Patriot/MEADS Combined Aggregate Program (CAP)

Abstract

Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) provides joint and coalition forces critical asset and defended area protection against multiple and simultaneous attacks by short-to-medium range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, manned and unmanned aerial systems, and tactical air-to-surface missiles. This system leverages current technology for an Integrated Air and Missile Defense Fire Control System/capability. MEADS is a tri-national co-development program among the United States, Germany, and Italy to replace the PATRIOT and HAWK systems in Germany, and NIKE Hercules systems in Italy. The NATO MEADS Management Agency (NAMEADSMA) is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) contracting authority providing management of the MEADS program on behalf of the participating nations and is responsible for managing the system acquisition. The U.S. and Italy signed the Design and Development (D&D) MOU on September 24, 2004, and September 27, 2004, respectively. The NAMEADSMA awarded the MEADS D&D letter contract to MEADS International Inc. on September 28, 2004, initiating the MEADS D&D phase. The MOU was amended in March 2005 by the U.S. and Italy to allow the German Parliament additional time for their signature decision and on April 22, 2005 Germany signed the MOU. NAMEADSMA awarded a $3.4 billion D&D definitized contract to MEADS International Inc. on May 31, 2005. MEADS is designed to provide joint and coalition forces, critical asset and defended area protection against multiple and simultaneous attacks by short to medium range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, manned and unmanned aerial systems and tactical air-to-surface missiles. MEADS is being developed to have a netted and distributed architecture with modular components to increase survivability and flexibility of employment in a number of operational configurations. The objective MEADS Fire Unit, designed to be scalable and tailorable to operational requirements, will consist of: two Battle Management Command, Control, Communication, Computers and Intelligence (BMC4I) tactical operations center (TOC), enabling distributed system operations and Beyond-Line-of-Site (BLOS) engagements for maximum protection of supported forces by engaging at longer ranges; six near-vertical launchers capable of transporting and launching up to eight missiles; three launcher reloaders; the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE)interceptor; an ultra-high frequency (UHF) Surveillance Radar (SR) that provides 360-degree coverage and near-range to long-range detection of low radar cross-section targets; and two X-band Multifunction Fire Control Radars (MFCR) that provide 360-degree coverage and are designed for high-precision handover to the in-flight missile, discrimination capabilities, and short-range target detection and horizon search. The U.S. rendered a MEADS program decision in Feb 2011 to continue the D&D phase focusing remaining activities to implement a "demonstration of capabilities" through 2013 with the remaining MOU funds to provide a meaningful capability for Germany and Italy and a possible future option for the U.S. Based on this decision, NAMEADSMA developed a new D&D detailed program schedule and the Board of Directors (BoD) approved it via a signed contract amendment on 31 October 2011. The PAC-3 system is continuously being improved via hardware and software changes. The latest missile improvement is the MSE and has been accepted as the baseline missile for MEADS. It is being developed by the U.S. for PATRIOT to meet U.S. operational requirements. The MSE will provide a more agile and lethal interceptor that increases the engagement envelope/defended area of PATRIOT and the MEADS systems. The MSE improves upon the current PAC-3 missile capability with a higher performance solid rocket motor, modified lethality enhancer, more responsive control surfaces, upgraded guidance software, and insensitive munitions improvements. PAC-3 is reported under Program Element 0605456A.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2013
• Source ID: 0604869A_5_2040_PB_2013
• Service Agency Name: Army

Entities

Organizations

• United States Army

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Human Systems
• Space
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Acquisition
• Air Defense
• Ballistic Missiles
• Battle Management
• Contracts
• Control Surfaces
• Control Systems
• Cruise Missiles
• Defense Systems
• Detection
• Fire Control Radar
• Fire Control Systems
• Joint Military Activities
• Nato
• Radar
• Target Detection
• Unmanned Aerial Systems

Readers

• Missile Defense Systems.

Technology Areas

• Autonomy
• Autonomy - UAVs
• Fully Networked C3
• Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control