SL-AMRAAM Air Defence System
The Raytheon and KONGSBERG team is the sole provider of the highly capable Surface Launched - Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile (SLAMRAAM) system. It consists of AMRAAM missile, BMC41 components and launchers. Battery Fire Distribution Center (BFDC), Battalion Operations Center (BOC) and the Radar (AN/MPQ-64) which are BMC41 components and used by SLAMRAAM missile and HAWK-XXI are common. “Double purpose” employment capability created by common systems greatly decreases costs, logistic support, maintenance, storing and training areas and provides for a great deal of cost effectiveness.
In addition, as recent developements have shown, cruise missiles and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are being employed more and more widely and their threat is increasing. In addition to this, it is well known that there is no stand alone perfect air defence system. Threats are eliminated by deploying a combination of different systems so as to provide support to each other. By deploying HAWK XXI and SL-AMRAAM so that they can complete each other, an important tacticak advantage and tactical superiority will be obtained.
In addition, Kongsberg Defence & AeroSpace Company is willing to cooperate with Turkish companies in producing BMC41 components of SLAMRAAM System which are under its responsibility, Fire Distribution Center (FDC), Battalion Operations Center and the launcher and SW developement. It has already initiated talks with several defense industry companies in this regard.
The Raytheon and KONGSBERG team is the sole provider of the highly capable Surface Launched - Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile (SLAMRAAM) system. The team provides a proven and affordable turn-key air defence system with undisputed interoperability advantages, designed to protect manoeuvring forces as well as area or point defence of high value assets.
There are no configurations differences beetwen the Surface Launched AMRAAM missile and those used by the 16 countries for air-to-air operations. AMRAAM missiles are completely interchangeable between air to air and ground to air operations without any software reprogramming or hardware reconfiguration.
Since the missile in the SL-AMRAAM is identical to the air launch version, you can directly move the missile from a pylon on the aircraft to the rail on the SL-AMRAAM launcher with no modifications. This ensures significant savings in logistics and the cost of maintaining one common missile versus a range of missiles in the inventory. The decision of maintaining an identical missile in both the air and surface launch mission drove some design features in the system. Thus AMRAAM has no additional booster for surface launch hence it was important to find an optimum launch angle.
During the design process several studies were performed to evaluate slew vs. non slew in both azimuth and elevation and to explore the impact of vertical system. The results of the studies are incorporated in the current SLAMRAAM launchers today.
It is important that several factors that guided these decisions. There were to be no modifications of the missile, thus ensuring that the same missile could perform both Air-to-Air and Surfaceto- Air missions and the system was to provide maximum kinematic performance against a target at maximum altitude and range. Finally, low cost and high reliability were important factors.
Analysis during the launcher development showed that AMRAAM kinematic performance was better if the launcher could slew and fire the missile towards the calculated intercept point.
For countries who employ the missile in its dual-use capacity, cost advantages are realised by utilizing common procurement channels, support equipment, storage facilities, maintenance personnel and training.
The development of SL-AMRAAM started with, and has been in close cooperation with the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RnoAF). This resulted in the world’s first SL-AMRAAM system,NASAMS, declared Full Operating Capability in 1998, following a period of extensive testing, including Validation testing in all weather condition, day and night. Today, NASAMS is operational in Norway, Spain, and the US, and NASAMS units als hold NRF responsibility in NATO.
In brief SL-AMRAAM is a state of the art, extended range, air defense system based on the combat proven AMRAAM missile. With its all-weather, non-lineof- sight engagement capability, SLAMRAAM provides a significant increase in the battlespace of typical line-of-sight weapons.
SL-AMRAAM utilizes an open system architecture that allows fully netted and distributed operations with full configuration flexibility to tailor system configurations in accordance with the tactical requirements. SLAMRAAM maximizes the warfighter’s capability for early identification, engagement, and destruction of the current and emerging low altitude breathing threats, such as cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and other fixed and rotary wing platforms. Short reaction times and highly reliable launch platforms with fire-andforget missiles give an enormous firepower and the possibility to engage single or multiple targets with a high probability of kill. Test firings over the last 15 years have demonstrated a success rate of impressing 92%.
The effective SL-AMRAAM system combines the AMRAAM missile, the AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel surveillance radar, two AMRAAM launcher options, and a modern, state-of-the-art Fire Distribution Centre (FDC) that provides full control of all missile launcher functions. Turkey today, has already a major portion of the SLAMRAAM components in its inventory. Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA) recognizes the need for technology transfer and co-operation with National industry as a part of the procurement of military equipment and services. National industry will be involved in pursuit of local content related to the Surface Launch AMRAAM programs. KDA assesses opportunities for local content within production of hardware and software components and production of major end items.
The FDC is the center piece in State-ofthe- art Command and Control for; upgraded HAWK (Greece and Turkey HAWK XXI), NASAMS for Spain, NASAMS II Norway, NASAMS for USAF (Homeland Defense) NASAMS for The Netherlands and the US Army SLAMRAAM program (Integrated Fire Control Station; IFCS). The FDC has been selected by the USMC to handle the air defense portion within the Common Air Command and Control System (CAC2S) Program. The common hardware and software architecture form the basis of all FDC functions such as data link communication interfaces, track data management and correlation, identification handling, threat evaluation, airspace management, target evaluation, weapon allocation and target engagement. The use of mature ID handling functionality radically reduces the risk of fratricide by recommending track IDs based on all available ID means in the network. The FDC has two workstations but may be operated by only one operator.
FDCs can be linked together in a network forming a battalion size fighting force. A total of 12 (twelve) AMRAAM LCHRs can be utilized at the same time in a battalion configuration. A full size battalion allows up to 72 simultaneous AMRAAM engagements, consequently representing unmatched firepower in the modern Air Defence world. Extremely low system reaction time also allows multiple simultaneous engagements of cruise missile packages.
Even though the SL-AMRAAM system is already developed and fielded, it goes through a continuous Post Production Product Improvement (P3I) program. The modular SW and COTS HW design allows easy insertion of new technology and functionality (e.g. new Tactical Data Link standards). The concept with the Open Tactical Framework (OTF) will also, as an option enable national industry to modify and add future FDC system software components.
SL-AMRAAM FDCs seamlessly integrates with various HISAM and VSHORAD systems, including Patriot, HAWK, Stinger and short range guns. This establishes a true mix of air defence capabilities through weapon engagement coordination. The FDC open architecture makes future growth simple as the threat dictates or time and budget allow. Thus SL-AMRAAM is a cost effective system solution for air and missile defence, force protection and homeland defence missions.
