BMD Watch: Northrop Grumman laser success

WASHINGTON, July 3 (UPI) -- Northrop Grumman announced it had surpassed "all demonstration requirements" for the first building block of the Joint High Power Solid State Laser, or JHPSSL, Phase 3 program.

The JHPSSL program would now begin its "integration and test phase ... after exceeding all demonstration requirements for the first gain module, or building block, that forms the core of its 100 kW solid-state laser system," the company said in a statement June 25.

"The achievement came as the company successfully completed a Critical Design Review conducted by Department of Defense representatives at the company's new Directed Energy Production Facility," Northrop Grumman said.

"Manufacturing has begun in the new facility, which was designed specifically to produce high-power gain modules beginning with the JHPSSL Phase 3 program. Altogether, there will be 32 gain modules in the company's 100kw JHPSSL Phase 3 demonstrator," the company said.

"This means that Northrop Grumman has designed a 100 kW solid-state laser system that can be efficiently manufactured," said Alexis Livanos, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman's Space Technology sector. "We are gratified by the great confidence shown in our design and analysis for this powerful laser system."

Northrop Grumman said the first gain module demonstrated under the program "produced a power level of more than 3.9 kW, operated for 500 seconds at 20.6 percent efficiency."

"Our design for the JHPSSL Phase 3 laser includes design features needed for future systems," said Mike McVey, vice president of Directed Energy Systems for Northrop Grumman's Space Technology sector. "We are making major improvements in size, weight and power in the Phase 3 laser compared with the system we demonstrated in the last phase.

"Under the current phase, the program's goal is for a laser system to reach 100 kW, setting the stage for a variety of force protection and strike missions such as wide-area, ground-based defense against rockets, artillery, and mortars; precision strike missions for airborne platforms, and shipboard defense against cruise missiles," the company said.

"Designed to accelerate solid-state laser technology for military uses, the JHPSSL program is funded by the Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Huntsville, Ala; Office of the Secretary of Defense -- Joint Technology Office, Albuquerque; Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.; and the Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Va.," Northrop Grumman said.

The company said it had "received a 36-month, $56.68 million contract for JHPSSL Phase 3 in December 2005."

Raytheon wins $145.4M RAM missile contract

The Raytheon Co. announced last week it had won a $145.4 million contract from the U.S. Navy to build and improve its Rolling Airframe Missiles.

"Nearly $105.5 million will go to the development of Rolling Airframe Missile Block 2, a kinematic and sensor upgrade to the company's Rolling Airframe Missile Block 1," Raytheon said in a June 27 statement. The company described the RAM as "one of the world's most modern ship self-defense weapons, designed to provide exceptional protection for ships of all sizes.

"Rolling Airframe Missile Block 2 significantly increases the effective range and maneuverability via a larger dual-thrust rocket motor and independent four-canard control actuator system," said Todd Callahan, Raytheon Missile Systems program director for Rolling Airframe Missile. "These enhancements extend Rolling Airframe Missile's capability against a wide variety of threats, including the evolving, highly maneuverable anti-ship cruise missiles.

"When coupled with our continuous efforts to improve Rolling Airframe Missile's performance and lethality this Block upgrade program will yield a new level in ship self-protection for the U.S. warfighter as well as navies throughout the world," Callaghan said.

Raytheon said its German partner RAM-System GmbH "has been funded to develop an evolved missile radio frequency sensor that will provide increased sensitivity and discrimination in order to successfully defeat targets utilizing next generation guidance radars. The two companies would carry out the work "under a cooperative Memorandum of Understanding for the Block 2 system demonstration and development program," Raytheon said.

"The combined U.S.-German Rolling Airframe Missile Block 2 system demonstration and development program is scheduled to reach initial operating capability in 2011," the company said.

MDA delays STSS Block 06 sats launch

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency has announced it has postponed the scheduled launching of two experimental Space Tracking and Surveillance System Block 06 missile satellites from November 2007 to spring 2008, Space News reported on its space.com Web site on June 18..

The report cited an MDA official as saying that the STSS Block 06 launch was delayed because of launch range conflicts and "a delay in the completion of vacuum testing of the two satellites"

The two satellites will be fired into orbit together on board a single Delta 2 booster made by United Launch Alliance, Space News said, citing its MDA source.