NATO Sea Sparrow

Abstract

This project encompasses thirteen (13) primary efforts to enhance ship self-defense: 1. Evolved SEASPARROW Missile (ESSM) Blk 1 Testing: Evolved SEASPARROW Missile (ESSM) Blk 1 is a cooperative effort among nine (9) NATO SEASPARROW Nations and the U.S. to provide crucial battlespace defense and fire power against the fast, low altitude, highly maneuverable Anti-Ship Cruise Missile (ASCM) threat. Modifications were made to both the MK 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) to fire from a single cell with 4 ESSM (QuadPack) and the NATO SEASPARROW Surface Missile System (NSSMS), fielding ESSM Blk 1 onboard CVN 68 (Aircraft Carrier), LHD 1 (Multipurpose Amphibious Assault Ship), LHA 7 (Multipurpose Amphibious Assault Ship), CG 47 (Guided Missile Cruiser), and DDG 51 (Guided Missile Destroyer) class ships. ESSM Blk 1 integration efforts continue to bring the capability to CVN 78 and DDG 1000. Testing scheduled for FY21 includes ESSM Blk 1 firings from the lead ships in support of DDG 1000 and CVN 78 class activation, AEGIS Baseline (B/L) 9C2 live fire testing, and Combat Systems Ship Qualification Trials (CSSQT) live fire tests aboard DDG 1000, CVN 78, LHD 4, and CVN 70. 2. Blk 2 Follow-on Test & Evaluation (FOT&E): The ESSM Blk 2 Milestone Decision Authority mandated that ESSM Blk 2 conduct FOT&E on Ship Self-Defense System (SSDS) platform and fully support DDG Flight III operational testing. There will be planning efforts to support US Sole Combat Systems integration testing including but not limited to: Aegis Baseline 10 integration, SSDS integration, and other potential (future Frigate) platform integration testing as required. This includes support with appropriate ESSM Blk 2 Missile Simulator Unit (MSU) with Raytheon Missile System operator support. 3. NATO SEASPARROW Technical Direction Agent (TDA): The MK 57 NATO SEASPARROW Surface Missile Systems (NSSMS) provides a rapid response, integrated, self-defense missile capability. The TDA is tasked with providing systems engineering and technical support for the MK 9 Tracker Illuminator System (TIS), and MK 29 Guided Missile Launching System (GMLS). The Combat System (CS) TDA is tasked with providing an Analysis of Alternatives (AoA), in the form of studies, analysis, and evaluations of hardware and software improvements. This task encompasses requirements development, and assessment, artifact and document reviews, technical meetings, and test requirement development, participation in test and system integration events, and post test analysis. RDT&E funding is necessary to complete AoA activities and develop recommendations, based on data, for improvements to the MK 9 TIS and MK 29 GMLS. 4. ESSM Blk 2 Risk Reduction/ESSM Blk 2 Engineering and Manufacturing Development (E&MD): ESSM Blk 2 upgrade is a cooperative effort between U.S. Navy and NATO SEASPARROW Consortium Nations. ESSM Blk 2 upgrade replaces the largely obsolete guidance section with a dual mode Active/Semi-Active X-Band seeker capable of defeating future threat capabilities within the existing envelope, including; smaller signatures, increased raid sizes, and adverse environments including countermeasures. Threat types include: Advanced Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles (ASCMs), Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles, surface and asymmetrical. The consortium nations provided the majority of their funding early in the program with the U.S. providing the bulk of its funding later in EMD. The remaining budget is required to complete ESSM Blk 2 EMD. 5. Transition to Production (TTP): Transition to Production execution ensures the design (Hardware, Software, Test Equipment, Production Tooling, etc.), defined during the Engineering & Manufacturing Development (E&MD) Phase is successfully transitioned out of the engineering environment into a stable and capable production/manufacturing environment. During the early phase of Blk 1 production the program experienced a series of 'process control failures' and 'production stoppages' leading to a "Blue Team" assessment and findings. One of the key underlying conditions identified as contributing to the discrepancies above was "incomplete transition to production activities and inadequate systems engineering." The Blk 2 TTP phase of program execution exists to address the shortfalls identified in the "Blue Team" report and to ensure the requisite resources are in place to support the program as design activities end and Low Rate Initial Production(LRIP) begins to deliver missiles at a rate commensurate with the requirements of LRIP and Full Rate Production (FRP). 6. ESSM Technology Roadmap & Studies: : The ESSM Blk 2 Missile completes development in 2021, achieves Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in 2021 and transitions to in-service. In order to achieve performance not realized during the execution of Engineering and Manufacturing Development (E&MD), pace the threat, and remain a viable weapon system, the missile and its supporting combat system components will require improvements. This effort will perform studies to identify technology candidates, find new manufacturing techniques, and determine applicability to the NATO SEASPARROW Project Office (NSPO) managed Combat System Elements for future hardware or software improvements to either the Consortium's combat systems or the missile, or both. RDT&E funding represented will develop and maintain an ESSM System roadmap and support specific studies to determine candidate combat system and/or missile performance and manufacturing efficiency improvements. Computer simulation updates will be needed to support the performance studies for future improvements. 7. Other Development (Blk 2 Obsolescence and Redesign): Test Bed is the end-to-end integration of Combat System (CS) element models using Higher Level Architecture (HLA) to help assess a ship's ability to defend itself. Test Bed is maximizing the use of tactical code-based models in conjunction with physics-based environmental models to represent at sea performance of ships and their combat systems. The goal is to develop a system of systems modeling for multiple use cases including System Development, System Integration, Developmental Test (DT) or Operational Test (OT) for a variety of ships and weapon systems. This effort is to integrate ESSM Block 2 Tactical Simulation (ETS) model into the Combat Systems Testbed and Enterprise Testbed. This effort also includes improvements needing to be made in ETS based on the studies exploring missile launcher and MK 9 Tracker-Illuminator System (TIS) redesign in order to respond to obsolescence issues affecting ESSM systems on all CVN, LHA, and LHD class ships. 8. Evolved SEASPARROW Missile (ESSM) Blk 2 Software Upgrades: This effort will provide the performance updates and fixes to the ESSM Blk 2 missile software. Software updates will be identified from performance improvements studies, identified software issues, flight test results, and new hardware and combat system changes. 9. C-Band Telemetry Upgrade: Department of Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) operational testing in Aegis Capability Baseline (ACB)-20 requires 12 active missiles in flight simultaneously to assess stream raids by threat systems. Current Evolved SEASPARROW Missile (ESSM) Telemeters operate in the S-band where Radio Frequency (RF) bandwidths are limited for Telemetry (TM) collection on the range. The current spectrum allocation and range infrastructure only supports TM collections for 3 active missiles in flight on the range at one time. The new requirement is due to the large number of missiles to support planned testing. The weapons and range are required to move telemetry into the C-Band where bandwidth exists to support required TM collections. Engineering has already certified that this is achievable. 10. Common Munitions Built In Test (BIT) and Reprogramming Equipment (CMBRE) Adaptor: Maintenance Built in Test (MBIT) and Reprogramming development efforts associated with the CMBRE Adapter will allow the United States Navy (USN) to perform reprogramming of the Evolved SEASPARROW Missile (ESSM) Blk 2 missile in the field. Specifically at forward deployed locations, either shore based or on the ships when deployed. Previously, reprogramming required the return of the missiles to the Seal Beach, CA Intermediate Level Maintenance Facility (ILMF). Further, the CMBRE Adapter (once developed) will allow the completion of the ESSM Blk 2 MBIT. Conduct of the MBIT shipboard will allow the extension of the missiles certification period. 11. MK 9 Continuous Wave Tracking Illuminator (CWTI) (Transmitter) Replacement: The MK 57 NATO SEASPARROW Surface Missile System (NSSMS) supports the SPARROW missile family with Semi-Active illumination in the form of Continuous Wave Tracking Illuminator (CWTI). The CWTI enables the MK 9 Tracker-Illuminator System (TIS) to support self-defense mission requirements and paces emerging threats. The MK 9 TIS CWTI replacement eliminates obsolescence issues and increases the Radio Frequency (RF) power output to provide improved tracking, with uplink, performance, and higher Evolved SEASPARROW Missile (ESSM) probability of guidance (PG) on low RADAR Cross Section (RCS) threats. Additionally, a replacement of 1960's United States Air Force (USAF) Radar Test Set (RTS) adapted for the United States Navy (USN) will be required to fulfill maintenance requirements and enhance additional frequency selections and ensure post-launch RF missile support for noise and uplink requirements. 12. Next Generation Tracker-Illuminator System (TIS): An upgrade is required to existing ship's infrastructure to provide Semi-Active (SAX) illumination source that improves Evolved SEASPARROW Missile (ESSM) Block 2 probability of guidance (PG) when using Transition Section Guidance (TSG) Mode 0, 3 (current), or 5 (future). Additionally, an upgraded MK 9 TIS will improve Combat System probability of raid annihilation (PRA) for TSG Modes 0 and 5 (future). The receiver and tracking elements (1960's technology) have reached the limits of their ability to support system requirements and deficiencies have been noted in Follow-on Operational Test and Evaluation (FOT&E) out-briefs. This effort will develop (as required), qualify, test, and integrate modernized technology (equipment/ components) as part of the MK 9 TIS (e.g., Transmitter Group, Antenna, and Signal Processor). 13. Next Generation Launching System: Develop, qualify, test, and integrate an upgrade, or define a replacement for the MK 132 Launcher that addresses key deficiencies with the in-service design. This upgrade/replacement improves environmental protection for Guided Missile Assemblies (GMA) (reducing corrosion), Grade A Near Miss Shock (NMS) compliance, reduces manning requirements for loading/unloading operations, mitigates long term supportability issues, addresses obsolescence, reduces the life cycle cost for operating and maintaining the MK 132 Launcher, and reduces the cost and time for Evolved SEASPARROW Missile (ESSM) in-service refurbishment, or re-certification. This upgrade/replacement contains design margin to allow for growth, where the MK 132 Guided Missile Launcher is maximized today precluding ESSM Block 2 deployment.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2022
• Source ID: 0173_0604756N_5_1319_PB_2022

Tags

Fields of Study

• Engineering

Readers

• Civilian Systems Systems Program Capability Development and Upgrade Support Activity Expense and Pay Management.
• Fire Suppression Systems Design.
• Missile Defense Systems.