Additive Manufacturing for the US Navy’s Fleet Ballistic Missile program

With many of the companies that are designing and manufacturing weapons for the military using more and more Additive Manufacturing (AM) systems in their workflow, it was only a matter of time until 3D printed components made their way into arms and weapons.

Of course all we know that NASA and the US military have used 3D printed components to successfully test advanced prototype airplanes, spacecraft and even ground vehicles... But there aren't many more mission- and life-critical systems than a submarined nuclear ballistic missile.

This week, for the first time, a 3D printed component was used in a test flight for the new, high-tech upgrade to the US Navy’s Fleet Ballistic Missile program.  The component was designed and fabricated entirely using 3D design and 3D printing, a process that allowed Lockheed Martin engineers to produce the part in half the time it would take traditional methods.

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Japan, South Korea and Australia urge US to boost BMD

Alarmed by the potential danger from an unpredictable Kim Jong-un, South Korea and Japan are upgrading their cooperation with the United States to counter ballistic missile threats.

In addition, “Australia has signed on to cooperate with American ballistic missile defense systems in north Asia, and has welcomed both the larger U.S. Marine presence in Darwin and the prospect of more joint naval cooperation in the region,” Britain’s Guardian newspaper reported.

Second test of Arrow-3 ABM

The missile defense agencies of Israel and the United States carried out yesterday a second test of the advanced Arrow 3 anti-ballistic missile system over the Mediterranean Sea, Israel’s Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The test fire, held at 8 a.m. at a launch facility in central Israel, was headed by the Administration for the Development of Weapons and the Technological Industry at the Defense Ministry, in collaboration with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. According to a Defense Ministry statement, Arrow 3 is equipped with a revolutionary interceptor system that will enable Israel to effectively counter future security threats.

The Defense Ministry noted that the successful test fire "serves as an important milestone in the State of Israel's operational ability to defend itself against the foreseen threats in the regional theater." The Arrow 3 is an anti-ballistic missile, jointly funded and developed by Israel and the United States. The innovative Arrow 3 Interceptor is designed to intercept and destroy the newest, longer-range threats, especially those carrying weapons of mass destruction.

Raytheon Wins $3 Billion Missile Systems Contract

Raytheon Company will be awarded a $3 billion contract to supply missile systems to the U.S. Defense Department.

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency notified Raytheon that it will award the company, when funds are appropriated, a sole-source contract, because it is the "only source that currently possesses the in-depth technical knowledge of the system to satisfactorily perform the work."

The three-year contract will cover manufacture and integration of up to 216 Standard Missile-3 SM-3 Block IB missiles, or 72 per year, starting in 2015. It is part of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Program, the Missile Defense Agency was quoted as saying by Reuters. "We're confident in the SM-3 Block IB's readiness for production, and we remain on track to deliver this critical capability in support of phase two of the European Phased Adaptive Approach in 2015," Raytheon said in a statement.

MDA director gives update on missile defense

Vice Adm. James Syring, director of the MDA (Missile Defense Agency, updated last week’s attendees of the Space and Missile Defense Symposium on the programs the Missile Defense Agency has in place to protect not only the war fighter, but the nation’s homeland and its allies.

Those programs are becoming more and more important, Syring said, as the threat increases. Not counting the U.S., Russia, China or NATO, roughly 6,000 ballistic missiles exist in the world today – by 2020 that number is expected to increase to 7,950. “The threat over the last couple of years has certainly escalated,” Syring said. “It has influenced a lot of the decisions we have made in missile defense to better posture ourselves against the threat.”

All one has to do is look at the news to see images of the North Koreans parading their KN-08 missiles through the streets to realize the global threat is real and imminent. Currently in the process of developing a road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile and an intermediate-range ballistic missile, North Korea’s weapons could potentially reach Guam, the Aleutian Islands, and even Hawaii, according to Syring. Iran, too, is increasing its force through the deployment of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles.

While defending the U.S. and its allies may seem daunting, defense secretary Chuck Hagel outlined in March several actions being taken to counter the nation’s adversaries, which Syring expanded on during his remarks. Those priorities include:

• Deploying 14 ground-based interceptors to Fort Greely, Alaska, by fiscal year 2017
• Deploying an additional AN/TPY-2, anti-ballistic missile radar that will provide early warning and tracking of launched missiles to Japan
• Conducting environmental impact studies for a potential additional interceptor site in the continental U.S.
• Restructure the Standard Missile 3 IIB program into a common kill vehicle technology program

NK's new developments on ICBMs: A brief look

North Korea is developing road-mobile ballistic missiles capable of reaching Guam, the Aleutian Islands and potentially Hawaii, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's director said, citing the agency's growing concern at a recent Senate Appropriations Committee's Defense Subcommittee hearing.

Road-mobile ballistic missiles are on top of North Korea's ongoing attempts to further develop its long-range ballistic missile system Taepodong-2, according to the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. Though still in development, the Taepodong-2's range could also include Guam, according to the Federation of American Scientists.

North Korea's ballistic missile threat "continues to grow as our potential adversaries are acquiring a greater number of ballistic missiles, increasing their range and making them more complex, survivable, reliable, and accurate," stated Vice Admiral J.D. Syring's July 17 testimony before the Senate subcommittee.

"The missile defense mission is becoming more challenging as potential adversaries incorporate ballistic missile defense countermeasures," Syring stated.

Missile test impact

Syring told the Senate committee of the agency's plan this year to demonstrate the ability of an integrated ballistic missile defense system to defeat two near-simultaneous ballistic missile threats.

More missile test flights scheduled for next year will include two launches of Minuteman III test flights from Vanderberg Air Force Base in California. Guam, Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia are invited to read a supplemental environmental assessment of next year's tests, in part because during the tests, missile components "will impact within the Exclusive Economic Zones of Guam, the Republic of Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia," a July 29 Air Force announcement states.

Missile Defense

The Missile Defense Agency director told the Senate subcommittee of plans to beef up the country's comprehensive U.S. missile defense system amid U.S. lawmakers' calls for the military to run on a tight budget. "We will also deliver more interceptors for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense ... and Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense ... as we look for ways to make them more operationally effective and cost-effective," Syring testified.

About this matter, let us remember that After North Korea made specific mention of Guam when it issued threats to launch missile attacks in April and May, the Defense Department responded by sending a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, which includes truck-mounted interceptors, to Guam. The THAAD interceptors are capable of shooting down a ballistic missile both inside and just outside the atmosphere, reducing the risk of fallout from an enemy's weapons of mass destruction.

The THAAD missile defense system has had a 100-percent success rate -- intercepting 10 out of 10 tests since the program began in 2006, a Missile Defense Agency test report released earlier this month states.

Congressional report

A June 24 Congressional Research Service report on Ballistic Missile Defense in the Asia-Pacific Region mentions that, in response to North Korea's threatening actions and statements in early 2013, the Pentagon decided to deploy a THAAD system to Guam two years ahead of schedule.

"Pyongyang has declared its intent to develop a nuclear-armed ICBM, but North Korea's longer range missiles capable of reaching Guam, Alaska, or the continental United States appear unreliable and in some cases are untested," the report states.

The congressional report does raise concern of the longer term implications if North Korea's missile tests continue. A 2013 Defense Department report on military and security developments involving North Korea assesses that Pyongyang will move closer to its goal of a nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile capability if it continues to test missiles and to devote scarce resources to nuclear programs, the congressional report states.

Purdue researchers working on missile-defense software

Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN) researchers are peering into the future to help the United States foil enemy missile attacks. Working with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, the research team is creating software that makes it possible to pose various "what-if" questions; scenarios that explore plausible future missile advances in adversarial nations and the defensive capability of the United States.

"Our mission is to look into the future, to say, for example, what if we had some new missile technology, or what if a country X had the capability to launch X number of missiles at the United States? What would we have to do to shoot them down?" said Daniel DeLaurentis, an associate professor in Purdue's School of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

The research focuses on how to defend against attacks called "raids" in which many missiles would be launched against the United States, said Saurabh Bagchi, a professor in Purdue's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. "The system must be able to handle a raid environment, based, in part, on the assumption that our potential adversaries will expand their missile capabilities in the future," he said.

Even more missile interceptors possible at Greely

 

The number of interceptor missiles at Fort Greely could rise beyond the level announced earlier this year, depending on threats from other nations, the director of the Missile Defense Agency said. In March, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the Obama administration had decided to increase the number of missiles at Fort Greely to 44 in response to actions by North Korea. (Read more)

Fort Drum – New York Site Considered As Missile Interceptors

 

The nation’s military leaders are considering two sites in upstate New York — an active Army post and a shuttered Air Force base — and one site in Maine as potential missile interceptor sites on the East Coast.

 

 

The Missile Defense Agency is looking at 10 sites on the East Coast, including Fort Drum in northern New York, the old Griffiss Air Force Base near the central New York city of Rome and the former Loring Air Force Base in northern Maine. The Defense Department has been directed to create an East Coast interceptor site in response to a perceived threat from Iran, which is believed to be developing nuclear weapons. (Read more)

Estados Unidos: La Agencia Antimisiles continuará su hoja de ruta

 

En plena resaca tras el fracaso de las recientes pruebas del sistema antimisiles, el Director de la Agencia de Defensa Antimisiles de los Estados Unidos (U.S. Missile Defense Agency) reafirmó el pasado miercoles ante el Congreso de los Estados Unidos que seguirá llevando adelante la hoja de ruta marcada.

 

James Syring dijo a los miembros de la subcomisión de defensa que aunque durante las pruebas llevadas a cabo el pasado 5 de Julio el misil fracasó a la hora de interceptar el objetivo, se consiguieron llevar a cabo otros propósitos adicionales. Desde luego la causa del fallo sigue siendo objeto de examen, si bien ello no merma en modo alguno su compromiso con el programa ya que se trata del primer fracaso en cuatro pruebas. Según Syring, se barajan nuevas fechas de futuras pruebas entre las cuales no se descarta repetir las recientemente fallidas. A tal efecto ha pedido presupuesto para llevar a cabo dos tests de interceptación durante el año fiscal 2014 y al menos un test anual de interceptación en años posteriores.

 

A pesar de los fallos observados, Syring confía en la fiabilidad del sistema para defender a los Estados Unidos frente a un ataque mediante misiles balísticos intercontinentales. A este respecto, el Secretario de Defensa Chuck Hagel ordenó el pasado mes de Marzo un incremento en la flota operativa de interceptores terrestres, que debería llegar a la cifra de 44 para 2017 (actualmente es de 30). A tal efecto, la Agencia de Defensa Antimisiles está evaluando ya localizaciones en el territorio continental estadounidense para el despliegue de los futuros interceptores, y está evaluando igualmente la posibilidad de instalar un segundo radar móvil anti misiles balísticos AN/TPY-2 en Japón. En otro orden de cosas, James Syring afirmó que la Agencia continuará financiando la Fase 1 de la Estrategia Europea Antimisiles, en la cual ocupa un lugar preferente completar el despliegue del Aegis Ashore -el componente terrestre del Systema Antimisiles Aegis- en Rumania para 2015 y en Polonia para 2018.

NSWC PHD takes part in successful missile test

 

Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division (NSWC PHD), participated in a successful test of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system, resulting in the intercept of a separating ballistic missile target over the Pacific Ocean. The test was a joint effort of NSWC PHD, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), USS Lake Erie (CG-70), NSWC Dahlgren Division and NSWC Corona Division. During the test, a two-stage ballistic missile test target was launched and then successfully intercepted by the SM-3 Block IB Guided Missile. (Read more)

Trey Obering Backs Expedited Work on East Coast Site

 

The former head of the Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency says the rising threats posed by Iran and North Korea justify accelerating work on a proposed East Coast missile interceptor site. “I think it’s prudent,” said Trey Obering, a retired Air Force lieutenant general, emphasizing that efforts could be expedited without risking missteps. (Read more)

Prototype Lockheed ballistic missile target tested

A prototype air-launched ballistic missile target has been successfully tested by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency and Lockheed Martin.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2013/05/13/Prototype-Lockheed-ballistic-missile-target-tested/UPI-80831368465365/#ixzz2TH2d8EDq