Monday, January 31, 2011

RIM-162 ESSM, US Surface to Air Missile

The RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) is a development of the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missile used to protect ships from attacking missiles, aircraft and surface threats.[6] ESSM is designed to counter supersonic maneuvering anti-ship missiles. Compared to the Sea Sparrow, ESSM has a larger, more powerful rocket motor for increased range and agility, as well as upgraded aerodynamics using strakes and skid-to-turn. In addition, ESSM takes advantage of the latest missile guidance technology, with different versions for Aegis/SPY-1, Sewaco/APAR, and traditional target illumination all-the-way. ESSM also has the ability to be "quad-packed" in the Mk 41 VLS system, allowing up to four ESSMs to be carried in a single cell.

ESSM will be used by many allied countries. The first country to achieve operational status for ESSM after the United States was Australia. Other countries which have also integrated the ESSM are Canada, Germany, Turkey, Greece, Japan, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway. Countries in the process of integrating ESSM are New Zealand, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates.

RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM)
Type Medium-range surface-to-air missile
Place of origin United States
Service history
In service February 2004 aboard USS Chafee
Used by Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Turkey and the US
Production history
Manufacturer Raytheon
Unit cost $800,000
Produced September 1998- 1000th missile delivered 25 August 2009
Specifications
Weight 620 lb (280 kg)
Length 12 ft (3.66 m)
Diameter 10 in (254 mm)

Warhead 86 lb (39 kg) blast-fragmentation
Detonation
mechanism
Proximity fuze

Engine Mk 143 Mod 0 solid fuel rocket
Operational
range
27+ nm (50+ km)
Speed Mach 4+
Guidance
system
Midcourse datalink
Terminal semi-active radar homing
Launch
platform
Mk 41 VLS (RIM-162A/B)
Mk 48 VLS (RIM-162C)
Mk 29 box launcher (RIM-162D)

In addition to the Mk 41 VLS system, the other primary launcher is Mk 48 VLS. The 2-cell module of Mk-48 makes the system very versatle, enables it to be installed onboard in spaces that is otherwise cannot be utilized. The weight of a 2-cell module of Mk-48 is 1,450 pounds (with empty canisters), 725 pounds for exhaust system, and 800 pounds for ship installation interfaces. Each canister of the Mk-48 VLS houses a single RIM-162 ESSM, though with modification, other missiles can also be launched.

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