Lockheed to Upgrade Japanese AEGIS Destroyer for ABM Use

Lockheed to Upgrade Japanese AEGIS Destroyer for ABM Use 

 

18-Jul-2005

Kongo-Class Destroyer

Lockheed Martin Maritime Sensors and Systems won a $124 million cost-plus-award-fee contract modification to upgrade Japan's Kirishima Kongo-Class AEGIS destroyer to the capability of an AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense Block 2004 capability. Japan's Kongo-Class destroyers are a version of the USA's Flight II DDG 51 Arleigh Burke Class.

 

The Kirishima itself was posted to the Indian Ocean as part of Japan's contribution to the war on terror, acting as flagship for the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force.

DID has covered related Japanese contracts, including cooperation with the USA on missile defense and a related $400 million order for naval ABM components and services.

Work on this contract will take place in Moorestown, NJ (78%); Baltimore, MD (15%); Eagan, MN (4%); and Aberdeen, SD (3%); and should be complete by November 2007. The project was not bid out, but was rather awarded by the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC under contracting activity N00024-03-C-6110.

 

1. DDG Kongo Class

 

The Kongo Class is the 4th generation Guided Missile Destroyer (DDG) and has a different appearance and contents from previous Japanse DDG designs. The largest size among DDG and SPY-1D AEGIS radars equipped on the four faces of the bridge prove a capacity of this type. This class of four ships is complete, and assigned to 4 escort flotillas as the core ship.

The JMSDF maintains four Escort Flotilla, with each composed of 2-3 air-defense ships, including Kongo class AEGIS ship, and 5-6 anti-submarine destroyers, and 8 ASW helicopters, or as it is more commonly known, the 88 Formation. Japan has four of them, named 1st through 4th Escort Flottilla.

 

Although the information processing ability and flagship ability of the Aegis warship is superior, the flagship of the Escort Flotilla is the DDH.

Japan was the first state (outside the United States) to acquire the superlative Aegis fleet defence system, fitted in the Kongo-class destroyers. The Aegis system's maximum detection distance, the number of simultaneously tracked targets, reaction time and missile range is superior in all points by comparison with the former Tartar system.

The ASROC anti-submarine rocket, which is the anti-submarine weapon, along with the Standard anti-aircraft missile, are launched from the VLS (the vertical launch system) which is imbedded in the front and back section decks.

The third unit of the class [Myoko] was the first with SM2MR Block III (the Block II was used on the first two ships). They are to receive New ASROC (presumedly ASROC with Japanese lightweight torpedo), and to be fitted with P/S(1)2 12.7mm or 20mm with night vision equipment.

 

The Kongo is an improved version of the U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke class, displacing 9,485 tons (full load). It is a substantial departure for Japan in terms of size and capability in its surface fleet. There also are qualitative differences between Japan’s modern ships with their well-trained crews and the older, less capable ships of other East and Southeast Asian navies.

Although derived from American Arleigh Burke class, numerous changes include a far longer helicopter deck aft, less horsepower and a slightly different weapon suite.

Some of the differences between the JMSDF Kongo's and the USN Burkes are that the Kongo's employ a separate fire-control system for the 127-mm gun, which has a faster firing rate than the USN standard Mk 45 127-mm gun, a back-up surface/air search radar, a more elaborate EW system and while they have the capability to act as a helicopter platform they do not have a haul down system. Full displacement on the Kongo's is larger, 9,485 tons to 8,500 tons and is some 78 feet longer and 2 feet wider.

Construction was done to mercantile rather than military standards. The Italian Oto-Breda 127mm/54 calibre Compact gun, firing 45 rounds per minute [to 8.7nm anti-surface, 3.8nm anti-aircraft] is the main gun armament aboard Japanese Kongo class Aegis destroyers.

This turret was designed for reduced manning, and the distribution of personnel to inside the turret became unnecessary, as it is controlled with remote control. It is possible to land helicopters on the rear deck, but because the VLS launchers in the rear deck, there is no equipment to support the helicopter.

The superstructure is dominated by the phased array radar, which forms the core of the Aegis system. Along with these radars, consideration has been given to stealth characteristics, resulting in a warship design which gives an impression different from previous classes.

Although it is often said that the lattice mast has compromised the stealth efficiency of the design, apparently the influence of the mast on reflection of radar waves is almost nil.

The Aegis foreign military sales (FMS) efforts began in 1984, resulting in the first Japanese FMS case in 1988. Three additional FMS ships were then authorized in 1990, 1991, and 1993.

 

The USN furnished the Aegis AAW system and selected combat system elements, but the ship and the other remaining systems were built in Japan. Not all portions of the US Aegis system are installed on the Japanese ship. The Tomahawk system is not exported, and there is no equivalent Japanese-supplied function. Several other functions are also deleted in the Japanese ship.

 

The USN had earlier furnished TARTAR systems (the predecessor of Aegis) via FMS to Japan. The acquisition of Aegis required the Japanese to learn a new and much more complex system than TARTAR. When the Aegis EMS program went through congressional review of the release to Japan in early 1988, there were two major issues raised.

The first, supported by the US shipbuilding industry, was why a total Aegis ship was not supplied to Japan instead of just the Aegis weapon system. This would give the depressed US shipbuilding industry some badly needed work in return for the release of this advanced system to Japan.

The second issue raised in Congress was whether Aegis should be released to Japan at all. Many members believed that the latest American technology should not be released to Japan. There was a concern that the Japanese might "reverse engineer" the system and build it themselves.

The US Congress approved the Aegis sale to Japan in 1988 despite reservations about the transfer of technology. Special congressional concerns were related to the SPY-lD radar technology and the associated complex real-time computer programs. The USN responded to these concerns with additional constraints on the transfer of technology.

A critical area of technical cooperation was with the Japanese manufacturers of the ASW, EW, and gunfire control systems. Aegis interfaces have been defined for the U.S. systems but needed to be defined for the Japanese counterparts. The most complex interface was the integrated ASW control system that was being developed based on an existing Japanese system.

 

The gunfire control system (GFCS) was the next most complex interface. Since the design was different from the USN system, modifications were required in the interface. The EW system integration had some problems in the shipyard, but they were not a serious issue.

The first ship, JDS Kongo, meeting all Japanese construction and test requirements, was commissioned on March 25, 1993, with all of the USN-supplied systems operational. Both IMSDF and the shipyard were very pleased. The most obvious benefit to Japan was the upgrade of the JMSDF with the most capable warships in the world. With its emphasis on defense, it closely matches the stated fixture goals of the JMSDF.

JMSDF, its shipbuilders, and its manufacturers have learned a considerable amount about the integration and testing of a large modern complex weapons system by working on the Aegis program.

IHI delivered the destroyer Chokai with the Aegis system at IHI Tokyo Shipyard in March 1998. The Chokai is the fourth member of the latest fleet series of Kongo class Aegis Destroyers. As of 1992 Japan reportedly had plans to construct as many as 8 (rather than 4) Kongo class Aegis DDGs.

As of 1999 Japan was considering an option to buy two more, but by 2000 plans to build four more of the ships were no longer being discussed in public.

On December 16, 2002, the destroyer Kirishima left the port of Yokosuka for the Indian Ocean where it would be tasked with supporting the U-S led war on terrorism. The deployment would increase Japan's military presence in the region and raised fears among some that Japan might be drawn into fighting, particularly if the United States were to attack Iraq, thereby contraveing with Japan's constitution.

 

Namesakes

The Japanese battle cruiser Kongô, a ship with a magical name and an important history, was budgeted in 1910 and ordered from the British shipbuilder Vickers in January 1911. The word "kongô" was the Japanese pronuncation of the Chinese translation of vajra in Sanskrit.

The vajra was originally the thunderbolt of the god Indra. In the sexual symbolism of Tantrism, the "vajra" was also associated with the male organ. On the other hand, "kongô" could also mean a jewel or a diamond, or hard as a diamond. So, appropriately, "Kongô" as the name of a ship could imply the great power of a thunderbolt or the hardness of a diamond.

Kongo, first of a class of four 26,230 ton battlecruisers, was built at Barrow-in-Furness, England. The last major Japanese warship to be constructed abroad, she was completed in August 1913. She was active during World War I and afterwards as one of the fastest units of Japan's battle fleet.

In 1929-31, Kongo was modernized at Yokosuka Dockyard, and was thereafter rated as a battleship. She was again modernized at Yokosuka in 1936-37, receiving new machinery and a lengthened hull to increase her speed to over thirty knots. This high speed, plus their heavy guns, made Kongo and her sisters uniquely valuable warships, and they were heavily used in World War II combat operations.

After the 20 October 1944 invasion of Leyte, Kongo sortied with the rest of the Japanese fleet to make a counter-attack. This resulted in the great Battle of Leyte Gulf, an action that essentially destroyed Japan's Navy as a major fighting force. On 21 November 1944, soon after passing through the Formosa Strait en route to Japan, she was torpedoed by the U.S. submarine Sealion.

The resulting fires apparently were uncontrollable, as Kongo blew up and quickly sank a few hours after she was hit. She was the only battleship sunk by submarine attack during the Pacific War.

Kirishima, a 26,230 ton Kongo class battlecruiser built at Nagasaki, Japan, was completed in April 1915. After more than a decade of service, she was modernized at Kure between 1927 and 1930 and reclassified as a battleship. Her high speed ensured that Kirishima would play an active role in the first year of the Pacific War.

She accompanied the Japanese aircraft carriers during their 7 December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and was active during the offensive in the East Indies in early 1942. She received minor damage in the night surface action off Guadalcanal on 13 November 1942.

Two nights later, serving as flagship of another Japanese surface force, she was engaged by the U.S. battleship Washington (BB-56). Disabled in this encounter, Kirishima was scuttled a few miles west of Savo Island. Her wreck was discovered and examined in August 1992, resting upside down with its forward end blown off some 4000 feet below the surface.

Chokai, a 11,350-ton Takao class heavy cruiser built at Nagasaki, Japan, was commissioned in June 1932. When Japan began the Pacific War in December 1941, Chokai supported the campaign to capture Malaya. In June 1942, she was part of the Covering Group during the Battle of Midway and in July was sent to the southern Pacific to become flagship of the Eighth Fleet.

In that role, Chokai led the Japanese squadron during the victorious Battle of Savo Island on 9 August 1942. When U.S. forces assaulted Leyte in October 1944, Chokai joined the rest of the First Mobile Fleet in the counter-move that produced the great Battle of Leyte Gulf.

After surviving submarine attack on 23 October and carrier air strikes in the Sibuyan Sea the next day, on 25 October 1944 she was critically damaged by aircraft bombs during the Battle off Samar. Rendered immobile, Chokai's crew was removed and she was sunk by Japanese destroyer torpedoes.

 

2. Arleigh Burke Class (Aegis), Guided Missile Destroyers, USA 

 

The first Arleigh Burke Class Aegis destroyer was commissioned in 1991. Contracts for the destroyers have been split between the Northrop Grumman Ship Systems (formerly Litton Ingalls Shipbuilding), based in Pascagoula, Mississippi and the General Dynamics subsidiary, Bath Iron Works, based in Maine. The first 21 ships (DDG51-DDG71) are categorised as Flight I and the next seven (DDG72-DDG78) as Flight II.

The revised Flight IIA ships entered production in late 1997. 21 have been commissioned: USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79) - August 2000; Roosevelt (DDG 80) - November 2000; Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) - March 2001; Lassen (DDG 82) - April 2001; Howard (DDG 83) - October 2001; Bulkeley (DDG 84) - December 2001; Shoup (DDG 86) - June 2002; McCampbell (DDG 85) - August 2002; Preble (DDG 88) - November 2002; Mason (DDG 87) - April 2003; USS Mustin (DDG 89) - July 2003; Chafee (DDG 90) - October 2003. Pinkney (DDG 91) - May 2004; Momsen (DDG 92) - August 2004; Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) - September 2004; James E Williams (DDG 95) - December 2004; Nitze (DDG 94) - March 2005; Halsey (DDG 97) - July 2005; USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) – November 2005; Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) – January 2006 and USS Farragut (DDG 99) - June 2006.

 

Contracted vessels not yet in service: Kidd (DDG 100) – delivered in December 2006 and due to commission in summer 2007; Gridley (DDG 101); Sampson (DDG 102); Truxtun (DDG 103); Sterett (DDG 104); Dewey (DDG 105); Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108).

"Arleigh Burke is the first US Navy class to be fitted out with anti-NBC warfare protection."

Improvements over the previous Flights include hangars for two SH-60B/F LAMPS helicopters, new combat systems software, an enlarged flight deck, the Evolved SeaSparrow missile, the Kingfisher mine detection sonar, Kollmorgen optronic sight and upgrade of the Aegis radar system.

DESIGN

The entire ship (except the two aluminium funnels) is constructed from steel, with vital areas protected by two layers of steel and 70t of Kevlar armour. There is a platform for rearming and refuelling a LAMPS III SH-60B/F helicopter (with ASW capabilities), but no hangars, the ship is unable to house a helicopter of its own. This is the first US Navy class to be fitted out with anti-NBC warfare protection.

 

AEGIS COMBAT SYSTEM

The Arleigh Burke class destroyers are equipped with the Aegis Combat System which integrates the ship's sensors and weapons systems to engage anti-ship missile threats.

The Aegis system has a federated architecture with four subsystems – AN/SPY-1 multifunction radar, Command and Decision System (CDS), Aegis Display System (ADS) and the Weapon Control System (WCS).

The CDS receives data from ship and external sensors via satellite communications and provides command, control and threat assessment. The WCS receives engagement instruction from the CDS, selects weapons and interfaces with the weapon fire control systems.

The latest Aegis upgrade, Baseline 7.1, was certified by the USN in September 2005 onboard USS Pinkney (DDG 91). The upgrade includes a new radar, AN/SPY-1D(V), which has enhanced electronic countermeasures and more effective capability in littoral environments. Baseline 7.1 is based on COTS (commercial-off-the-shelf) computer architecture. Trials of the upgrade in March 2003 included live firings of the ESSM.

Lockheed Martin is developing the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) capability for the Aegis combat system to engage ballistic missiles with the SM-3 missile. By 2009, 15 Arleigh Burke destroyers will have been fitted with the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system, which provides the capability for long-range surveillance, tracking and engagement of short and medium range ballistic missiles. The system received US Navy certification for full deployment in September 2006.

"Vital areas are protected by two layers of steel and 70t of Kevlar armour." Aegis BMD will be the main sea-based component of the US Ballistic Missile Defence System.

The weapons control systems include a SWG-1A for Harpoon, SWG-3 forTomahawk, Mk 99 Mod 3 missile fire control system, GWS34 Mod 0 gun fire control system and Mk 116 Mod 7 fire control system for anti-submarine systems.

WEAPONS

The ships are armed with 56 Raytheon Tomahawk cruise missiles, with a combination of land-attack (TLAM) missiles with a Tercom Aided Navigation System, and anti-ship missiles with inertial guidance. The Standard SM-2MR Block 4 surface-to-air missiles with command / inertial guidance remain at the centre of the Aegis system. Both Tomahawk and Standard missiles are fired from two Lockheed Martin Mk 41 vertical launch systems.

The first test of the weapon control system for the new Tactical Tomahawk (Block IV) took place on USS Stethem (DDG 63) in October 2002. Full-rate production deliveries of the missile began in May 2004 and it entered service with the US Navy in September 2004. The new missile has the capability for mission planning onboard the launch vessel, in-flight targeting and loitering.

In December 2004, Raytheon began deliveries of the latest version of the Standard Missile, the SM-3. SM-3, based on hit-to-kill technology, has a kinetic warhead and is for deployment against short- to medium-range ballistic missiles. The SM-3 Block 1B missile, under development, also incorporates a two-colour infrared seeker and a throttling divert and attitude control system.

There are also eight Boeing Harpoon surface-to-surface missiles and Lockheed Martin ASROC vertical launch anti-submarine systems, armed with the Mark 50 or Mark 46 torpedo. ASROC is launched from the Mark 41 VLS.

Arleigh Burke vessels are being fitted with the Evolved Seasparrow Missile (ESSM), developed by Raytheon. ESSM is an advanced ship self-defence missile for use against anti-ship missiles.

"The destroyers are powered by four GE LM 2500 gas turbines." In July 2002, the first ESSM sea launch was carried out by Flight IIA vessel, USS Shoup. The missile was launched from the Mk 41 VLS and the Aegis AN/SPY-1D radar successfully guided the missile to destroy the target. ESSM passed US Navy Operational Testing & Evaluation (OPEVAL) in September 2003 and entered full rate production in March 2004. USS Chaffee and McCampbell have been equipped with the new missiles.

There is one BAE Systems Land & Armaments (formerly United Defense) 127mm Mk 45 gun with Kollmorgen Mk 46 Mod 1 electro-optic sight and two Raytheon / General Dynamics 20mm, six-barrelled Phalanx Mk 15 Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWS). Phalanx Block 1B has been installed on USS Howard, Bulkeley and Cole and is being installed on new build vessels.

The Phalanx 1B upgrade includes a Thales Optronics HDTI5-2F thermal imager, improved Ku-band radar and longer gun barrel providing an increased rate of fire of 4,500rpm. Flight IIA vessel USS Winston Churchill is the first ship to be fitted with the US Navy’s most advanced gun, the Mk 45 Mod 4, which can fire Extended Range Guided Munitions (ERGM) to a range of nearly 60 miles.

The destroyers are fitted with six (two triple) 324mm Mk 32 Mod 14 torpedo tubes, which launch ATK (AlliantTechsystems) Mk 46 or Mk 50 active / passive homing anti-submarine torpedoes.

COUNTERMEASURES
The ship's electronic countermeasures / support measures system is the Raytheon AN/SLQ-32(V)3 which performs radar warning and jamming.

Decoys include two Lockheed Martin Sippican SRBOC 6-barrelled launchers for chaff and infrared flares and the AN/SLQ-25A Nixie torpedo decoy system from Argon ST (formerly Sensytech) of Newington, Virginia.

Argon was awarded a contract for the upgrade of the Nixie system (to be called SLQ-25C) in November 2006. SLQ-25C is scheduled to enter production in 2008. The upgrade will include open architecture software and a new lightweight winch.

SENSORS

The air search and fire control radar for the Aegis system is the Lockheed Martin AN/SPY-ID 3D phased array radar, operating at E/F band. Surface search radar is a DRS Technologies AN/SPS-67(V)3 C-band (5.4-5.8 GHz) radar. There is also: Raytheon SPS-64(V)9 I-band navigation radar and three Raytheon AN/SPG-62, I/J-Band radars for fire control.

"The ships are armed with 56 Raytheon Tomahawk cruise missiles." The sonar suite is the Lockheed Martin SQQ-89(V)6, which includes Edo Corporation AN/SQS-53C bow-mounted active search and attack sonar and the AN/SQR-19B passive towed array.

The suite is being upgraded to SQQ-89(V)15 to allow deployment of the Lockheed Martin AN/WLD-1 Remote Minehunting System.

USS Momsen (DDG 92) was the first vessel to be fitted with the AN/WLD-1 RMS which will feature on all subsequent vessels. AN/WLD-1 includes a Remote Minehunting Vehicle (RMV) that tows the AN/AQS-20A variable depth sonar (VDS).

PROPULSION

The destroyers are powered by four GE LM 2500 gas turbines, each rated at 33,600hp with a power turbine speed of 3,600rpm, driving two shafts, with controllable pitch propellers.

	The Flight IIA vessel, USS Bulkeley, was commissioned in December 2001.
	After being crippled in a terrorist attack in Yemen in October 2000, USS Cole (DDG 67) was returned to the fleet in April 2002. The picture shows the Cole being returned to Northrop Grumman's Pascagoula yard (where she was built), by the Norwegian heavy lift ship Blue Marlin in December 2000.
	USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) was commissioned in November 2000.
	The Arleigh Burke class incorporates both RCS reduction and a fully integrated combat system. USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51).
	USS Paul Hamilton (DDG-60).
	USS Ramage Arleigh Burke class launched July 1995.
	Arleigh Burke destroyer deployed on manoeuvres.
	A US Warship launching a Tomahawk cruise missile. The Arleigh Burke destroyers are armed with 56 Tomahawk cruise missiles.
	USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) shown from the stern.
	The Phalanx 1B CIWS upgrade increases the rate of fire to 4,500rpm.

Source: DID

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