Anon

Raytheon Integrated Defence Systems has been awarded a contract to provide the US Navy (USN) with five new Ship Self-Defence Systems of the latest Mk 2 Modification 1 (SSDS Mk2 Mod 1) variant.

The contract, worth US$15.3 million, is for three land-based systems for training purposes; and one each to be fitted aboard the navy's newest amphibious assault ship LHD 8 - which began construction in late May - and latest aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.

SSDS Mk 2 Mod 1 is the latest iteration of the company's integrated defence system. This co-ordinates all the ship's existing sensors, self-defence weapons and countermeasures into a unified, distributed, open-architecture system. It provides the ship with automated and rapid-reacting anti-air defences, aimed particularly at countering the sea-skimming anti-ship missile threat. Largely based on commercial off-the-shelf systems, SSDS is intended to be fitted eventually to most non-AEGIS classes of ship in the fleet.

The automated integration of these sensor and weapon systems, which have traditionally been stand-alone units, greatly shortens the detect-to-engage cycle.

Although SSDS does not improve the capability of individual sensors, it provides a more complete picture and enhances target tracking by integrating the inputs from several different sensors to form a composite track.

The previous version of the system, SSDS Mk 2 Mod 0, made its operational debut aboard USS Nimits and is a single system, effectively combining SSDS Mk 1 and Raytheon's Advanced Combat Direction System Block 1. The major benefits of this combination are an improved anti-cruise missile capability and faster reaction times in the littoral battle space using track data from the Cooperative Engagement Capability.

As well as controlling the hard-kill weapons on board Nimitz - systems such as the Evolved sea-Sparrow Missile and the Phalanx close-in weapon systems - the SSDS Mk 2 Mod 0 is also integrated into the soft-kill equipment, including decoys and control of the AN/SLQ-32 electronic warfare system. It also includes embedded software that enables the system to be used as a tactical decision aid.

The new Mod 1 version adds in link capabilities to improve situational awareness, and command and control at the battlegroup level. According to Raytheon, pre-planned improvements will enhance the anti-air and anti-surface capabilities for slow-moving targets, and will build in an organic training capability in line with the USN's policy of moving training afloat.

A further development of the system - SSDS Mk 2 Mod 2 - is also being developed for integration into the first of the USN's San Antonio-class amphibious transport docks, LPD 17. According to the company, this open-architecture work is also informing the potential development of a system for the DD(X) programme.

Figured this would be a good addition to the board archives for future discussions.
http://www.ccii.co.za/company/press_...more_ssds.html

Anon

Company News On Call

Raytheon's Ship Self Defense System completes major program milestone

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TEWKSBURY, Mass., March 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon has completed
development and functional qualification testing of the Ship Self-Defense
System MK 2 Modification 1 (SSDS MK 2 MOD 1) for the United States Navy's
newest aircraft carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan CVN 76. The SSDS MK 2 MOD 1 is
being delivered to the U.S. Navy's Surface Combat Systems Center at Wallops
Island for development testing followed by installation on CVN 76.
"Partnership with our U.S. Navy customer and a complete team effort were
key to this highly successful delivery," said Mary Petryszyn, vice president
of Warfare and Ship Systems Integration at Raytheon's Integrated Defense
Systems. "Our collaborative efforts have insured that the fleet will receive
an integrated and innovate warfighting capability that will benefit our
sailors, aviators and Marines."
The SSDS MK2 system will provide the navy's newest carrier and large
amphibious class ships with an open architecture, distributed Commercial-Off-
The-Shelf (COTS) based system that provides automated detection through
engagement capability, coordination and control of weapons and situational
awareness command and control at the battle group level. Follow-on development
will include enhanced air and surface capabilities for slow moving targets as
well as organic training capability.
"SSDS MK2 is a pioneering program for Object Oriented Development and Open
Architecture," said Greg Black, program manager for SSDS MK 2 at Raytheon's
Integrated Defense Systems. "Our team overcame significant challenges in COTS
software integration and has laid the foundation for supporting future
technology upgrades with minimal impact to application software."
Raytheon's proven open architecture naval combat system will also be
integrated into the LPD 17 program as SSDS MK 2 MOD 2, and the open
architecture elements complement work being done on the DD(X) program and for
Raytheon's Littoral Combat Ship design. Work is being performed at Raytheon's
facilities in San Diego, Calif. and Portsmouth, R.I.
Based in Tewksbury, Mass., Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems provides
integrated air and missile defense and naval and maritime warfighting systems,
including modeling and simulation capabilities for the U.S. Missile Defense
Agency, and strong global integrated capabilities for Army, Navy, Marine
Corps, and technology customers.
Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), with 2002 sales of $16.8 billion, is an
industry leader in defense, government and commercial electronics, space,
information technology, technical services, and business and special mission
aircraft. With headquarters in Lexington, Mass., Raytheon employs more than
76,000 people worldwide.

Contact:
Steve Brecken
978.858.5246



SOURCE Raytheon Company
Web Site: http://www.raytheon.com


Almanac 2003 Join Now


INTEGRATED COMBAT SYSTEMS

By EDWARD J. WALSH

Edward J. Walsh is the editor of Naval Systems Update.

Aegis Combat System

The Aegis combat system, fielded to Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, consists of three primary elements: the SPY-1 phased-array radar, the Aegis weapons control system (WCS), and the command and decision (C&D) system. The system elements function in a highly integrated manner to provide area-wide surveillance, detection, and engagement of airborne threats.

The AN/SPY-1 is a computer-controlled, four-faced, phased-array radar that rapidly transitions detections into tracks and passes them to the C&D system element for engagement decisions and further processing. The SPY-1A and SPY-1B Aegis radars use two transmitters linked to four phased-array antennas, each of which emits an electronically controlled beam across a 110-degree field.

The SPY-1A, the first variant, was fielded to Baseline 1 (CGs 47 to 51) and Baseline 2 (CGs 52 to 58) ships. Baseline 3 (CGs 59 to 64) and Baseline 4 (CGs 65 to 73) cruisers received the SPY-1B, which incorporates improved antennas and electronic counter-countermeasures and improves performance against low-flying antiship missiles (ASMs).

The SPY-1D, installed on DDG 51, is virtually identical to the SPY-1B, but has only one transmitter. The SPY-1D(V) radar, a littoral upgrade to the SPY-1D, adds a new repertoire of clutter-cancellation waveforms and better sensitivity to allow better low-flyer detection and clutter suppression.

The Aegis weapon system has been upgraded regularly to incorporate new weapons, sensors, and threat profiles. A critical Navy priority in recent years has been the upgrading of fleet defense capabilities against ASMs approaching at sea-skimming altitudes.

The Aegis program office, PMS-400, under the Program Executive Officer Ships, has initiated an effort to shift the Aegis weapon system from the Navy-unique computer architecture to commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) technology.

The COTS insertion begins with Baseline 6 Phase 1, which introduces the UYQ-70 advanced processing and display system. Baseline 6 Phase 1 also marks the transition from a traditional point-to-point architecture to an architecture based on local area networks (LANs); the Aegis Mk6 display system will be configured in a LAN architecture.

Baseline 6 Phase 1 is being fielded in three variants. One variant has been installed aboard the cruisers USS Hue City and USS Vicksburg to support integration testing with the cooperative engagement capability (CEC). The second variant, fielded to DDGs 79 and 80, incorporates the UYQ-70 display console for the command table in the CIC (combat information center). Version 3 of Baseline 6 Phase 1, which introduces a full-up architecture of UYQ-70s, is fielded to DDGs 81 through 84.

Beginning with DDG 81, Baseline 6 Phase 1 ships will be fitted out with the Navy's latest naval surface fire-support capability. Baseline 6 Phase 3 (DDGs 85*90) was expected to introduce CEC, the Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM), and a new variant of the SQQ-89 surface-ship undersea warfare (USW) system.
Baseline 7 phase 1, for DDGs 91*107, eliminates the Navy-unique computers from the Aegis system and replaces them with COTS-based microprocessors. Baseline 7 Phase 1 DDGs will be fitted out with the SPY-1D(V) radar, which has been designed for enhanced detection over land and littoral waters and in high jamming environments. Baseline 7 Phase 1 ships also will receive the SQQ-89(V)15, a fully COTS variant, and a range of other new warfighting enhancements.
The Aegis program is pursuing an "open architecture" (OA) initiative to transition the Aegis system to a single common baseline that will replace the mix of baseline configurations now in the fleet. The OA work will be derived primarily from technology insertion opportunities for the UYQ-70 processor. The introduction of new object-oriented software is expected to eliminate the need for continuous insertions of new combat system code to accommodate system upgrades. The OA effort also builds on previous efforts to move toward a common command and decision architecture that would encompass both Aegis and the ship self-defense system (SSDS) being fielded to aircraft carriers and Wasp-class amphibious ships.

Cooperative Engagement Capability

"Cooperative engagement" will allow large numbers of CEC-equipped surface ships and aircraft to participate in an air-defense network that would enable them to share fire-control-quality radar target measurements in real time.

The CEC system features two primary components--a cooperative-engagement processor (CEP) and a data-distribution system (DDS), which acts as the CEC communications relay--and a series of modifications to already-fielded combat systems. The CEP and DDS both are built by Raytheon Systems Company.
In CEC operations, radar measurement information on airborne targets is passed from shipboard air-search radars to the CEP, which reformats the data and sends it to the DDS. The DDS then encrypts and transmits the data to other ships (referred to as CUs) participating in the CEC network. In a fraction of a second, the DDS receives all other CU data and forwards it to the CEP. The CEP combines all of the unprocessed sensor-measurement data into one air picture, identical for all platforms in the network. The same picture then is available for display and use by each individual platform's sensor and engagement systems.
The CEC enables ties achievable by the participation of multiple ships equipped with multiple types of sensors throughout the operating area, thereby enhancing the ability of each CEC-equipped ship to track and destroy incoming ASMs. CEC also provides a capability, referred to as "engage on remote," whereby a ship that does not originate the tracking data can launch missiles at targets within the weapons range identified in the CEC composite track picture.
Because it will provide real-time exchange of fire-control-quality data, CEC also has been considered a prerequisite for introduction of the Navy's theaterwide ballistic-missile defense capability aboard Ticonderoga-class CGs and Arleigh Burke-class DDGs.

The CEC system, based on software version 2.0, successfully completed operational evaluation (OPEVAL) in May 2001. The OPEVAL-approved system now is referred to as the Block 1 CEC.

The Navy originally planned to complete CEC deployment by 2010 aboard aircraft carriers, Aegis cruisers and destroyers, and selected classes of amphibious ships (LHDs, LHAs, LSD 41s, and LPD 17s), and on E-2C Hawkeye aircraft. The shipboard CEC hardware suite is designated USG-2; the airborne system is the USG-3. In late 2002 Raytheon had delivered 52 systems to the Navy based on the version 2.0 OPEVAL configuration, 41 shipboard USG-2s and nine USG-3s, with a total anticipated buy of 120.

As a condition of a Milestone 3 full-rate production decision in early 2002, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Edward C. Aldridge directed the Joint Chiefs of Staff's Joint Theater and Missile Defense Organization (JTAMDO) to develop characteristics desired for a joint-service system. Among the characteristics identified are interoperability with legacy combat systems; adaptabiliy with a planned open-architecture combat system; greater bandwidth efficiency; "extensibility" to other communications systems; connectivity among a larger number of network nodes; higher rates of data exchange; lighter weight; and lower cost

The Navy in late 2002 was continuing to evaluate ways of incorporating the JTAMDO characteristics into a next-generation Block 2 CEC. A draft request for proposals is expected to be ready for release in mid-2003, with a contract award in 2004.

Naval Surface Fire Support

The Navy has initiated a program to dramatically improve its naval surface fire support (NSFS) capabilities to better support Marine and Army forces ashore.
The Navy's current NSFS capabilities are limited to the Mk45 5-inch gun installed on Navy cruisers and destroyers. The Mk45 fires conventional projectiles to a maximum range of only 13 nautical miles, and with less-than-acceptable accuracy.

The Navy's near-term core program focuses on upgrading the 5-inch 54-caliber Mk45 gun on its cruisers and destroyers to fire the new extended-range guided munition (ERGM), developed by Raytheon Systems Company. The rocket-assisted ERGM will be guided by a global positioning system/inertial navigation system (GPS/INS) guidance system, and will have a maximum range nearly five times the range of the currently fielded five-inch projectiles. To achieve that range requires not only the use of an inflight rocket motor but also a more energetic gun (to fire the projectile with a higher muzzle velocity).

Under a contract from the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), United Defense Armament Systems has modified the 5-inch gun to a Mk45 Mod 4 configuration and introduced other upgrades that increase the gun's velocity and power. The new gun, already in production, will be fielded to all Arleigh Burke-class Aegis destroyers from DDG 81 forward.

The Mk45 Mod 4 gun could be backfitted to Ticonderoga-class cruisers as part of the cruiser conversion program. In May 2002 the NSFS program office (PMS-529) successfully tested an ERGM rocket motor and airframe at "proof launch" pressure (greater than tactical launch pressure) at Yuma Proving Ground, N.M. In July 2002, the Naval Surface Warfare Center's Dahlgren Division carried out a live-fire demonstration with the base Mk45 five-inch ERGM gun as an element of testing of the Naval Fires Control System (NFCS).

The Navy also is developing a new 155mm Advanced Gun System (AGS) for the DD(X) family of ships. The AGS would incorporate a single 155mm gun mounted on the main deck. The gun, served by an automated magazine, will fire guided projectiles at a rate of 10 to 15 rounds per minute. United Defense is leading development of a long-range land-attack projectile (LRLAP). Through a spiral development and acquisition approach, the initial range target of 63-100 nm for Flight 1 DD(X) will be extended for subsequent flights. The Navy also plans eventually to field a new land-attack missile for launch from the DD(X).
Shipboard NSFS control will be defined as a new mission area, and represented by an architecture of systems that will encompass: (1) the Tactical Tomahawk Weapon-Control System (TTWCS), which controls the launch of a new tactical Tomahawk cruise missile (Block 4 Tomahawk); (2) a land-attack missile fire-control system to support the launch of other land-attack missiles; and (3) an NFCS to provide mission planning and execution for guns and land-attack missiles. The LAM FC and NFCS both will be integrated with the TTWCS.

A Naval Fires Network (NFN) that will represent the overall management architecture for time-critical targeting and time-critical strike will integrate intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting systems with weapons and sensors. NFN demonstrations have been carried out aboard the sea-based laboratory Coronado (AGF 11), and the system is planned for acquisition for aircraft carriers, LHDs, and LHAs.

Air Area Defense Commander (AADC)

The AADC, a collaborative air-defense planning system that will process and distribute force orders to joint-service platforms, is planned for fielding to selected Ticonderoga-class Aegis cruisers and command ships. Prototypes have been tested successfully at developer Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and in several fleet exercises aboard the cruiser Shiloh, and the command ship Mount Whitney. The system will provide decision-making support needed for the battle management command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence architecture that will support joint air defense.

The AADC will consist of a suite of advanced computers, displays, and advanced software algorithms. It will enable joint commanders to carry out rapid replanning and course of action evaluations, based on the situational awareness provided by three-dimensional tactical operations displays.

The displays provide omnidirectional views of the battlespace that incorporates the fused data provided by tactical data links.

Prime contractor General Dynamics Advanced Technology Systems is leading an AADC industry team of SAIC and BAE Systems, both of which are developing the system software. In late November 2002 the Naval Sea Systems Command awarded the team a low-rate production contract for two systems. The program, originally planned for all command ships and CGs, has suffered from funding constraints that reduced the planned fielding to about 18 systems, for fielding by 2007 to CGs, command ships, and shore-based testing sites. Additional systems also may be sought for new homeland-defense applications.

Theater Ballistic-Missile Defense

The Navy is continuing development of a sea-based mid-course TBMD capability as an element of Ballistic Missile Defense. The sea-based missile defense (SMD) initiative builds on extensive Navy TBMD work during the 1990s that consisted of a two-level "upper tier" or theaterwide and "lower tier" (area) programs. The Navy area program was terminated in December 2001.

The SMD program, like the earlier approaches, will build on the tracking and target management capabilities of the Aegis combat systems aboard Ticonderoga-class cruisers and on a variant of the Standard air-defense missile, designated SM-3, which is fitted with a lightweight exo-atmospheric projectile (LEAP). The effort is developing a hit-to-kill capability against short- to medium-range ballistic missiles and technology needed for effectiveness against intermediate range missiles. The hit-to-kill work is focused initially on the mid-course phase but eventually also on the boost and terminal phases.

The unique value provided by a Navy TBMD system is that, in addition to the considerable savings achieved by building on the Aegis platforms and systems already fielded, it would be sea-based. The use of Aegis ships would avoid the logistic constraints, support costs, and foreign basing issues associated with a shore-based system, which would have to be transported into a potential combat theater via sealift or airlift. Also, the inherent mobility of naval assets provides theater commanders flexibility in their planning for both land- and sea-based TBMD systems. Sea-based TBMD capabilities would leverage the inherent geographic advantages already provided by forward deployment of Aegis ships, which could provide the capability to detect, identify, and engage TBMs long before they come within range of defensive systems in closer geographic proximity to their targets.

The SM-3 (RIM-161) missile, developed by Raytheon Missile Systems, is derived from the SM-2ER Block 4 air defense missile deployed to surface combatants. The SM-3 adds a third stage rocket motor, global positioning system/inertial navigation system guidance section, a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensor to home on its target, and the LEAP intercept vehicle. The Aegis combat system will run the SM-3 launch algorithms

In June 2002 the program completed a nine-launch series of successful Aegis LEAP Intercept (ALI) tests with two planned intercepts that demonstrated that the LEAP technologies can be integrated with the SM-3 missile and hit a target test vehicle in flight in the exo-atmosphere. The program then shifted to testing intercepts against more capable targets and more realistic targeting scenarios. In November 2002, the cruiser Lake Erie (CG 70) carried out Flight Mission 4, a successful flight test of a developmental SM-3 against a TBM target launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii.

The program of progressively demanding tests will continue through FM-9, against a mix of unitary and separating targets in a variety of technology risk-reduction efforts for ship integration, weapons controls, and battle management.

Mine Warfare

The Navy introduced a plan two years ago to augment the organic mine-countermeasures (MCM) capabilities of carrier battle groups (CVBGs). The goal of the plan--which followed a year-long "Force 21" study of the optimum mix of dedicated and CVBG-organic MCM assets--is to enable the CVBGs to carry out a larger share of MCM operations, using battle-group assets, prior to the arrival of slower-moving Avenger-class MCMs (mine-countermeasures ships) and Osprey-class MHCs (coastal minehunters).

The primary organic MCM assets planned for CVBGs are the Remote Minehunting System (RMS, a remotely operated vehicle) and the MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter, a marinized Army Black Hawk helicopter scheduled to be deployed on carriers, amphibious assault ships, and oilers. The MH-60 will be fitted with the AES-1 Airborne Laser Mine-Detection System (ALMDS), the Rapid Airborne Mine-Clearance System (RAMICS AWS-1), the Airborne Mine-Neutralization System (AMNS), the Sonar Mine Detecting Set (AQS-20A), and the Organic Airborne and Surface Influence Sweep (OASIS) system.

The dedicated MCM forces continue to play a vital role. The systems in use aboard the dedicated ships are undergoing readiness assessments and technology upgrades in support of a mid-life enhancement.

The SQQ-32 minehunting sonar, a variable-depth system now in service aboard the MCMs and MHCs, consists of shipboard displays, a low-frequency detection sonar built by prime contractor Raytheon, and a high-frequency classification sonar.

The SLQ-48 Mine-Neutralization System consists of two shipboard consoles and a remotely operated electro-hydraulic submersible mine-neutralization vehicle (MNV) equipped with a low-light TV camera, and high-resolution sonar. The MNS can deliver three types of explosive charges designed to neutralize all types of maritime mines.

Raytheon is developing the AQS-20A airborne mine-detection sonar for rapid minefield reconnaissance and detection, localization, classification, and identification of bottom, close-tethered, and volume mines. The Navy plans to deploy the AQS-20A from MH-60S helicopters. Work started in mid-1999 on design and development of a laser-based identification sensor, a Knighthawk-compatible airborne operator station, and removable mission-interface hardware. Production on the entire system is scheduled to begin in 2005.

The Remote Minehunting System (WLD-1) is a remotely controlled offboard semisubmersible vehicle with a variable-depth-sensor body used to detect, localize, and identify mines. The RMS--developed by Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems--Undersea Systems--will be integrated with the Navy's SQQ-89 Undersea Surface Ship Combat System on a number of Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class Aegis guided-missile destroyers.

The ALMDS is expected to provide rapid and cost-effective detection, classification, and localization of floating and near-surface moored sea mines. An electro-optic system, it will represent the first new mine-hunting technology delivered for U.S. Navy fleet use since the introduction of sonar. The Navy awarded an EMD contract to Northrop Grumman, Melbourne, Fla., in FY 2000 to build two production-representative Engineering Development Models (EDMs) to be tested in 2003. Production is set to begin in 2005.

The AMNS is a remotely operated expendable neutralization device that will be used by helicopters to neutralize--with explosives--moored and volume sea mines that are impractical or unsafe to counter through existing mine-disposal techniques. The AMNS is now being modified for installation aboard an MH-60S; testing is scheduled to start in 2004 and production will start in 2005.

The OASIS is designed to carry out high-speed magnetic or magnetic/-acoustic influence minesweeping missions in shallow waters. It consists of a towed magnetic and acoustic source, a tow/power delivery cable, and a power conditioning-and-control subsystem. Capable of being towed at speeds up to 40 knots, it can be transported by helicopter, allowing for fast transit to over-the-horizon operating areas. The system's magnetic component will be about ten feet long, and 20 inches in diameter. The OASIS would be deployed from the helicopter when the helicopter reaches the area of operation. It will be compatible with current and future acoustic sweeping devices and will require no new equipment to interface with the helicopter. The Navy awarded a contract to EDO Corp. in 2002 for development of a system that will be compatible with surface craft. The engineering development model will be tested in 2005, with production to follow in 2006.

The Office of Naval Research's Organic Mine Countermeasures program office is pursuing new technologies that could be delivered by Navy or Air Force aircraft or naval surface fire-support teams to defeat mines and obstacles in the surf and beach zones. Demonstration of the new technologies is expected to be completed late in the first quarter of FY 2004. The Navy then will carry out an analysis of alternatives at the end of FY 2004 and start a formal acquisition program in FY 2005.

ONR is pursuing a wide range of other R&D projects to evaluate the use of commercially developed unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs) for shallow- and surf-zone mine detection and clearance. In late 2000 ONR funded demonstrations of several UUVs fitted with commercial sensors for use in finding mines.

The goal of these and similar R&D efforts is to develop greater expertise in the use of unmanned vehicles for mine warfare, and thereby avoid having to use personnel for that mission.

The first of these untethered UUVs to be fielded will be Naval Special Warfare's Mk14 Mod 0 Semi-Autonomous Hydrographic Reconnaissance Vehicle (SAHRV). After a successful operational evaluation of its performance in the very-shallow-water region, the Navy awarded a contract to Hydroid Inc. to build and maintain the system. The SAHRV, a variant of the Remote Environmental Monitoring Units, developed under ONR sponsorship by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, also will go through a product improvement to upgrade the system's MCM and other capabilities.

SQQ-89 Surface-Ship USW System

The SQQ-89 USW system represents the integration of the active/passive SQS-53C hull-mounted sonar, the SQQ-28 sonobuoy processor, and the SQR-19 passive towed-array sonar for Ticonderoga-class (CG 47) guided-missile cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class and Spruance-class destroyers. The SQS-53C is a system enhancement to the SQS-26 hull-mounted active sonar introduced in the 1960s. The SQQ-28 manages the downlinking of acoustic data provided by sonobuoys deployed from SH-60B Light Airborne Multipurpose System (LAMPS) Mk III ASW helicopters. The SQR-19 has been eliminated from the system for the later Arleigh Burke-class Aegis guided-missile destroyers.

The SQQ-89 has been fielded in numerous variants that provide different levels of capability to several ship classes, with more than 100 systems in service. The Surface-Ship Undersea-Warfare Combat-Systems program office within the Program Executive Office for Littoral and Mine Warfare is working to transition the system from the current-generation computing architecture of Navy proprietary hardware and software to an open architecture of COTS processors and local area networks. The shift to COTS is aimed primarily at reducing acquisition and life-cycle costs while allowing improvements to current levels of performance.

Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems--Undersea Systems is under contract for production of the partially COTS SQQ-89(V)14 and the mostly COTS (V)15 systems scheduled for installation aboard Burke-class DDGs. When the transition is complete, the system's weight and number of Navy-unique circuit boards required are expected to be reduced significantly. In mid-2002 the Navy awarded a contract to the company for new and upgraded SQQ-89(V) systems Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. The contract also contains options for production for Japan's Kongo-class destroyers.

The SQQ-89A(V)15, the newest backfit variant of the system, replaces the SQQ-19 passive receive array with the Multi-Function Towed Array (MFTA). It also provides a better torpedo defense segment, improved active reverberation rejection, and upgraded operator displays. A(V)15 software is hosted using a portable middleware layer so that next-generation COTS hardware can be introduced into the SQQ-89 without rewriting the SQQ-89 sonar application code.

Ship Self-Defense System

The Navy is fielding the highly automated Ship Self-Defense System to aircraft carriers and to the Whidbey Island, Wasp, and San Antonio classes of amphibious assault ships. The SSDS is designed to provide a rapid-reaction anti-air defense capability against the high-speed, low-flying antiship missiles now in the inventories of many potentially hostile nations. Raytheon Naval & Maritime Integrated Systems is the prime contractor and systems integrator.
The SSDS program was restructured in late 1998 to produce a new system, designated the SSDS Mk2, with the goal of achieving a higher level of overall interoperability among combat-systems elements than was possible with the previous configuration.

The new SSDS architecture will be based on the integration of the SSDS Mk1 system, already installed aboard the Whidbey Island-class amphibs. The SSDs Mk1, the first combat system based on a distributed open-system processing architecture to be installed on Navy ships, is based primarily on the use of commercially developed processing and network technology.

The SSDS Mk2 system will be fielded in three variants. A unique configuration, designated Block 0, has been installed on the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). The Block 0 system will interface with CEC systems and will use functions of an older combat system--the Block 1 Advanced Combat Direction System (ACDS)--for command support, air control, tactical datalink control, and other functions. The ACDS will be phased out beginning with Mk2 SSDS Block 1 units in the fleet as SSDS Mk2 is installed.

The SSDS Mk2 Mod 1 system, which is considered the "foundation" system, is being designed for the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), and subsequently will be installed on the Navy's other carriers and the Wasp-class amphibs. In November 2002 the Mod 1 system went through successful testing against several target profiles at the Surface Combat Systems Center, Wallops Island, Va. Raytheon will continue factory qualification trials on the system prior to more demanding testing at Wallops to be followed by ship installation and sea trials.

The SSDS Mk2 Mod 2 configuration is targeted for the San Antonio-class LSDs. The Block 2 will differ from the Block 1 primarily in the number of weapon and sensor interfaces.

The Mk1 and Mk2 systems are based on the integration of shipboard air-defense sensors and weapons with a redundant "distributed" processor architecture and the UYQ-70 advanced display system, which is based on COTS technology.

In the SSDS architecture, each weapon and sensor incorporated into the system is linked to a LAN access unit (LAU). The LAUs are networked with the SSDS LAN and to the display suite, which includes a three-position command table. The display suite and the command table are based on the UYQ-70 display processor.

The SSDS Mk1 weapons configuration consists of the RIM-116A Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM Block 0 or Block 1) and the Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS), both of which are used for terminal defense against antiship missiles. The SSDS Mk1 sensor configuration consists of the SLQ-32 electronic warfare system, the SPS-49A, the SPS-67, and the Phalanx radars. The SSDS Mk2 configuration with CEC adds additional radars and a "re-architectured" NATO SeaSparrow missile system.
http://www.navyleague.org/sea_power/...jan_03_130.php