Donald Cook, and USS Porter, and one from Mayport, Fla., USS Carney. The ships are in support of President Obama’s European Phased Adaptive Approach to enhance the security of the European region… Ross and Donald Cook will arrive in fiscal 2014 and Carney and Porter in fiscal 2015.”
FY 2011
Equipment and test event contracts; DSB reaffirms support for Aegis/SM-3 combination; CRS lays out ballooning demand, upgrade costs; GAO criticizes MDA’s baselines and cost estimates; FTM-15 test shows early launch-on-remote capability, but FTM-16 Event 2 fails.
DDG-70 fires SM-3
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Sept 1/11: FTM-16E2. The first ABM test of the new SM-3 Block 1B missile does not go well, as the launch from the AEGIS BM