Aegis Ashore Prepares for Deployment

Feb. 15, 2014 - 03:45AM | By CHRISTOPHER P. CAVAS


The Aegis Ashore facility erected at Lockheed Martin's Aegis test facility in Moorestown, N.J., is designed to be completely broken down for shipment to Romania. (Lockheed Martin)

כזכור לוקהייד מרטין התאימה את מערכת האג'יס לשיגור מהיבשה. כעת כאשר הנסיונות הסתיימו, המערכות יפורקו, הציוד יאוכסן ב-60 קונטיינרים, יוטען על אוניות, וישלח לרומניה. במשך שנה לאחר שהציוד יגיע לרומניה, הוא יותקן ויופעל כחלק ממערכת ההגנה האירופאית להגנה מטילים בליסטיים שמוקמת ע"י ארה"ב.

במסגרת השלב הראשון של מערך ההגנה, יהיו באירופה 4 ספינות טילים עם מערכת האג'יס כאשר אחת כבר הגיעה לנמל ספרדי והשאר יגיעו בהמשך הזמן.

השלב השני יהיה התקנת מערכת האג'יס היבשתית ברומניה, והשלב השלישי יהיה התקנת מערכת דומה בפולין.

For more than a decade, Lockheed, missile-maker Raytheon, the US Navy and the Missile Defense Agency have worked to adapt the Aegis system to take on BMD missions. As of the end of 2013, 30 US warships — five cruisers and 25 destroyers — have been modified as BMD ships, along with four Japanese destroyers.

The first BMD-certified ships were active in the western Pacific but, since March 2011, ships have been carrying out anti-missile patrols in the European theater. Four US destroyers are transferring to Rota, Spain, to provide a permanently forward-based BMD presence. Donald Cook, the first ship, arrived in Rota on Feb. 11, and the Ross will follow later this year. The Carney and Porter will transfer to Spain in 2015.

The deployment of the ships, along with SM-2 Block IV and SM-3 Block IA Standard missiles and land-based X-band radars, constitute Phase I of the European Phased Adaptive Approach, able to take on intermediate-range ballistic missiles.

The Aegis Ashore concept evolved from a desire to operate a proven, ground-based BMD system in Europe that would be flexible and more agile than the larger ground-based interceptors initially planned. The installation is based on the sea-going version of the system, including a vertical launcher system with 24 SM-3 missiles.

Phase 2 includes the deployment of the Aegis Ashore system in Romania to provide ballistic missile coverage for southern Europe and will also use enhanced SM-3 Block IB interceptor missiles.

Phase 3 includes a second Aegis Ashore site in Poland to cover northern Europe. To be operational in 2018, Phase 3 includes deployment of SM-3 Block IIA missiles that are larger and faster than previous missiles, and, according to the Missile Defense Agency, will extend the Aegis-Standard envelope to defend against intercontinental ballistic missiles.

לכל המאמר:

http://www.defensenews.com/article/...ares-Deployment