Note: The Aegis ABM combat system has performed numerous missile system tests to where missiles representing IRBMs and cruise missiles were engaged. In many of these tests the latest SM3s were not used. In some of these tests Japanese Navy ships carried out the intercepts
The bottom line is this. There are naval forces ready to defend themselves if attacked by ASBMs
and win. The Aegis system is strictly defensive in nature. This means that as long as these naval forces remain in international waters and do not violate Chinese territorial waters they have the RIGHT to sail on the high seas
Stellar Daggers
March 26, 2009 USS Benfold
simultaneously engaged a SRBM in terminal phase and a cruise missile using SM-2's
FTM-13
On November 6, 2007, the USS Lake Erie launched two interceptors off the island of Kauai, Hawaii,
engaging two short-range ballistic missile targets almost simultaneously.
JFTM-1
(Codename: Stellar KIJI) On 17 December 2007, the JDS Kongō successfully intercepted a ballistic missile with SM-3 Block IA and Aegis System. The target was launched from Pacific Missile Range Facility. This was the first time a Japanese ship was selected to launch the interceptor missile. In previous tests Japanese ships provided tracking and communications.
FTM-14
06.06.08: At 8:13 am, (Hawaii Standard Time), the USS Lake Erie successfully intercepted a terminal phase target with a modified SM-2 Block IV interceptor. The aim of this mission was to test the interception and destruction of a
short range ballistic missile target launched from a mobile launch platform.
JFTM-3
(Codename: Stellar RAICHO) On 27 October 2009, the JMSDF Myoko fired a SM-3 missile at a ballistic threat launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility and successfully intercepted the missile over the waters of the Pacific. This marked the second successful intercept with the Japanese Ballistic Missile Defense system.
---------- Post added at 01:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:52 PM ----------
They have a big difference in diameter. Btw, you should know this because you're the one who is making the claim. Furthermore, with its neutron warhead, it's something you don't use until the sh.. hits the fan.
Actually there was another smaller missile that could fit into the SM3 silo without trouble. In any event a HiBEX / Sprint type ABM could be built without too much trouble and deployed aboard ships to respond to ASBM type missiles
It has been done once, so the R&D and planning is sitting on a shelf somewhere ready to be dusted off and moved to the ready.
And with advances in payload design a nuclear warhead is no longer needed. The SM3 uses the LEAP warhead system to ensure a kill. A quick reaction ABM could use something similar. So anyway you want to come they have that covered.
HiBEX
If Sprint was a phenomenal missile, HiBEX was even more interesting in some ways. It was
part of a project called Defender run by DARPA in conjunction with the Army for a last ditch
ABM missile in a similar vein to Sprint. However, it was literally a last ditch missile and was
designed to
intercept an incoming RV at less than 6,100m (20,000ft) altitude. At that altitude,
the incoming RV would be traveling at around 3,000m/sec (10,000ft/sec) so a very fast
reaction time was essential to insure interception. In fact,
HiBEX was designed to have exited
from its silo within 1/4 second and it accelerated at over 400g.
HiBEX was only 5.2m (17ft) long and due to the high acceleration, the fuel did not last very
long at all, so it was characterised with very short rocket burn times and hence a very short
range. One of the problems with such a high accelerating missile was that of guidance, and the
onboard gyros presented a problem. Mechanical gyros were not really practical due to the spin
up times and flight characteristics (ie they took to long to spin up, and didn't take kindly to
rapid shifts in trajectory), so ARPA developed the laser gyro. This meant that the gyros and
associated guidance system was available essentially instantaneously permitting a very rapid
launch which was a major design goal
---------- Post added at 01:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:04 PM ----------
Here are some specs for the Mk.41 :
BAE :
Others :
,
Spirit Dimensions according to this -
Length - 8.20 m (26 ft 11 in)
Diameter (at the base) - 1.35 m (4 ft 5 in)
now do the math and see whether you can cram that thing in.....
The answer is simple: Build a NEW Sprint type ABM that fits on ships. I never meant in my posts that there were Sprints just waiting to be deployed aboard ships. All those missiles are long gone.
But the plans and knowledge still exists so updating the concept would be a small matter
