The current Aegis system is very formidable.
First, there are two main classes (and one version/under-class) of ships using Aegis-system:
1.) 27 CG-47 Ticonderoga class cruiser, with all the ships from CG-52 Bunker Hill being equipped with Mk.41 VLS (Vertical Launch System). As British experiences from Falklands showed, already this difference between ships equipped with rotating launchers and with vertical launch system is VERY important, because rotating launchers are prone to malfunctions in THE decisive moment.
Because of this with rotating launchers (Mk.26 in the case of CG-47), early five Ticos aren't considered as CVBG-capable these days any more, and they are either used for testing purposes (for example, USS Yorktown CG-48, testes some kind of AI-control systems) or some other tasks. Beneath that, they carry a lower number of SM-2 missiles, only 88 (44 in forward magazine and 44 on the rear), compared to no less but 61+61 (122) in Mk.41-equipped ships.
Ticos have four SPG-62 fire directors.
2.) The second class are approx 50ships large DD-51 Arleigh Burke class destroyers. Burkes are all equipped with Mk.41 VLS, and carry 29 SM-2s forward and 61 in the rear magazine withTHREE SPG-62 directors.
For AAW Aegis is a tough nut to crack.
To make things simply, think of Aegis as a gunslinger, equipped with "Gattling"-gun instead of "Navy Colt". Like most modern AAMs, SM-2 SAMs have three phases of flight. During the first, they are quided with INS, during the second they got mid-course updates from Aegis, and then go active in the third. Put this together with powerful computers of the ship and the number of directors, and you'll get the LOWEST (not maximum - its classified data) number of missiles an Aegis-equipped whip can guide at once: 12 for CG-47s and nine for DD-51s.
Additionally, two missiles can be fired and guided at the same target (if deemed needed, but it's a question of the time, because new missile will be fired all three seconds on average), which means CG-47 can guide - theoretically - up to 20 (not 24, as could be anticipated) missiles at once.
Now SPY-1s radars are basis of Aegis, and they consist of their antennas, transmitters, signal processors, control groups, and auxillary equipment. They have a wide frequency bandwidth that randomly radiates different frequencies across the bandwidth on a pulse-to-pulse basis (this only because somebody could come to the idea and tell me about some stand-off jamming of it...). They are highly resistant to ECM, because of this frequency diversity, and they can even sense jamming and automatically shift to different frequencies where less interference is present. Their digital signal-processing is also able to counter or supress jamming as well as sea clutter.
Additionaly to Aegis, all USN ships got also the NTU (New Threat Upgrade), which added the Mk.23 TAS pulse-doppler radar, designed to operate in a high-clutter environment "against" sea-skimming missiles, has range of almost 100 miles and can simultaneously track up to 54 targets.
First, there are two main classes (and one version/under-class) of ships using Aegis-system:
1.) 27 CG-47 Ticonderoga class cruiser, with all the ships from CG-52 Bunker Hill being equipped with Mk.41 VLS (Vertical Launch System). As British experiences from Falklands showed, already this difference between ships equipped with rotating launchers and with vertical launch system is VERY important, because rotating launchers are prone to malfunctions in THE decisive moment.
Because of this with rotating launchers (Mk.26 in the case of CG-47), early five Ticos aren't considered as CVBG-capable these days any more, and they are either used for testing purposes (for example, USS Yorktown CG-48, testes some kind of AI-control systems) or some other tasks. Beneath that, they carry a lower number of SM-2 missiles, only 88 (44 in forward magazine and 44 on the rear), compared to no less but 61+61 (122) in Mk.41-equipped ships.
Ticos have four SPG-62 fire directors.
2.) The second class are approx 50ships large DD-51 Arleigh Burke class destroyers. Burkes are all equipped with Mk.41 VLS, and carry 29 SM-2s forward and 61 in the rear magazine withTHREE SPG-62 directors.
For AAW Aegis is a tough nut to crack.
To make things simply, think of Aegis as a gunslinger, equipped with "Gattling"-gun instead of "Navy Colt". Like most modern AAMs, SM-2 SAMs have three phases of flight. During the first, they are quided with INS, during the second they got mid-course updates from Aegis, and then go active in the third. Put this together with powerful computers of the ship and the number of directors, and you'll get the LOWEST (not maximum - its classified data) number of missiles an Aegis-equipped whip can guide at once: 12 for CG-47s and nine for DD-51s.
Additionally, two missiles can be fired and guided at the same target (if deemed needed, but it's a question of the time, because new missile will be fired all three seconds on average), which means CG-47 can guide - theoretically - up to 20 (not 24, as could be anticipated) missiles at once.
Now SPY-1s radars are basis of Aegis, and they consist of their antennas, transmitters, signal processors, control groups, and auxillary equipment. They have a wide frequency bandwidth that randomly radiates different frequencies across the bandwidth on a pulse-to-pulse basis (this only because somebody could come to the idea and tell me about some stand-off jamming of it...). They are highly resistant to ECM, because of this frequency diversity, and they can even sense jamming and automatically shift to different frequencies where less interference is present. Their digital signal-processing is also able to counter or supress jamming as well as sea clutter.
Additionaly to Aegis, all USN ships got also the NTU (New Threat Upgrade), which added the Mk.23 TAS pulse-doppler radar, designed to operate in a high-clutter environment "against" sea-skimming missiles, has range of almost 100 miles and can simultaneously track up to 54 targets.
