ESSM Airframe

Guns, torpedoes, mines, bombs, missiles, ammunition, fire control, radars, and electronic warfare.
jasonfreeland
Junior Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Apr 05, 2014 10:04 pm

ESSM Airframe

Post by jasonfreeland »

I've been playing around with what if questions on a modeling forum for building a Naval Gunfire Support Ship and am hunting for some information. One thing lacking from my design is a missile capable of quick response to inland targets that are not large enough for something like a TLAM or SLAM. I would like something that could be quad packed in a mk41 VLS and reusing the RIM-162 has obvious merits but I have questions. How much of the $800,000 cost is related to the antiaircraft function that would be ripped out anyway? Using one of the multimode seekers from the Joint Air to Ground Missile or something similar would be ideal. I've thought about things like the Joint Strike Missile intended for the F-35, but it's subsonic and overkill for the mission. Anyone have any additional info? I have several different ship designs in mind, ranging from a 3x5" mk45 Burke hull (sans AEGIS), to using Mk71 8", to a 12" gunned version of a San Antonio class. This is all for a future modeling project, I'm just a guy who likes ships. :wink:
Steve Crandell
Senior Member
Posts: 954
Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2014 7:05 pm

Re: ESSM Airframe

Post by Steve Crandell »

The US Army's MGM-140 system would probably be optimal for that application, but I don't know whether it could be adapted to the Mk-41. It might be worth designing a special launcher to use that family of missiles, though.

You do realize the US Navy now has a 6" gun designed for shore bombardment?
jasonfreeland
Junior Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Apr 05, 2014 10:04 pm

Re: ESSM Airframe

Post by jasonfreeland »

Steve Crandell wrote:The US Army's MGM-140 system would probably be optimal for that application, but I don't know whether it could be adapted to the Mk-41. It might be worth designing a special launcher to use that family of missiles, though.

You do realize the US Navy now has a 6" gun designed for shore bombardment?
Yes I do, but they are only deploying six of them on three ships and those ships cost 3.5 billion dollars each. That being said this isn't about getting the Navy to change its ways, it's about designing a model that fits my vision of what I think they need. The AGS is under consideration for what I'm building, I just didn't mention it. The M30 unitary warhead version would be a better fit I think, than the MGM-140 ATACMS. They looked at using the MLRS system with the arsenal ship concept and I think I remember them kicking it around for the battleships. They are also looking at launching small diameter bombs via the M30. My main interest in a quad pack VLS ground attack missile is quick response for immediate threats (like anti ship missiles or artillery) that the guns would take more time to take out or would need ground designation. A missile with the ability to designate its own target would fit the task nicely and the Mach 4 plus speed of ESSM is a major plus.
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