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Backdropped against international concern of an impending north korean ballistic
missile launch,
two words,
Mark India,
announced the latest successful for Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense, BMD.
Its 7th intercept of a ballistic missile target out of 8 attempts
with an SM-3 missile,
and for the second straight time against the difficult separating, medium range
target or MRT.
The Missile Defense Agency, MDA,
US Navy and Aegis BMD team continue exercising the sea based element of the
Ballistic Missile Defense System.
New ships and crews, new configuration, new missile, new challenge.
Letting Navy operators train, operate, and understand
the credible Aegis BMD capability. The mission,
bring in an operational, certified, standard configuration to the fleet,
using SM-3 deployment rounds, available whenever
and however our nation needs to use it.
Another Aegis BMD success.
Stellar Predator Campaign, FTM-10.
The team delivers.
Preparation for a major exercise like Stellar Predator, FTM-10,
takes great effort from the Aegis BMD team across the country,
and a lot of is riding on this one.
After years of building, testing and learning
Aegis BMD is ready for another exam.
The results will determine if the Navy gives Aegis BMD a passing grade.
Achieving a certified standard configuration
with ballistic missile engagement capability.
Getting ready for Stellar Predator includes a lot of training for officers
and crews of participating ships, especially the SM-3 filing ship
USS Shiloh.
Training takes place at various navy facilities around the country
and on the ships too.
Some key Aegis BMD training facilities include
the Naval Surface Warfare Center, NSWC in Dahlgren, Virginia.
NSWC/Dahlgren is the Aegis BMD schoolhouse
where extensive classroom and hands-on training of sailors and officers takes place.
Along with NSWC/Dahlgren's training contribution, they have an important
technical responsibility to perform for the Navy.
They will conduct an independent assessments of the new Aegis BMD
weapons system configuration
named 3.6, being used during Stellar Predator.
Identifying its capabilities, limitations and risks.
Final recommendations to the Navy by NSWC/Dahlgen in August
will determine whether Aegis BMD 3.6
can be a certified standard configuration ready for fleet use.
Besides Dahlgren,
another Virginia location along the Atlantic coast Wallops Island,
provides a perfect marine test location for the Navy, including Aegis BMD
training and testing.
Located here it is the Surface Combat System Center or SCSC.
SCSC is a perfect maritime test environment for conducting realistic tests.
Exercising the Aegis BMD combat system
including the upgraded tactical computer programs
in a land-based replication of the Aegis combat system.
During spring 2006,
early builds of the Aegis BMD 3.6 weapon system
configuration were tested at SCSC.
At times referred to as the battle group in the sand.
Another key navy Aegis BMD facility north of SCSC
is the cornfield cruiser USS Rancocas,
properly named the Combat System Engineering Development Site
or CSEDS in Moorestown, New Jersey.
Late in February 2006 at CSEDS,
engineers from Lockheed Martin,
the combat system engineering agent for the Aegis combat system and Aegis BMD weapon system,
working with NSWC/Dahlgren engineers,
before an evaluation assessment or EA on 3.6.
In the BMD mini suite, Navy personnel from the Aegis tech reps
CSED military unit,
operate the system and exercise in a series of BMD test scenarios.
Testing verifies 3.6 weapon system engagement,
long-range surveillance and track, LRS&T,
and multi-warfare mission requirements using simulated interfaces with BMDS elements.
At the conclusion of 3.6 weapons system testing,
during the hot wash up,
CAPT Grecco speaks on Stellar Predator's importance only three months away.
"Well its getting 3.6 certified, in the hands of the warfighter as a tactical baseline is the most important priority of the program."
As in previous BMD tests, extensive analysis and planning going to
developing test scenarios.
Hundreds of Aegis BMD simulations are run
to predict and verify a firing solution against the MRT.
BMD team members, Lockheed Martin in Moorestown, New Jersey,
Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab in Laurel, Maryland
and Raytheon Missile Systems division in Tucson, Arizona
perform their simulation analysis
sharing results with the Aegis team.
Additional analysis is conducted byNSWC/Dahlgren
and SCSC Wallops Island as Aegis BMD matures toward a Navy certified
program.
Development and testing of Raytheon's SM-3 Blk IA missile
is also an important part of 3.6.
As the designated deployment round for Aegis 3.6.
FTM-10 will be the first time this enhanced SM-3 missile is used
in a flight test.
At the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Port Hueneme, California,
Aegis BMD team members, military, government and civilian meet at
the Mission Controls Panel, MCP, assessing mission readiness and status
of the system before the campaign can begin.
After presentations and deliberation
Stellar Predator is approved to proceed.
Certification testing of Aegis BMD 3.6 and the SM-3 Blk IA,
in a flight test against a medium range, separating target
is only a month away.
There can never be too much preparation for a ship and crew before Aegis BMD testing.
After a successful joint US and Japan Aegis BMD test
named JCTV-1 in March,
new BSP equipment is installed onboard Lake Erie for their primary
role in Stellar Predator.
Early in 2006, Shiloh and Milus, home ported in San Diego,
undergo all the necessary
Aegis BMD 3.6 configuration equipment installations.
These include the loading of a developing computer program,
giving these Aegis equiped ships a ballistic missile engagement capability
along with their traditional
Aegis multi mission role.
The installations are involved,
especially for Shiloh, the designated firing ship for the flight test.
Shiloh's Captain discussing
BMD installations during dry dock.
"So there was a a substantial amount of fabrication that was done
"four this system to be able to
"accommodate ballistic missile defense capability,
"Same thing, there are modifications to the
"launchers, modifications to the computer system.
"There was a wiring all through the ship that was added,
"there were antennas put onboard the ship.
"For this shot cameras
"There are a lot of of material changes that happened six months ago."
Along with the installation period,
Shiloh and Milius welcome members from the Navy and Aegis team in May
conducting Waterfront Integrated Testing and training exercises.
WIT is performed on the test ship
prior to each flight test.
The purpose is to ensure proper installation,
integration and operation of the Aegis BMD system.
This is particularly important in preparing Aegis BMD 3.6
for Stellar Predator.
For training, the crews from Shiloh and Milius
practice ballistic missile engagements with Aegis BMD
using the dockside simulator,
a high fidelity target simulation tool
developed by Lockheed Martin.
Training alongside Shiloh's crew are selected
crew of USS Chancellorsville, CG-62.
Shiloh and Chancellorsville are scheduled for a CSQQT during August,
where the officers and crews of both cruisers
swap their ships. Training of Chancellorsville crew
now prepares them for the Aegis BMD mission area when they become the new crew of Shiloh.
More training for the crew gear them up for the campaign.
Finally, Shiloh and Milius
depart San Diego and transit to Hawaii
to begin the campaign occurring over a 3 week
period in June.
As part of WIT sea trials,
Shiloh waits off of Kauai, on the Pacific Missile Range for Event 1,
a tracking exercise to begin
An ARAV-A short range, ballistic missile vehicle is used for TRACKEX.
Joining Shiloh for the first event, is ballistic missile signal processor
BSP equiped Lake Erie, CG-70.
Shiloh operating the new Aegis BMD 3.6 weapons system
will conduct a simulated SM-3 engage on
Aegis SPY-1 against the ARAV-A
in preparation for the Event 2 flight test.
Lake Erie continues its testing of the BSP 2.0.
Designed by Lockheed Martin,
BSP boosts overall BMD weapon system ability
to detect and identify multiple, complex targets.
During the tests, engineers measure BSP's ability to distinguish between a
real hostile missile and a countermeasure.
Designed to decoy the SM-3 away from the nose tip.
Open architecture design BSP
uses medium band and synthetic wideband signal processing,
increasing Aegis extraction and classification capabilities
while reducing the risk factor.
Test equipment and Aegis test team ship riders are minimized during the tests.
Accompanying the ships are members of the Navy's Operational Test and Evaluation Force, OPTEVFOR,
providing independent objective evaluation of operational effectiveness
and suitability of Aegis BMD.
As in earlier tests, Stellar Predator continues the objective of demonstrating
operational realism.
The ship's operate in a war cruise environment with an intelligence overlay
for all four Stellar Predator events.
Intelligence from Third Fleet commander assigns Shiloh and Lake Erie
a monitoring mission on Country Red's radical regime.
Watching for launch and possible engagement of a ballistic missile near
friendly Country Green.
Now integrated into Aegis BMD,
Shiloh uses Mission Planner
assisting the radar systems coordinator
to develop Aegis SPY radar search doctrine and setup search sector
parameters to prepare for a potential ballistic missile launch.
On the Pacific Missile Range Facility launch pad
is a short range, ARAV-A ballistic missile.
Positioned more than 300 miles from Country Red's Missile Launch
Facility are Shiloh and Lake Erie.
Each is traversing within its assigned operational area.
Officers and crews was working from an intelligence overlay as part of their
training, know potential launch sites but don't know the precise hostile ballistic
missile launch time.
They wait, ready to detect, track and perform
a simulated SM-3 engagement.
The ships detect the ARAV-A balistic missile about the same time
with their Aegis SPY-1 radars,
entering the designated radar search sector.
Shiloh successfully searches, detects and transitions to track
"Fireball, fireball, fireball. Track number 8 0 7 0 7."
Shiloh transmits the track over theater data link architecture
by a satellite to BMDS command centers.
"Auto engagement order"
"Captain, RSO, good target. Clear to fire."
"All stations.
"Batteries released.
"FIS is green."
The ARAV-A target is engaged with simulated, dynamic missile
using Aegis BMD AWS 3.6.
"Eagle's away, track number 3 2 0 2."
"Mark India."
"Track number 3 2 0 2."
A similated engagement is a success.
Operating in a war cruise environment,
they successfully detect and track the ARAV-A,
exercising BMDS operational communication links.
Lake Erie using its BSP
detects, tracks and gathers data for further analysis.
Shiloh operates its Aegis BMD weapons system
in the new 3.6 engagement reconfiguration.
With Event 1 successfully over,
the ships head back to port in Pearl Harbor
to prepare for the firing event, FTM-10.
In port, three other Aegis ships are waiting for them, getting ready for the test.
Before the ship's depart for the flight test, a Mission Readiness Review, MRR
is held in Pearl Harbor
to insure everything is in order before the test can begin.
"What we are doing is very important
"and we got to
"get this capability into the hands of the warfighters
"soonest possible
but it's got work, it's got to be safe."
MRR results are positive.
FTM-10 Event 2 of Stellar Predator is days away.
Departing Pearl Harbor,
Shiloh makes a brief stop at Weapons Station Naval Magazine, Pearl Harbor.
Two SM-2 Blk IIIA missiles are loaded for the first AAW firings
in an Aegis BMD test, Event 4A,
Finally an SM-3 Blk IA is loaded into a cell in the aft
MK-41 Vertical Launching System.
Inside this canisters the first SM-3 Blk IA missile
ready to engage the MRT during the FTM-10 flight test.
Located in the western end of the Hawaiian island, Kauai, are PMRF
and the Kauai Test Facility launch pads.
The ballistic missile target control and launch facilities used for Aegis BMD.
Here is where the MRT is assembled and readied for the FTM-10 launch.
The separating target, MRT, is a threat representative ballistic missile
used in this flight test.
As technical direction agent for the Aegis BMD Program, Johns Hopkins
APL plays a role with the MRT.
APL developed sensors are placed on board the target missile
providing a close-up view of the intercept.
For the second time
APL's developed multipurpose sensor payload was integrated with the MRT.
The sensor payload
collects video and infrared imagery of the targets boost and post boost phases
of flight.
Video coverage of the target's reentry vehicle separation event
and spectral, radiometric and video coverage of the intercept.
Five Aegis ships are hundreds of miles from the launch site. Each ship in its
designated patrol area. Shiloh,
Lake Erie,
Milius, DDG-69,
Paul Hamilton, DDG-60,
and ally ship
Kirishima, JDS-174.
Based on intelligence reports,
US Navy BMD ships use mission planner.
Now integrated into Aegis BMD
to help the SPY-1 radar set up their BMD radar search sectors.
Besides mission planner,
a new Aegis BMD tool
developed by Lockheed Martin
is used for the first time.
It's called SCUS,
System Calibration Using Satellites
or satellite track data gathered by Shiloh
will allow for tiny corrections to be applied for physical SPY-1 array face bias.
Knowing precisely where the SPY-1 radar was radiating the ballistic
missile target is important in achieving target intercept.
Shiloh and Lake Erie have similar
roles as executed in Event 1.
Shiloh is preparing to launch on Aegis SPY-1 with the new SM-3 Blk IA.
Now resting inside a canister in a cell in the aft
Vertical Launching System, VLS.
Lake Erie will detect
and track the MRT
and use BSP to gather test data for extraction and classification analysis.
Additionally Lake Erie commands a surface action group linked with the
other Aegis ships except for Shiloh. As part of a homeland defense scenario,
Lake Erie and Milius prepare to receive target
cued acquisition data from a transportable radar sensor experimental
or TPS-X, X-Band radar on Kauai.
TPS-X target data is sent to BMDS command centers
and relayed to Lake Erie and Milius
through a satellite data link.
This testing of data links and queuing across the BMDS network and
command centers
is an important part of Stellar Predator testing.
Milius positioned close to Shiloh
is also using the Aegis BMD 3.6 weapons system,
and for the first time a destroyer will conduct
a similated SM-3 engagement of the MRT.
Paul Hamilton and Kirishima are exercising together
performing long-range surveillance and tracking of the MRT
in a linked configuration.
Two data links are used in the Event 2
to exchange track information with the other BMDS elements.
Continuing the test objective of operational realism,
the ships receive intelligence reports
directing thier movements,
providing both theater and homeland defense BMD coverage.
At their battle stations in the morning hours of June 22,
are the officers and crew
who will execute the flight test.
Crews are space warning condition yellow readiness, awaiting a hostile
ballistic missile firing.
For the flight test,
Aegis Auto-BMD weapon doctrine missile engagement is used.
With Auto-BMD weapon doctrine, the system automatically computes a
recommended time to fire and engaged the target
with an SM-3 missile.
Aegis BMD will alert the Missile System Supervisors, MSS,
when to press the fire key.
After a series of increasing threats,
the ships receive their latest intelligence reports,
set space warning red,
weapons tight.
They are at the highest state of alert for a ballistic missile launch.
The ships get no target launch countdown.
They must be ready to react to hostile actions and detect a threat launch.
Mission Planner helps direct SPY-1 radar search volume
which is important
for early target detection.
The engagement against the MRT
is the longest range attempted to date by Aegis BMD.
With this operational test scenario, it will take about six minutes from the
time the MRT is launched before the SM-3 can
reach and destroy its ballistic missile target.
The MRT provides a real time view
with its video camera as a climbs above the atmosphere and into space.
Aegis SPY-1 radar on the Aegis ships
detect the target as it enters their radar search sectors.
During MRT flight, the reentry vehicle separates from its booster.
Seconds later, Milius transmits the MRT track data over Link-16
back to the Ballistic Missile Defense System, BMDS.
"Auto engagement ordered."
"Captain, RSO, good target."
"Green range, simulated cleared to fire birds and eagles within safe firing bearings."
After the set space warning red,
weapons free is announced.
Shiloh's Commanding Officer
authorizes the Vertical Launching Systems in preparation to fire.
"All stations batteries released.
"FIS is green."
"Battleshort enabled."
The SPY-1 radar transitions to boosted target track
and distributes information to the Aegis Weapons System.
SPY-1 radar processing determines that the target is in its ballistic
flight phase and the Aegis system declares the MRT track as engagement quality
Now SPY-1 works to identify the nose tip.
Aegis processes the target automatically for engagement in the
auto-BMD mode
and initiates the engagement order to the Missile Systems Supervisor or MSS.
Upon receiving the recommend fire alert,
MSS presses the fire authorization variable action button.
Shortly after SM-3 launch, the SPY-1 radar system acquires
and tracks its SM-3 missile.
"All stations this is Captain,
"FIS is red."
The Aegis weapon system continuously updates as precision fire control
solution to engage the target.
Acceleration commands computed by the Aegis weapon system
are transmitted to the SM-3 missile
by a SPY radar uplink message data,
keeping it on the target intercept path.
After second stage burnout and separation, the Aegis weapon system
updates the SM-3 with both it's and the target's positions and velocity data.
With the longer MRT flight path,
the Aegis weapon system gives data commands to the SM-3 missile
to perform two pulse burns,
with a delay between pulses called on burn-ditch-burn.
After the second Third Stage Rocket Motor, TSRM, pulse burn is complete,
while coasting, the missile performs a pitch maneuver,
ejecting in the nose cone,
while maintaining a collision course on the target.
The third stage attitude control system orients the missile so that it
points at the target.
Before the KW is ejected,
the Aegis system gives phase three uplink information to the TSRM,
providing Aegis target and object track data to the SM-3.
The aegis weapon system places the target dead center in the SM-3's
field of view
with its SPY-1 radar accuracy.
In an animated view of the closing sequence
using offset guidance,
the KW acquires the MRT after ejection from the third stage.
The KW using its infrared or IR Seeker
correlates its tracks to those received from Aegis
to distinguish the target
from other objects,
quickly driving the KW to the target with divert guidance.
A square around the target image indicates that the target is in track
and KW divert guidance has commenced.
A direct target hit!
The target
is destroyed.
The KW intercepts the MRT at the desired aimpoint.
With the KW working on the principle
anything can be destroyed if you hit it hard enough...
anything!
Its seventh success out of eight firings.
The test provides an important data gathering opportunity with a variety of
optical sensors and radar systems observing FTM-10.
Sensors clearly show the lethal and MRT destruction
by the Aegis SM-3 missile.
This is a slow-motion, Halo II airborne system recording
of the KW target impact,
showing the SM-3 third stage and KW.
These images show the KW impacting the MRT.
Aegis BMD data link transmission allows the MDA
community and guests
to witnessed another BMD success.
"For today, 3.6 fired a missile into space with a Blk IA missile." "My crew's performance was remarkable, but not unexpected.
"The training they received
"not only in associated with FTM-10, but with the Aegis Program and its long history of training people is second to none. FTM-10 is a further demonstration
"of our ability to reach our goal of genuine ballistic missile defense, not only for the United States,
"but for our forces
"and our allies abroad."
Remaining at sea after FTM-10 are the Aegis ships.
stellar predator campaign has two more BMD tests to conduct until completion.
One of the hallmarks of Aegis has been its design as the Navy's premiere
surface combatant at sea today.
Aegis's ability to conduct multi warfare missions are unsurpassed.
The addition of the Aegis BMD mission
has given the Navy and engineers at Lockheed Martin,
the Navy's Aegis combat system agent
a major challenge as they updated the Aegis weapons system
accomodating its new role as a ballistic missile killer,
while maintaining its powerful
multi warfare capabilities,
such a shooting down a cruise missile.
Event 3 tests to see if the engineers got it right
and sailors can operate it.
Shiloh has to conduct a simulated BMD engagement
against a short range, ARAV-A target
while simultaneously conducting an AAW engagement
against a low-flying BQM-74E target drone.
The stakes are high to see if Shiloh can conduct
both missions simultaneously.
Besides Shiloh,
three other Aegis ships are at sea for Event 3 too.
Milius along with Shiloh
operates with Aegis BMD 3.6 and conducts a simulated SM-3
engagement on the ARAV target.
In addition to conducting the simulated tomahawk strike against the ARAV launch site.
Paul Hamilton and Kirishima continue to conduct long-range
surveillance and tracking on the ARAV-A,
and are linked together on their last test of Stellar Predator.
The Navy and MDA also use Event 3
as a risk reduction exercise fir FTM-11,
the next Aegis BMD test.
In addition to the ARAV,
Shiloh and Milius have the opportunity to conduct a simulated AAW engagement
against a BQM-74 target drone,
similar to a cruise missile.
The crews are on alert, waiting to see the track of the ARAV target and drone.
A Navy G-1 aircraft is used to carry the BQM-74 drone.
"9 2, clear to launch. Launch, launch."
The G-1 releases the BQM-74 drone and heads towards the ships.
With the drone flying inbound, the ARAV target is launched.
"Captain, RSO, good target."
"Green range simulated clear to fire birds and eagles within safe firing bearings."
"All stations Captain, batteries release."
"FIS is green for birds and eagles."
"Auto engagement ordered on the BMD."
"Kill track 3 1 6 7 with birds."
Shiloh and Milius detect, track and finally perform simulated engagements,
conducting both Aegis BMD and AAW simulated engagements
against the ARAV target and the drone.
The results are impressive.
Arriving back in Pearl Harbor after Event 3 are Paul Hamilton and Kirishima
while Shiloh and Milius prepared for Event 4.
Event 4A,
Shiloh prepares to perform live AAW engagements against
2 BQM-74 target drones
using SM-2 Blk IIIA missiles.
They continue operating with Aegis BMD 3.6.
On the ground are the BQM-74 target drones ready for launch.
After the BQM-74s are launched, they fly toward the ships.
Their flight path is similar to a cruise missile at low altitude.
The ship's detect the targets and range safety clear Shiloh to fire thier
SM-2 missiles.
"TO, RC, RSO. Targets are approaching
"velocity control."
"Auto engagement ordered."
"Battleshort enabled."
"Vampire, vampire, vampire. Track 3 1 7 3."
"All stations batteries released.
"FIS is green."
"Kill vampire with birds."
"Birds away. Track number 3 0 1 7."
As Shiloh is engaging the BQM-74 drones, Milius verifies
it's AAW capability
by conducting simulated engagements on the BQMs
as Shiloh engages the BQM-74 drones
with live missiles.
The results are spectacular.
Both thrones are destroyed.
On the ground another two
BQM-74 drones are ready for Event 4B.
During the second part of Event 4,
one of the drones carries a jammer to avoid detection
using electronic counter-measures.
After the BQM-74 are launched,
they fly toward the ships.
Despite the jamming environment, both ships detect the targets,
engaging the drones they conduct simulated engagements successfully.
Again verifying Aegis BMD anti-air warfare capabilities.
Ships returned to port with mission accomplished at the conclusion
of Event 4.
Flight testing named Stellar Predator Campaign is over.
Stellar Predator's results demonstrate that Aegis BMD is now an
integral part the multi mission capable Aegis weapon system. "Excitement and
"a lot of confidence in the system."
"If anybody has a chance to get involved with BMD, then do it."
"Its a whole new level of capabilities."
"We downed a missile that was in outer space.
"Its amazing how the system can do that."
Another chapter opens in US Navy history.
Missile defense a new and vital mission for the Navy
and our nation.
Defending America,
our friends and allies.
Aegis BMD
Fully engaged, deployed and working.