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The US Navy has awarded BAE Systems US$37 million (AU$54.5 million) to design and deliver the next generation of deck launch-based missile launch system as part of the Next Generation Evolved SeaSparrow Missile Launch System program.
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The contract was awarded by the US Department of Defense Ordnance Technology Consortium (DOTC) to support the delivery of the Next Generation Evolved SeaSparrow Missile Launch System (NGELS), assisting the NATO SeaSparrow Program Office (NSPO) to design and deliver prototype deck launching systems to support the US Navy and allied countries with the Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM) ship self-defence system.
NGELS is a deck-mounted, fixed-angle launcher that leverages BAE Systems’ Adaptable Deck Launcher (ADL) concept to store and launch ESSMs from Mk 25 missile canisters.
The NGELS platform is designed to be easily integrated into large deck platforms and support the fielding of the latest and most highly-capable ESSM missile, the Block 2 variant, a multi-role surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missile capable of protecting aircraft carriers and other flat-decked ships against advanced air and surface threats.
Brent Butcher, vice-president of the weapon systems product line at BAE Systems, highlighted the importance and role the NGELS program and capability will play in the US and allied navies, saying, “NGELS leverages the expertise of our workforce to provide a ready-to-deploy system that enhances mission effectiveness and enables reliable ship defence for the US Navy. We look forward to working with our customers to bring this enhanced capability to the fleet and introducing it to international users.”
NGELS will use proven Mk 41 Vertical Launching System subsystems to deliver surface-to-air and surface-to-surface defense capabilities to aircraft carriers and amphibious ships in order to defeat missile threats.
The ADL system is designed to provide a straightforward approach to deploying ESSM in non-Mk 41 VLS 41 ships, ADL benefits from a modular design that allows any number of launch cells to be configured as low angle, deck-mounted launchers for varying ship applications.
BAE’s ADL is deployed with a protective enclosure to minimise radar signature, maintenance, and to provide protection for the encanistered missiles and service connections.
The system is reloadable and will support numerous launches during its service life.
ADL provides near-term, “VLS-like” reliability and allows low-cost operation, leveraging the existing Mk 41 VLS logistics system, while the design meets shipboard marinisation and survivability requirements and provides armoured protection against ballistic threats.
