WASHINGTON, March 14 (UPI) -- The first of four U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers to receive the SeaRAM defense system has successfully conducted a live-fire test of the weapon.
The installation and test of SeaRAM earlier this month by the USS Porter was a result of a formal Urgent Operational Request for forward-deployed U.S. Navy vessels in Europe.
"The addition of this advanced weapon system to Porter's arsenal is extremely welcome," said Cmdr. Andria Slough, USS Porter's commanding officer. "It is a culmination of the cooperation of several program offices and agencies, both at sea and ashore, ensuring that out here on the front lines, we receive the capabilities we need, when we need them."
The SeaRAM, which replaced the Porter's aft 20mm Close-In Weapon System gun mount, is a self-contained detect-to-engage anti-ship self-defense capability that combines the sensor systems of a CIWS with an 11-round Rolling Airframe Missile launcher.
The Navy said the live-fire Combat Systems Ship Qualification Trial followed a year's worth of ground-breaking effort for the engineering and acquisition professionals at the Naval Sea Systems Command.
"This team was able to go from white paper concept to live-fire testing in 12 months," said Rear Adm. Jon Hill, of Program Executive Office for Integrated Warfare Systems. "Our weapons, ship integration, and testing experts coordinated across a number of commands and organizations to identify assets, execute critical engineering requirements, deliver equipment, complete system installation, and conduct testing on a foreign test range ... all in record time; professionally and with the urgency of meeting a critical warfighting need."
