The success of
the U.S. Navy's Aegis system in destroying ballistic missiles, and low
orbit satellites has led to rapid development of the Aegis control
software. Aegis equipped ships are now getting version 4.0 and the next
major upgrade (5.0) will make the anti-missile capabilities a standard
feature of Aegis software. New destroyers are having anti-missile Aegis
software installed as standard equipment. Much of the anti-missile
capability of the original Aegis anti-aircraft system came from upgrades
to the Aegis software.
As of this year 31 of the 82 American Aegis equipped ships
have anti-missile/satellite capability. If all Aegis ships were
converted, the U.S. would have a formidable, and very flexible,
capability to defeat ballistic missiles and low flying spy satellites.
So the navy is applying pressure to get money to keep the older Aegis
ships (the Ticonderoga's and the first few Arleigh Burke class
destroyers) in commission for this. This depends on Congress providing
enough money for running these ships and to convert them (for about $20
million each) and supply each ship with four or more SM-3 anti-missile
missiles (about $10 million each).
The Aegis anti-missile system has had a success rate of over
80 percent in knocking down incoming ballistic missile warheads during
test firings. To achieve this two similar models of the U.S. Navy
Standard anti-aircraft missile are in service, in addition to a modified
(to track incoming ballistic missiles version) of the Aegis radar
system.
The RIM-161A, also known as the Standard Missile 3 (or SM-3),
has a range of over 500 kilometers and max altitude of over 160
kilometers. The Standard 3 is based on the anti-missile version of the
Standard 2 (SM-2 Block IV). This SM-3 missile has a shorter range than
the SM-2, which can destroy a warhead that is more than 200 kilometers
up. The SM-3 is only good for anti-missile work, while the SM-2 Block IV
can be used against both ballistic missiles and aircraft. The SM-2
Block IV also costs less than half what an SM-3 costs.
The Standard 3 has four stages. The first two stages boost the
interceptor out of the atmosphere. The third stage fires twice to boost
the interceptor farther beyond the earth's atmosphere. Prior to each
motor firing it takes a GPS reading to correct course for approaching
the target. The fourth stage is the nine kilogram (20 pound) LEAP kill
vehicle, which uses infrared sensors to close on the target and ram it.
The Aegis system was designed to operate aboard warships (cruisers and
destroyers that have been equipped with the special software that
enables the AEGIS radar system to detect and track incoming ballistic
missiles). However, there is also a land based version.
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