Team Players
Written by Kenya McCullum and Marty Kauchak
A U.S.-ISRAELI COOPERATIVE PROGRAM
The Arrow Weapon System is being developed jointly by the United States and Israel in response to the increasing threat of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. The fully operational missile defense architecture is designed to be interoperable with U.S ballistic missile defense system (BMDS) elements.
Israel Aerospace Industries and its U.S. partner, Boeing, are leading this industry team effort. Boeing’s major U.S. suppliers for Arrow II are Alliant- Techsystems (ATK) of Iuka, Miss., and Clearfield, Utah; Manes Machine of Fort Collins, Colo.; Patterson Machine of Union Grove, Ala.; and Sanmina-SCI of Huntsville, Ala.
Bill Dickerhoff, Arrow program manager, Boeing Missile Defense Systems, told MSMF. the Arrow system uses a two-stage interceptor, Arrow II, to destroy an incoming target with a fragmentation warhead. “Other system elements are a launch control center, a firecontrol radar, and a battle management center. Arrow provides Israel with flexible and cost-effective protection from ballistic missile threats,” he added. The program’s testing regime has experienced recent, mixed successes.
In April, Israel conducted the first intercept test of an enhanced and co-produced Arrow-2 interceptor. During the test, the missile successfully acquired, tracked and intercepted a separating target. Demonstrating interoperability with U.S. BMDS elements, AN/TPY-2 and C2BMC (command and control, battle management and communications) sent cueing data on the target to the Arrow Weapon System.
At press time, the Arrow Weapon System conducted an interception test at a U.S. test range. The test exercised the interoperability of Arrow with U.S. elements of THAAD, Aegis and Patriot-3 programs. Not all conditions to launch the Arrow were met, and it was not launched.
The Arrow program will be put through its paces in a joint context later this year, according to a statement provided by Lieutenant General Patrick O’Reilly, director, Missile Defense Agency, at the June 16, 2009, Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on fiscal year 2010 ballistic missile defense programs. “The Juniper Cobra exercise between European Command and Israeli Defense Forces to be held later in 2009 will be the fifth and most complex exercise yet designed. U.S. BMDS elements will participate in these exercises to demonstrate the interoperability and develop operational tactics, techniques and procedures associated with this coalition architecture,” read the O’Reilly testimony statement.
The Obama administration supports the Arrow Weapon System as one of several U.S.-Israeli cooperative programs in missile defense. The Arrow Weapon System is included in a $120 million budget line in the requested FY10 defense bill.
At current production rates, Boeing is nearing the end of component manufacturing and deliveries to IAI. The Israeli company is also expected to soon complete final assembly and delivery of its last Arrow-2 interceptor—perhaps by the end of 2010.
Beyond the Arrow II, an “in the atmosphere interceptor,” the government/industry team is developing Arrow III, an exo-atmospheric interceptor.
“Arrow III will destroy an incoming target with a kill vehicle and provide additional defense capability for evolving threats,” pointed out Boeing’s Dickerhoff.
Boeing-IAI co-development of the next-generation Arrow III interceptor began in late 2008 and will continue through 2011, followed by co-production.
A U.S.-EUROPEAN COOPERATIVE EFFORT
MEADS is a trans-Atlantic cooperative between the United States, Germany and Italy to develop a missile defense system that is transportable, tactically mobile, and capable of intercepting incoming ballistic missiles in the terminal phase of their flight.
The lightweight system is expected to have the PATRIOT Missile Segment Enhancement as its interceptor and 360-degree, X-band, fire control and surveillance radars, as well as capabilities not found in similar systems—namely the plug-and-fight battle management command features.
MEADS International is the prime contractor for the system. MEADS development operations are being conducted at six primary locations that host multinational teams. MEADS International is responsible for program management, system engineering and supportability. Primary responsibility for each major end item has been assigned to Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Dallas, which handles certified missile round; Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Huntsville, which handles battle management, command, control, communications, computers and intelligence; Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors in Syracuse, which works on the surveillance radar; LFK in Munich for the launcher/ reloader; and MBDA Italia, based in Rome, which handles multifunction fire control radar.
The pace of development for MEADS is quickening. “Since December 2007, MEADS has conducted 13 successful design review events and expects to complete a total of 49 by February 2010,” Steve Barnoske, president of MEADS International, told MSMF.
One area of interest to the government/industry team is providing MEADS’ integration with U.S. DoD systems. The MEADS communications architecture ensures that MEADS will exchange information and interoperate with legacy and state-of-the-art C2 systems across all levels of a system-of-systems force structure. “MEADS external communications interfaces are interoperable with U.S. Army Battle Command System and supports U.S. Army Integrated Air and Missile Defense System-of-Systems objectives. The modular MEADS design supports integration of additional capabilities, including emerging technologies, additional communications networks, and non-organic weapons and sensors,” Barnoske added. ♦