Professional Documents
Culture Documents
By Ioannis Vagias
A
nti-Ship Missiles (ASM) were and in an electromagnetically saturated Also the missile will be able to pull more
introduced in the 1960s and environment. Today, an ASM is lateral acceleration (latax), thus making
have proved to be a valuable designed in a modular concept for long interception by shipborne missile air
tactical and strategic weapon. Along storage times. The capabilities of an defence systems that use proportional
with short-range ballistic missiles, ASM are driven by four parameters: navigation more dif¿cult.
they can shape the battle¿eld reality Ɣ 5ange and velocity: This determines Ɣ Accuracy and target discrimination:
and foreign policy, since they can the choice of the propulsion system The missile has to navigate to the target
either damage or take out of action (rocket motor, turbofan, ramjet or ram- area. As this method will project position
major surface units that are seen rocket) and the shape of the lifting and errors, it can be aided by GPS/Global
as a static force projector. control surfaces for optimum lift to drag Navigation Satellite System, celestial,
Nowadays, these two capabilities ratio. Minimising the Àight time means terrain reference navigation, image
have great commonality and have been maximising missile cruise velocity, thus scene matching, or a combination of
merged into a single system capable maximising the probability the missile the above for redundancy. This enables
of precision attacking both static and will ¿nd a moving target in the predicted the weapon to accurately reach a target
moving, land and maritime targets in or assumed position. This parameter within a prede¿ned time and begin its
layered and congested air defence, is crucial for time-sensitive targeting. terminal attack. During this phase, the
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ZRXOGKDYHWRÀ\KLJKHUEXW&ORVH Closing
CO-OPERATIVE TECHNIQUES 5
Co-operative jamming can be Missile Miss Distance (m)
performed either by two or more vessels 0
0 35 70 150 140 175 210 245 280 315 350
or by a vessel and one or more active
decoys. The platforms have to be Co-operative jamming effectiveness (miss distance) vs. jammer separation, against an ASM of
synchronised: This is usually performed varying radar beamwidth, latax and closing velocity*UDSKFRXUWHV\RI&UDQ¿HOG8QLYHUVLW\
through *3S*/21ASS*1SS timing.
This technique consists of multiple Ɣ Antenna diameter (from 35 cm up Ɣ Controlling the illumination pattern
platforms noise jamming intermittently to to 100cm) and dwell time on target
force a missile to weave and home on Ɣ )alse alarm rate (several minutes) Ships of war are usually equipped
jam +2-. Co-operative simultaneous and probability of detection (90%) with thermal imagers as an extra
jamming will force the missile to either Ɣ Detection range; the radar horizon means of surveillance and tracking
Ày through the emitters or engage one depends on the Àight altitude of the to minimise electromagnetic (EM)
of them, while blink jamming engages missile and the height above water of the transmissions, and thus being detected
the antenna scanning through servo ship’s 5CS centroid and jammed, and to track small targets
saturation. )or optimum implementation The missile’s top priority before with a weak 5) footprint in a clutter-
of these techniques the emitters have commencing an attack on a ship rich environment such as the sea. It
to be displaced by a certain distance is to conceal its existence. This is is very dif¿cult for a missile to cover
and the ASM velocity, available latax performed by: its existence simultaneously in all
and beam width must be known. If any Ɣ Controlling its 5) emissions (5) spectrums (visible, 5), I5 and 89). So
of these techniques fail then the ship seeker, radar altimeter and two-way coupling sensors operating at different
has to defend using missiles, guns and communication link) wavelengths always help. 5egardless of
directed energy weapons, such as high- Ɣ Controlling its 5) signature using the ef¿ciency of I5 sensors, they cannot
powered lasers. 5) absorbing coatings, frequency alert the presence of a radar-equipped
selective surfaces, faceting, blended attacking ASM at long ranges because
DETECTING LOW PROBABILITY OF wing-body, tilted radar antenna and of atmospheric attenuation, thermal
INTERCEPT EMITTERS concealment of Àat plates such as the noise from the sea and sea spray.
ASM 5) seekers operate usually turbofan compressor and turbine The sensor of choice for long-range
at X-band (8-12 GHz). Given the Ɣ Controlling thermal signature detection of sporadic and wideband
extreme scenarios of engaging from fast through subsonic coast to minimise skin transmissions is a ES receiver.
attack crafts or littoral combat ships, to friction drag, the use of heat dissipation
large surface units such as frigates or coatings to lower heat signature during CONCEALING EMITTED SIGNAL
destroyers, the missile’s seeker operates supersonic Àight and conceal hot spots INTO NOISE
in medium 35) schedule (M35), 0.3-3 such as exhausts The most common technique for
kHz), transmitting very short pulses the ASM radar seeker to suppress the
(several tens of nsec). This will allow emitted spectrum under the noise Àoor
the selection of suf¿cient )ast )ourier is phase coding, also known as phase
Transform ())T) size for adequate S15 shift keying. Instead of transmitting
and velocity resolution, which will enable very short, unmodulated pulses, the
the selection of a low power transmitter. radar now transmits longer pulses that
Typically values range from 10 W to are phase coded. Within a single code
1 kW, depending on: interval the signal is phase shifted
Ɣ The ship’s size (corvette, frigate or several times with different phase
destroyer) shift and a certain shifting period,
Ɣ ))T size; depending on the which is equal to the pulse width of
seeker mode (surveillance, acquisition ASM Active and 3assive 5) Seeker the transmission.
and track) (Photo courtesy of AGAT) 9intage ES receivers such as the
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Kit proEaEility is greater 0ultiple Kits 7Kerefore tKe sKip must rely on KardNill and land targets loZ proEaEility of
inFrease tKe proEaEility tKe sKip is put meFKanisms missiles guns and laser interFept ZaYeforms and sKort dZell
out of FomEat effeFtiYeness 7o inFrease times passiYe and EistatiF seeNers to
tKeir effeFtiYeness $60s Fan use EPILOGUE remain undeteFted as Zell as loZ R&6
different attaFN pro¿les and Foordinate &urrent antimissile sKip proteFtion and KigKspeed airframes to saturate
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6SHFLDOGHVLJQ Yes Yes Yes Yes
&: ZitK pulse
reFeption
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