[미국/독일] SeaRAM anti-ship missile defense weapon system

SeaRAM anti-ship missile defense weapon system

Raytheon Company has delivered its SeaRAM anti-ship missile defense weapon system for installation aboard the littoral combat ship USS Independence (LCS-2).

SeaRAMis a low-risk, low-cost spiral development of the proven Phalanx Block1B Close-In Weapon System and the Rolling Airframe Missile, the latterproduced jointly by Raytheon and RAMSYS of Germany. Intended to enlargethe keep-out range against sea-skimming anti-ship missiles, SeaRAMemploys enhanced Phalanx sensors and replaces the M61A1 20mm Gatlinggun with an 11-round RAM guide.

The SeaRAM’s dual-use radar isproven to be effective in detecting a variety of air and surfacetargets in adverse weather and sea clutter environments. Thisnext-generation radar can acquire and track advanced high-speedanti-ship cruise missiles as well as slow-moving surface and airthreats. It is also expected to perform well at periscope detection.

In2001, Raytheon provided the SeaRAM to the United Kingdom’s Royal Navyfor operational suitability testing. Installed aboard the Type 42 Batch3 destroyer HMS York, the system demonstrated the ability tosuccessfully identify and track a wide variety of targets, includingfixed- and rotary-wing aircraft as well as high-speed surface threats.Since then, both system engineering and software have benefited fromupgrades, as has target cueing and the detect-to-engage interval.

Atotal of three more SeaRAM systems have been built since the first wentaboard the York. One will be going aboard the U.S. Navy’s Self-DefenseTest Ship, and the original system is being used for software testingat Raytheon'sfacility in Tucson, Ariz.

"I expect theinternational interest in SeaRAM will increase significantly once it’saboard the Independence,” said David Ray, Raytheon’s SeaRAM programmanager, at the company's Tucson facility.“Going aboard the LCS isvalidation that SeaRAM will make a far-reaching impact on the future ofship self-defense systems