SM-6 Block 1A missile completes final land-based test

The US Navy (USN) has successfully completed a third and final land-based flight test of the new Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) Block IA Extended Range Active Missile, paving the way for at-sea testing to start later this year.

Developed and manufactured by Raytheon Missile Systems, the SM-6 missile is an evolutionary development that marries the propulsion, airframe, and warhead of the SM-2 Block IV missile with the active radar seeker of the AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile to provide an extended-range AAW (Anti-Air Warfare) capability over sea and overland.

Designed to be employed from Aegis cruisers and destroyers, the SM-6 missile has been conceived as the effector for the Naval Integrated Fire Control - Counter Air (NIFC-CA) over-the-horizon AAW network.

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Jobs at Raytheon: Principal Quality Engineer in Additive Manufacturing

Raytheon Missile Systems (RMS) is the world leader in the design, development and production of missile systems for critical requirement including air-to-air, strike, surface Navy air defense, land combat missiles, guided projectiles, exoatmospheric kill vehicles, missile defense and directed energy weapons.

Actually, RMS is offering a position of Principal Quality Engineer for Additive Manufacturing, to develop quality assurance and quality control processes necessary to deploy new technology complex precision manufacturing processes, particularly Additive Manufacturing (also referred to as 3D printing) to production.

Among other skills, candidates must demonstrate knowledge of key process characteristics and ability to implement effective process control techniques for Additive Manufacturing, and also ability to obtain Secret level security clearance. Security clearance factors include, but are not limited to, allegiance to the US, foreign influence, foreign preference, criminal conduct, security violations and drug involvement.

Source:

https://jobs.raytheon.com/job/tucson/principal-qa-engineer/4679/4612778

Manufactura Aditiva para desarrollo de Misiles

Cuando hablamos de Manufactura Aditiva para desarrollo de misiles, entramos en un terreno absolutamente opaco.

Absolutamente opaco pues los fabricantes deben procurar no desvelar qué están desarrollando y cómo lo estan desarrollando: Se trata siempre de una industria enfocada al desarrollo y fabricación de instrumentos para defender a la población, y desvelar algo de más, tan sólo favorece al enemigo.

Sin embargo, existen evidencias de que la industria militar tambien ha encontrado en la manufactura aditiva una gran alternativa cuando se trata de acelerar el desarrollo de nuevos instrumentos defensivos que permitan contrarrestar un ataque en caso de que éste se produzca. 

Una de ellas nos la proporciona Matthew Dusard, graduado por la University of Arizona. Según ha publicado, él y su equipo asumieron el proyecto de llevar a cabo el desarrollo de un misil, para lo que se orientó hacia las nuevas tecnologías de Manufactura Aditiva al objeto de cumplir los plazos y entregar a tiempo el proyecto. Aparte de los costes, uno de los retos principales del proyecto residía -como ya apunté antes- en el reducido margen de tiempo disponible para desarrollar y fabricar el misil. Esto es principalmente lo que les hizo optar por la manufactura aditiva. En cuanto a las diversas tecnologías disponibles, el fabricante de misiles Raytheon les recomendó recurrir a la tecnología FDM. Habida cuenta de la naturaleza del proyecto, se hacía necesario disponer de una máquina que ofreciera gran precisión y repetibilidad, y que fuera capaz de trabajar con materiales ignífugos. Esto unido a lo anterior hizo que optasen finalmente por fabricar el misil en un sistema de producción 3D Stratasys Fortus 400mc, utilizando para ello el material termoplástico Ultem 9085 por sus propiedades ignífugas. El resultado puede verse en este vídeo:

Qatar adquiere el Patriot

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) ha firmado un contrato FMS (Foreign Military Sales) por valor de $2.4 billones, para la producción del sistema Patriot con destino a un nuevo cliente: Qatar. La adquisición es parte de un proyecto de recapitalización y modernización de las fuerzas armadas anunciado en marzo de 2014.

Con este nuevo cliente son ya 13 los gobiernos que disponen de este sistema defensivo antimisiles. En palabras de Dan Crowley, presidente de la división de sistemas de defensa integrados de Raytheon, "Este contrato supone otra muestra de la confianza depositada en Patriot por numerosos países de todo el mundo."

La fabricación de los sistemas englobados bajo este contrato se llevará a cabo en las factorías Raytheon de Andover (Massachusetts), El Paso (Texas) y Huntsville (Alabama), e incluirá la última versión del sistema de lanzamiento, que se diferencia de sus predecesores principalmente en estas ventajas:

• Más potencia de computación
• Mejor sistema de procesamiento de radar
• Mejor interface hombre-máquina
• Menor coste durante el ciclo de vida

Navy’s Next Missile Launcher Spins Like a Revolver Barrel

The Navy may have a new line of defense against a changing threat environment after the successful missile firing from a new multi-role launcher in development. Chemring Countermeasures and Raytheon Missile Systems say they have successfully fired a Raytheon-Lockheed Martin Javelin missile from a prototype multi-role Centurion launcher during testing at the Defence Training Estate on Salisbury Plain in England, where it was able to hit a static target.

“We’re bringing an entirely new dimension to ship self-defense by providing a sea-based, inside-the-horizon platform protection,” said Rick Nelson, vice president of Raytheon Missile Systems’ Naval and Area Mission Defense line, in a statement. “Chemring’s Centurion launcher, when coupled with Raytheon’s combat-proven missiles, offers an evolutionary capability to defeat surface threats with this One System-Multiple Missions technology.”

Raytheon Delivers HCSM units

Raytheon has delivered the first order of High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) Control Section Modification (HCSM) upgrade units to the U.S. Air Force earlier this month. "HCSM improves mission effectiveness and significantly reduces the risk of collateral damage," said Jack Roosa, HARM program director for Raytheon Missile Systems.

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Raytheon's Standard Missile-6 Exhibit Capabilities

The U.S. Navy fired two Raytheon Company Standard Missile-6 interceptors from the USS Chancellorsville, successfully engaging two cruise missile targets (BQM-74 drones) in the missile's first over-the-horizon test scenario at sea.

The SM-6 will provide U.S. Navy sailors and their vessels extended  range protection against fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles as part of the Naval Integrated Fire Control - Counter Air (NIFC-CA) mission area. "The SM-6's ability to engage threats at significantly greater ranges than other missiles in its class is a game changer for the U.S. Navy," said Jim Normoyle, Raytheon Missile Systems' SM-6 program director.

In February, Raytheon delivered the first SM-6 from its new $75 million, 70,000 square-foot SM-6 and Standard Missile-3 all-up-round production facility at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala. In May, a Defense Acquisition Board approved full-rate production of the SM-6 missile. "SM-6 combines the best of our SM-2, SM-3 and AMRAAM missiles, providing an enhanced anti-air warfare and over-the-horizon capability at a reduced cost," said Mike Campisi, Raytheon Missile Systems' senior director of Standard Missile-1, -2, and -6 programs. "We have delivered more than 50 missiles ahead of schedule and under cost, and we remain on track to reach initial operating capability in 2013."

 

About the SM-6

SM-6 delivers a proven over-the-horizon air defense capability by leveraging the time-tested advantages of the Standard Missile's airframe and propulsion.

• The SM-6 uses both active and semiactive guidance modes and advanced fuzing techniques.
• It incorporates the advanced signal processing and guidance control capabilities from Raytheon's Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile.