Development of MEADS and Patriot air and missile defense systems

Transcription

1 AARMS Vol. 8, No. 3 (2009) SECURITY Development of MEADS and Patriot air and missile defense systems MIKLÓS FORGON, LÁSZLÓ LAMPER Miklós Zrínyi National Defence University, Budapest, Hungary This article is introducing the development of MEADS project. In this transatlantic military project is develop the new generation of air and missile defense systems, which is going to supplement end replace present-day ground base air and missile defense systems in the 21 st century. The MEADS project MEADS i is a transatlantic cooperative effort between the United States, Germany, and Italy o develop a tactically mobile and transportable air and missile defense system. The MEADS is a military project intended to replace the aging Patriot systems in the United States, Nike Hercules systems in Italy, and Hawk or/and Patriot systems in Germany. 1 It also meets the requirements of Germany s capabilities oriented 2 air defense concept. MEADS International is a joint venture comprised of Lockheed Martin of the United States, Lenkflugkörpersysteme (LFK) and his parent company EADS ii of Germany, and MBDA iii (formerly Alenia Marconi Systems) of Italy. The United States funds 58 percent of the MEADS program, and European partners Germany and Italy provide 25 percent and 17 percent respectively. Development work is allocated in accordance with national funding. 3 MEADS provides greater firepower with less manpower than current systems, and dramatically decreasing operation, support, and maintenance costs. Design and Development letter contract signed on 28 September In May 2005, MI vi signed a definite contract valued at $2 billion plus 1.4 billion for MEADS design and development. A multinational joint venture headquartered in Orlando, (Florida, USA), MEADS International s participating companies are MBDA in Italy, LFK in Germany and Lockheed Martin in the United States. Together, these companies have an international engineering team in Orlando. These develop systems and technologies for the MEADS i Medium Extended Air Defense System ii European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V. iii MBDA is a Europian joint venture company for develop and manufacture missile systems vi MEADS International Received: December 3, 2009 Address for correspondence: MIKLÓS FORGON forgon.miklos@zmne.hu

2 program, which is closely watched as a model for collaborative transatlantic development. They want to develop MEADS for 110 month. The elements of the battle: MFCR, iv TOC v and Launchers in a netted and distributed architecture. The Patriot advanced capability missile MEADS incorporates the Lockheed Martin hit-to-kill PAC-3 vii Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missile in a system that includes 360-degree surveillance and fire control sensors, netted-distributed battle management/communication centres and the launchers themselves. The system is able to protect manoeuvring forces and fixed locations against tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and fixed- and rotary-wing hostile aircraft. In Germany the PAC-3 missile will be supplemented by IRIS-T SL missile. 4 It is a ground-based medium range air defence missile, and based on the very successful IRIS-T air-to-air missile. The shorter range IRIS-T SLS system uses unmodified IRIS-T air-to-air missiles launched from standard aircraft launchers four of which are mounted onto an all-terrain launch vehicle. It will be the first time that one of the MEADS partner nations has chosen to adapt MEADS into a unique configuration. The medium-range IRIS-T SL missile is equipped with an enlarged rocket motor, data link and a jettison able drag-reducing nosecone. MEADS is a mobile surface-to-air missile system. Advanced radars provide 360 coverage for surveillance and fire control. iv Multifunction Fire Control Radar and Surveillance Radar v Tactical Operations Centre vii Patriot advanced capability 456 AARMS 8(3) (2009)

3 The mobile launcher of IRIS-T SL missile The PAC-3 hit-to-kill missile The advanced radar will be able to detect, and provide precise tracking of attacking hostile missiles and aircraft regardless of their launch point. MEADS technology is able to recognizes and separate on the modern battlefield the friendly from enemy forces. It can operate in highly stressing jamming environments. The system is strategically transportable and tactically mobile. 5 It is required to be transportable by C-130 and A400M aircraft and will be quickly deployed to the theatre of operations and airlifted with multiple missiles loaded on the mobile launcher. In the forward zone, the battle is able to move quickly to keep pace with fast-moving manoeuvre forces. AARMS 8(3) (2009) 457

4 The MEADS launcher is designed to roll-on/roll-off C-130 and A400M transport aircraft The plug and fight flexibility Flexibility is a key characteristic of MEADS. The plug and fight flexibility of its open architecture provides for 21 st century air defence system. The system is able to command a fleet of distributed missile launchers while simultaneously detecting and tracking hostile forces and targets. The missile launchers can be located well away from the ground base radar and the battle management units. It is possible to hand over command and control of the launchers and missiles to a neighbouring battle management unit, while battle management systems are moved. The multi-canister launcher is mounted on a 5t wheeled vehicle, and has roll-on-roll-of capability 458 AARMS 8(3) (2009)

5 During the MEADS Design and Development Phase, MEADS International will finalize designs for equipment and complete their integration into the 21 st century air and missile defense system. The system has six major equipment: Multifunction Fire Control Radar (MFCR); Surveillance Radar (SR); Battle Management, Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (BMC4I); Certified Missile Round (PAC-3 missile and canister); Launcher; and Reloader. The Lockheed Martin PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) Missile is the baseline interceptor for the tri-national program. It provides greater firepower, combat-proven hit-to-kill technology, 360-degree radar coverage, and a plug-and-fight battle management network architecture. The prototype of Multi-Function Fire Control Radar (MFCR), and finaly design of MFCR Advanced radars provide 360 coverage for surveillance and fire control. Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems & Sensors is responsible for the new truck-mounted surveillance radar for MEADS and, with Selex Sistemi Integrati and EADS, will provide the new X-band multi-function fire control radar. EADS Defence Electronics is responsible for the radar s transmit/receive modules. The MEADS BMC4I viii is a netted, distributed, automated communications network which uses open systems architecture. More importantly, its open architecture will provide for 21 st century air and missile defense system-of-system integration capabilities that allow operational mission-tailoring for homeland defense or defense of manoeuvre forces. The Tactical Operations Centre (TOC) is housed in a single shelter containing three workstations and two operators. One viii Ballistic Missile Defense System Command, Control, Battle Management, and Communications AARMS 8(3) (2009) 459

6 standard TOC is provided to the nations, but each nation mounts it on a chassis or trailer of its selection. Northrop Grumman Italia provide the MEADS navigation and localisation system. The guidance system of PAC-3 missile is extremely difficult to jam, even by advanced cooperative mode jamming. The missile combines standard aerodynamic control surfaces and multiple single-shot thrusters to achieve the very agile high-g manoeuvres required for precise hit-to-kill control. The missile has a solid propellant rocket motor, made by Atlantic Research Corp. Gainesville (Virginia USA). The MEADS units have access to sensors from other systems and can interoperable with other defense systems The PAC-3 missile has an inertial guidance unit made by Honeywell in Clearwater (Florida, USA), to arrive at the target area. In the terminal phase of flight, the missile acquires and tracks the hostile target with its forward-looking, gimballed, active, RF Ka-band millimetre wave seeker. It is develop Boeing in Huntsville (Alabama, USA). The components of MEADS are linked by a communications network with netted and distributed architecture. Interoperability MEADS is not a standalone system. This missile system is a part of NATO missile defence program. It can work in association with other missile defence systems, including the THAAD ix system and the Aegis sea-based missile defence systems. ix Terminal High Altitude Area Defense 460 AARMS 8(3) (2009)

7 References 1. MEADS Medium Extended Air Defence System Avaible on the World Wide Web: AMD.com September 11, Germany Requests Addition of Secondary Missile; Accelerates Meads Plug-And-Fight Demonstration. Avaible on the World Wide Web: lockheed-martin03.htm 23k September 18, MEADS Medium Extended Air Defence System, Germany/Italy/USA Avaible on the World Wide Web: army-technology.com/projects/meads September 11, MEADS Medium Extended Air Defence System. Avaible on the World Wide Web: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Medium_Extended_Air_Defense_System September 11, MEADS Medium Extended Air Defence System Avaible on the World Wide Web: fas.org/spp/starwars/program/meads.htm September 11, 2009 AARMS 8(3) (2009) 461