[Molon Labe]

AIM-9X Land Launch Demo Advances Sub Payload Capability

By Team Submarine Public Affairs, NAVSEA Newswire, 5 Jan 06
WASHINGTON - The Navy successfully conducted a research and development (R&D) land based test at an Army range in New Mexico, leveraging the Sidewinder AIM-9X missile, an air to air missile used on tactical fighter aircraft, to proof out critical missile adaptation features for submarine use.
Among the test objectives achieved in November 2005 were the ability to vertically launch the missile from zero velocity, and to lock-on after launch. The test was a collaborative effort between the Joint Program Office for Air to Air Missiles, Raytheon Missile Systems and Team Submarine Advanced Research. Capt. Mark Bock, program manager for Team Submarine's Undersea Defensive Systems Program Office, led this effort.
The land launched test involved detecting, tracking and destroying an unmanned helicopter drone. The target was not visible to the missile at launch. The missile turned and acquired the target several miles down range, remaining locked on until intercept.
Many “firsts” were achieved during this demonstration. Aside from the zero air speed vertical launch, this test was also the first AIM-9X launched from an Army Chaparral trailer, the first AIM-9X to engage a target below 3,000 feet, or 300 knots, and the first launch using a commercial off the shelf fire control system.
Because the AIM-9X missile is a good choice for research and development (R&D) of small missile payloads for the guided missile submarines (SSGNs) and attack submarines (SSNs), the results can be extended to other missile payloads and different platforms such as the Littoral Combat Ship.
The next step in this R&D process is to analyze the vertical launch thrust characteristics of gas production and temperature in support of encapsulation for an underwater test.
According to Capt. Bock, planning for in-water testing of the capability is currently underway.
“The ‘encapsulation’ technique will be the forerunner for deploying air breathing payloads like unmanned aerial vehicles from submarines in the future,” he said.
The most mature of these encapsulation technologies, the Stealthy Affordable Capsule System or SACS, will be leveraged for the next phase of risk reduction testing. This effort, led by the Northrop Grumman Corporation, will demonstrate the capability to encapsulate and perform submerged launch of the AIM-9X from a launch fixture representative of a submarine Vertical Launch System that is currently used for Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The long-range research goal is to be able to field any existing Department of Defense missile payload onboard submarines rapidly and at low cost.

The question for modders in whether to do this in DW would be what weapon to sacrifice, since new weapons can't be added to playables. The leading candidate would probably be the TASM, since that weapon has been removed from service and converted to TLAMs. But how many people would use a mod that didn't have TASMs? I suppose someone could still put them on AI SSGNs or Virginias if they wanted to, though.


But even if it could be done, how would it be done realilstically? We don't know for sure how the missile would be loaded out. The article suggests VLS use, but I personally question the utility of sacrificing a VLS tube for such a weapon. Unless a separate VLS is put on the sub, I think the idea of this being a VLS weapon is more of a sales pitch by Raytheon than something the Navy will actually plan to implement.



For these reasons, I think the inclusion of the "UIM"-9X on playables is a bad idea for the moment.



Does anyone know if the Virginia or Ohio SSGNs have the modular space to be used this way? I wouldn't want to rule out the possibility that these guys will carry the missile.