NATO Sea Sparrow

Abstract

This project encompasses three (3) primary efforts to enhance ship self defense: 1. EVOLVED SEASPARROW MISSILE (ESSM): A cooperative effort among 10 NATO SEASPARROW Nations and the U.S., to improve the capability of the SEASPARROW Missile to counter the low altitude, highly maneuverable Anti-Ship Cruise Missile threat. The program consists of evolving the SEASPARROW Missile through the development of a new rocket motor with tail control; thrust vector control and ordnance (warhead) upgrade; modifications to the MK 41 VLS to fire from a single cell with 4 ESSM (QuadPack); and modifications to the NATO SEASPARROW Missile System (NSSMS) to provide ESSM capability. 2. NATO SEASPARROW - MK 91 Rearchitecture/SDSMS: The MK 91 Rearchitecture Program integrates NSSMS into the Ship Self Defense System (SSDS) Architecture to provide ship missile defense utilizing an open architected system. This effort consists of combining the Firing Officer Console and Radar Set Console functionality into a single Advanced Display System Console (AN/UYQ-70); modifying the Signal Data Processor and eliminating the MK 157 Computer Signal Data Converter and System Evaluation and Trainer, and redistributing this functionality within SSDS compatible microprocessors. This approach will eliminate the analog, point-to-point architecture, limited input-output channel and computer processing reserve deficiencies resident in the existing MK 57 NSSMS, and is required for ESSM. This modification also allows for full exploitation of the capabilities of the future ESSM and provides significant reductions (over 50%) in NSSMS cost of ownership and manning requirements. 3. Amphibious Self-Defense AAW Probability of Raid Annihilation (PRA) Improvement- The Amphibious Self-Defense AAW PRA Improvement program provides the L-Class Amphibious ships (LHA, LHD, LSD) with an improved PRA through full integration of the weapons and sensors of the combat system. This improvement introduces the Multi-Sensor Integration (MSI) unit that receives fire control and sensor data from ship radars, fuses them into an integrated radar picture and provides composite track reports to the combat system. MK 15 CIWS is upgraded to a Baseline 2 Radar Upgrade configuration with a much improved search and track radar. No longer stand-alone, CIWS will be integrated into the sensor suite and provide fire control quality search and track data to the combat system via the MSI unit. As a fallback measure, CIWS Baseline 2 Radar Upgrade can also report directly to the MK 23 Target Acquisition Radar Threat Evaluation Weapons Assignment (TEWA) providing fire control quality track data at a very fast update rate for targets to the horizon. Target Acquisition System (TAS) itself will receive an upgrade of its Open System Module unit to accommodate direct inputs from both the MSI and CIWS units. This improvement program provides full integration of the combat system and will meet or exceed threat detection and designation requirements through 2020. Use of the MSI will provide stable track data through a composite track picture reported to the combat system. Without this improvement, PRA of the L-Class ships would continue to degrade to an unsatisfactory point in the mid term.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Project
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2012
Source ID
0173_0604756N_5_1319_PB_2012

Tags

Readers

  • Computer Science/Computer Engineering/Data Science/Digital Signal Processing.
  • Fire Suppression Systems Design.
  • Naval Mine Countermeasure Systems Development.

Related Documents