MEADS PAC-3

[TT-1 Pinto]

Da "Ares" .... il "TOC" del MEADS esposto ad Huntsville in occasione della "Space and Missile Defense Conference" ....

 

 

http://goo.gl/BFfdf

 

 

 

 

TOC = Tactical Operations Center

Modificato 17 Agosto 2011 da TT-1 Pinto

[TT-1 Pinto]

Gli USA fuori dal programma MEADS con un anno di anticipo sul previsto e ....

 

“If you pull out now … you leave allies with a hand in front, a hand in the back,” Di Paola said after a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“I don’t think it is fair.”

 

Fonte .... .... http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/asd_05_02_2012_p03-01-453801.xml

[TT-1 Pinto]

Dal sito di ....

 

MEADS .... Germania e Italia protestano ....

 

Germany, Italy Urge Funding For Missile Program

 

By: Andrea Shalal-Esa/Reuters (June 14, 2012)

 

 

German and Italian officials warned U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday that their plans to cut off funding for a ground-based NATO missile defense program built by Lockheed Martin Corp would endanger U.S. ties with their countries.

 

Italian Defense Minister Giampaolo Di Paola urged U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to ensure continued funding for the Medium Extended Air and Missile Defense System (MEADS)program given its importance to NATO’s future plans and transatlantic cooperation and collaboration.

 

German legislator Ernst Reinhard Beck said in a series of letters to U.S. lawmakers that withholding funding for the program “undermines the longstanding and trustful MEADS partnership” and would risk wasting hundreds of millions of euros already invested in the air missile system.

 

Three congressional committees have scrapped the Obama administration’s request for $400 million to complete funding for testing of the new missile defense program, which is jointly financed by the United States, Italy and Germany.

 

Di Paola urged Panetta to intervene with the fourth committee, the Senate Appropriations Committee, that must still vote on the measure. “We hope and expect that the United States would live up to its (Memorandum of Understanding) commitment,” he said in a copy of the letter obtained by Reuters.

 

Beck said failure by the U.S. Congress to fund the final phase of work on the program would be “perceived by Germany as breaking our transatlantic agreement and memorandum of understanding.” It would mark the first time that one of the three partners had terminated a contract and endangered their special relationship, he said.

 

“The U.S. Congress must be very aware that a pull-out on its final MEADS commitment has broad implications and it will have long-term impacts to other multinational cooperative projects,” Beck said in the letters.

 

The unilateral withdrawal from the joint project would “probably cause significant financial and national security relationship challenge,” he wrote.

 

The White House has threatened to veto fiscal 2013 defense spending bills over the issue. It has warned lawmakers that failure to fund MEADS would have negative ramifications for U.S. ties to Italy and Germany and “could harm our relationship with our Allies on a much broader basis, including future multinational cooperative projects.”

 

MEADS was intended to replace the U.S. Army’s aging Patriot air and missile defense system and has been in development for more than a decade.

 

Washington announced last year that it would stop funding the program after fiscal year 2013, calling it unaffordable in the current budget climate.

 

But the Pentagon said it would still fund testing of the program in fiscal 2013 to ensure development of a meaningful capability for Germany and Italy, and to maintain a future option for the United States.

 

U.S. lawmakers like Senator John McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, argue that Washington should not spend any more money on a missile defense system it no longer intends to use.

 

They say Congress told the Pentagon in the fiscal 2012 defense authorization law to either terminate the program or find a way to complete it for the $390 million appropriated for fiscal 2012.

 

[Andrea75]

L'Europa non è più il centro di interesse primario per gli USA. Oramai si guarda all'Asia.

 

Non verremo "lasciati al nostro destino", ma in un epoca di tagli al bilancio aspettiamoci (come Europa) sempre meno attenzioni.

[Andrea75]

Unique MEADS Mobile Testing Capability Arrives At White Sands Missile Range e source

 

Lockheed Martin deploys an 18-wheeler rig with its MEADS System Stimulator – Mobile (MSS-M) to White Sands Missile Range, NM. Its’s a way of reducing costs, and lowering risks, both of which are critical to a program whose funding is running down, with no buyer in sight.

Without MSS-M, they’d be limited to hardware-in-the-loop simulations in a laboratory environment. With it, they can do the same work in the field, running simulations and checking performance by the same live systems that will be used in firing tests. They will be very busy as the first MEADS target intercept test, scheduled for later in 2012, approaches.

[TT-1 Pinto]

Favorevole alla cancellazione del programma ....

 

Why We Should Cut Tri-Nation Anti-Missile Program, MEADS ....

Fonte .... http://defense.aol.com/2012/08/03/why-we-should-cut-tri-nation-anti-missile-program-meads/

 

 

Se quanto riportato nell'articolo corrisponde a verità ....

 

As for litigation and international relations, another Citizens Against Government Waste report demonstrates that Germany has already agreed to terminate MEADS, and Italy could follow suit soon.

Both countries have already said they don't intend to ever use the MEADS system, and yet maintain close cooperation with the U.S. on other projects.

The common sense test-applied by infantrymen everywhere-affirms that the end of this project would not undermine our alliance with either country.

.... e nonstante le recenti proteste .... http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/14/us-lockheed-missile-idUSBRE85D02N20120614 .... ho paura che ne usciremo "becchi e bastonati" ....

[Andrea75]

... non tutto è perduto MEDAS Friend Or Foe identification system certification testing

 

The tri-national Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) has successfully completed certification testing for its advanced Mode 5 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system at Pratica di Mare Air Force Base in Italy.

All friend or foe identification scenarios were fully tested in collaboration with the U.S. Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System Identification Friend or Foe Mark XII/XIIA System (AIMS) Program Office. The MEADS IFF system completed 160 tests during certification testing. Additional tests were also conducted with the Italian National Security Agency after the IFF was integrated onto a MEADS Multifunction Fire Control Radar

...

The IFF system is incorporated into both MEADS 360-degree radar configurations and uses a cryptographic computer developed by Italy’s SELEX Sistemi Integrati. MEADS became the first non-U.S. cryptographic system cleared for U.S. use.

“The MEADS system offers coverage and flexibility that other systems cannot provide, including complete 360-degree defense that protects military sites and civilians against next-generation threats,” said NATO MEADS Management Agency (NAMEADSMA) General Manager Gregory Kee. “Its advanced solid-state architecture is more reliable than fielded systems, yet with the same number of batteries MEADS can provide eight times the coverage. Reductions in personnel and maintenance can save billions of dollars in operating costs.”

[Andrea75]

Segnalo Cost Numbers Favor MEADS, Not Patriot e Antiquated Army Air Defenses Would Hobble Joint Force In The Pacific sul risparmio dei costi

 

While Koehler suggests airlift for MEADS should be a concern, it holds significant advantages over Patriot. MEADS cuts airlift to the bone. With a third of the C-17 flights, MEADS can deliver four times the coverage of Patriot anywhere in the world. Additionally, by investing in partner capability through MEADS, NATO allies Germany and Italy will also have their own networked MEADS capabilities forward-placed in Europe, further reducing airlift demands.

 

e questo documento Making Sense of Ballistic Missile Defense: An Assessment of Concepts and Systems for U.S. Boost-Phase Missile Defense in Comparison to Other Alternatives

 

vi è indicato il costo di mantenimento del "sistema Patriot" liberamente riassunto:

 

At an average annual O&S cost between $735.1 million and $808.6 million for each Patriot battalion, Patriot requires over $12 billion dollars annually to operate and maintain the system. Requested upgrades average an additional $500 million per year, so the U.S. will continue to spend close to $13 billion each year by keeping Patriot in service.

... Nearly 70 percent of the total cost of these weapon systems is for operations and maintenance ...

 

... e qui un riepilogo del programma MEADS (Medium Extended Air Defence System)

[Andrea75]

Italy Plans To Use Aster Against Ballistic Missiles

 

The Italian Army — as it readies its new Aster missile-based air defense capability — says it is looking to give the system a role in knocking out tactical ballistic missiles as well as aircraft.

Known as the Surface-to-Air Missile Platform/Terrain (SAMP/T), the MBDA-built system should reach initial operating capability with the Italian Army’s 4th Air Defense Regiment by the end of this year and full operating capability by the end of 2013.

The system was developed to bring down aircraft and cruise missiles. But following the example of the French Air Force, which also operates it, Italian Army commanders will take part in tests in France in March to show their system also has anti-ballistic missile credentials.

“It is an extra capability to have, and one that features in NATO’s new strategy,” said Col. Carlo Zantilli, the regiment’s commander.

The French Air Force already tested SAMP/T in the anti-ballistic missile role in 2010 and 2011 at the Biscarossa range in France using the Black Sparrow decoy target.

“It is the only capability of this kind that Italy has, and we would like to be involved in NATO’s ballistic missile defense program, as do the French,” Zantilli said.Tests have shown the vertically launched Aster 30 missiles fired by the system SAMP/T, which replaces Italy’s Hawk system, are capable of stopping short- to medium-range ballistic missiles with a range up to 1,300 kilometers, the Army said.

 

... e Aster 30 SAMP/T – Surface-to-Air Missile Platform / Terrain

[TT-1 Pinto]

Campane a morto per il MEADS ?

 

Funding Concerns Mean It’s Time to End MEADS ....

 

MEADS has cost $2 billion and is 10 years behind schedule.

It has no place in President Barack Obama’s European Phased Adaptive Approach, whose four phases extend missile defense deployments beyond 2020 ....

Fonte .... http://www.defensenews.com/article/20121025/DEFFEAT05/310250011

[Andrea75]

MEADS Flight Test #1 – First Target Intercept

 

The Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) detected, tracked, intercepted and destroyed an air-breathing target in its first-ever intercept flight test today at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. The test achieved all criteria for success.

MEADS is a next-generation, ground-mobile air and missile defense system that incorporates 360-degree radars, netted and distributed battle management, easily transportable launchers and the hit-to-kill PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) Missile. The system combines superior battlefield protection with new flexibility to protect forces and critical assets against tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and aircraft.

The MEADS test configuration included a networked MEADS battle manager, lightweight launcher firing a PAC-3 MSE Certified Missile Round, and a 360-degree MEADS Multifunction Fire Control Radar (MFCR), which tracked the MQM-107 target and guided the missile to a successful intercept.

“Today’s successful flight test further demonstrates MEADS’ ability to identify, track, engage and defeat targets attacking from any direction using a single mobile launcher,” said NATO MEADS Management Agency General Manager Gregory Kee. “MEADS is proving its capability to defend our warfighters and key assets against a growing 21st century threat.”

 

[Andrea75]

New Air Defense System Demonstrates Agility In Test

 

The Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) that the U.S. Army has been developing in concert with two allies demonstrated last week why backers believe it is superior to the service's existing Patriot system. In a proof-of-concept test at the White Sands Missile Range, a MEADS missile was deliberately launched in the wrong direction to intercept an incoming target, and then executed a fast turn to successfully engage and destroy the target. The unusual test proved the capacity of the new system to provide 360-degree protection of ground forces, even when enemies attack from an unexpected direction.

 

This is an important advance, because the world of well-defined front lines and secure rear areas for which Patriot was developed four decades ago no longer exists. U.S. soldiers now are trained to fight in fluid combat conditions where the location of friendly and hostile forces may change radically from day to day. Thus, air defense systems designed to be pointed in the direction of enemy territory have become outmoded, and the military must be prepared to counter overhead threats no matter where they originate. Iran's development of cruise missiles that can maneuver to attack U.S. forces from behind is illustrative of the challenge.

 

The Army's decision to kill MEADS last year seemed extraordinarily ill-timed, since it unfolded just as the joint force was beginning to transition from a decade-long focus on counter-insurgency warfare to dealing with more traditional state-based threats (like China). Insurgents don't have air forces and countries do, so air defense is likely to be more important in the future -- especially given the proliferation of various unmanned aircraft and other overhead threats. Walking away from a next-generation air defense system that two allies were providing much of the development funding for made little sense, a fact that should be even more obvious now that the new technology is proving itself.

 

At the very least, the Army should complete its funding commitments to Germany and Italy while trying to get some benefit from the advanced technology it has spent so much money to acquire. The day is rapidly approaching when that technology will be needed to deal with emerging airborne and ballistic threats. And while we're at it, can we please get a rigorous comparison of the logistical costs associated with operating Patriot versus MEADS? The newer system was supposed to save money over time by being much lighter than Patriot and thus easier to deploy, but like every other facet of the Army's decision process in this mission area, the facts are hard to find.

[Andrea75]

http://www.lexingtoninstitute.org/congress-should-provide-funding-for-another-year-of-meads-development-?a=1&c=1171

 

Congress Should Provide Funding For Another Year Of MEADS Development

 

 

Over the past couple of decades, the U.S. Army has spent tens of billions of dollars in R&D on programs that never made it through development. Two examples of these are the Future Combat System and the Comanche armed scout helicopter. The Army struggled to harvest the advanced technologies begun by these defunct programs and apply them to upgrades to existing platforms or yet another new start.

Congress has an opportunity to prevent the Army from seeing all the technologies developed under yet another cancelled R&D program, the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS), go to waste. MEADS was a tri-national effort (Germany and Italy providing almost half the funding) intended to develop a replacement for the venerable Patriot air and missile defense system widely deployed by the U.S. and a host of friends and allies. MEADS would provide a highly mobile, 360-degree capability to detect, track and destroy air-breathing targets, both airplanes and cruise missiles. After providing more than $3 billion in funding, the Army decided to halt the program and focus strictly on upgrades to the Patriot. The fiscal year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) signed just last month by President Obama includes a ban on future MEADS work. In addition to a significant loss of potential defense capabilities the MEADS funding cutoff also damages relations with two of this country’s closest allies.

The MEADS development team, led by Lockheed Martin, had one more year of development work to prove MEADS would work. In fact, the plan for fiscal 2013 was to conduct a test intercept of a tactical ballistic missile. If successful, such a test would demonstrate that MEADS could serve as both an air and missile defense system. Such a blended capability is increasingly important in an international security environment marked by the proliferation of rockets, ballistic and cruise missiles, drones and advanced ground attack aircraft.

Congressional appropriators can fix the mistake made by the Army and the NDAA. For some $400 million, MEADS can finish out the current development plan and conduct the live fire test against a theater ballistic missile. Even in today’s constrained budget environment this is a small amount of money. By finishing out the test program the Army will be in a better position to harvest the promising technologies developed by MEADS to enhance the Patriot or even begin yet a new air and missile defense system.

 

[TT-1 Pinto]

MEADS .... ancora finanziamenti per il 2013 ....

 

Hagel Approves Meads Funding ....

 

After a tough fight to block funding for a multinational missile defense system on Capitol Hill, the U.S. will continue funding the Lockheed Martin-led program in fiscal 2013.

In April 8 letters to the German and Italian defense ministers, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said that the Pentagon would fulfill the U.S. commitment to develop the Medium Extended Air Defense System (Meads) through fiscal 2013. Congress approved $380 million for the program, but that amount is subject to a 10% reduction due to sequestration, Hagel says.

 

 

 

Fonte .... http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/asd_04_10_2013_p01-02-567075.xml

 

 

[TT-1 Pinto]

Partners cercansi .... per la difesa di Roma ....

 

Italy Looks To Poland As Meads Production Partner ....

By Amy Butler, Graham Warwick

Source: Aerospace Daily & Defense Report (AW&ST)

May 15, 2013

 

ROME — Italy’s top military brass is hopeful that Poland, and possibly Japan, will step in to fill the vacuum left by the U.S. after it abandoned plans to produce a next-generation air and missile defense system with Rome and Berlin.

The U.S. plans to continue funding the Medium Extended Air Defense System (Meads) through fiscal 2013, but its support will end with the completion of development of the ambitious project in fiscal 2014. Washington has contributed 58% of the funding, with Germany providing 25% and the remaining 17% coming from Italy.

The U.S. supported the completion of development, but was unable to move into production as the economic downturn pinched defense spending. The U.S. Army ultimately chose upgrading its legacy Patriot system over buying Meads.

This has left Berlin and Rome without a partner for producing the system. Lt. Gen. Claudio Debertolis, secretary general of defense and national armaments director for Italy, told Aviation Week May 8 that Poland is “very interested” in joining the Meads partnership.

“Two international customers are interested, and have started discussions with us about getting involved in development and production,” says Rick Edwards, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control, which is leading development of Meads. “They are interested in the 360-degree performance of Meads and industrial participation, and the ‘noble’ work share that would result from getting involved at the front end,” he says, indicating that one of the nations is Poland.

Though Italy’s political leadership has implemented austerity plans and cut defense spending, Debertolis says he wants to buy at least one Meads battery for the defense of Rome. Poland, he says, is also interested in purchasing the entire system.

Because Italy cannot afford a layered missile defense system like Washington, its armed forces see Meads as the solution it can afford with the most capability, said Brig. Gen. Alberto Rosso, logistics branch chief for the Italian air force, also interviewed by Aviation Week. The military here cannot afford to invest in both Meads and an upper-tier system such as the U.S. Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system or Israel’s Arrow.

If the Meads team cannot find a new partner, defense officials here hope to at least use some of the hardware produced during the development phase for a “minimum engagement capability.”

Through Meads, the Lockheed-led team has developed “plug-and-play” systems including a 360-deg. radar, new launcher, upgraded PAC-3 missile interceptor and command-and-control element. Meads was designed to interoperate with legacy missile defense systems such as the Patriot and be quickly deployable.

Late this year, Meads is slated to counter its first theater ballistic missile target, its most taxing test to date, in a development graduation exercise. The system last year successfully destroyed an MQM-107 air-breathing target after the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptor performed a 180-deg. maneuver for a so-called over-the-shoulder kill.

“We will do another full-up system demonstration this fall,” Edwards says. This will complete the so-called “proof of concept” phase. “We could go into low-rate initial production pretty quickly, depending on the customer,” he says, noting the remaining work involves formal qualification of all system elements except the PAC-3 MSE, which is already qualified and entering production.

Debertolis and Rosso did not say when Poland or Japan may sign up. However, it is likely that a successful test at year’s end will generate more support for the program.

 

Link .... http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/asd_05_15_2013_p01-01-578951.xml

 

[madmike]

Ma posto che si sta implementando il SAAM, e che gia da tempo si sa che ci potrebbe essere integrazione fra il radar Meads e il Saam stesso, vogliamo ancora costruire il sistema per buttare via altri soldi???

[TT-1 Pinto]

Lockheed vede .... doppio ....

 

Lockheed Proposes 'Dual-Launch' For Final Meads Test ....

 

The Lockheed Martin-led consortium developing the Medium Extended Air Defense System (Meads) is requesting approval from Italy, Germany and the United States—the program’s three partners—to expand the scope of the second and final flight test for the system.

Originally, this trial was slated to pit Meads only against a theater ballistic missile (TBM) threat. Meads intercepted an air-breathing target during its first flight test late last year.

 

Fonte .... http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/awx_06_18_2013_p0-589317.xml

 

Anche qui .... http://www.aviationweek.com/Blogs.aspx?plckBlogId=Blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7&plckPostId=Blog%3a27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post%3aa9a92e6c-db0c-4b2f-9819-7d21bb19b10b

Modificato 19 Giugno 2013 da TT-1 Pinto

[TT-1 Pinto]

"Smettiamo di sperperare preziosi dollari del bilancio nel programma MEADS" .... così afferma Dean G. Popps, già dirigente del settore acquisizione dell'Esercito USA ....

 

Commentary: Stop Throwing Precious Budget Dollars Away on MEADS ....

 

For complex international reasons, some involving the NATO fight in Afghanistan and the need to bolster Europe’s economy, the program lives on in a perpetual state of design and development, with no real buyers in sight.
To some it gives the appearance of a high-tech jobs program for foreign partner nations rather than a system that will be fielded in earnest.

 

Fonte .... http://www.defensenews.com/article/20130903/DEFREG02/309030018/Commentary-Stop-Throwing-Precious-Budget-Dollars-Away-MEADS?odyssey=nav%7Chead

[Scagnetti]

Intanto successo per il MEADS nell’acquisizione e tracciamenteo di un missile balistico tattico reale, prima della prova finale che coinvolgerà due target e della possibile ristrutturazione del programma: MEADS Multifunction Fire Control Radar Tracks Tactical Ballistic Missile for First Time

 

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 21, 2013 – In preparation for an upcoming dual-intercept test later this year, a Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) Multifunction Fire Control Radar (MFCR) successfully acquired and tracked a Lance tactical ballistic missile (TBM) at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. This was the first attempt by a MEADS radar to track a live TBM.

The X-band MFCR detected the Lance TBM soon after launch and maintained Dedicated Track Mode until shortly before ground impact. This test characterized MFCR performance against a TBM-class target, and demonstrated the radar’s 360-degree rotating mode capability.

 

Modificato 22 Ottobre 2013 da Scagnetti

[TT-1 Pinto]

MEADS fa centro .... per ben due volte ....

 

Meads Scores Against Ballistic, Cruise Missiles In Major Test ....

The tri-national Medium-Extended Air Defense System (Meads) achieved two successful intercepts in its second and last planned flight test Nov. 6, as prime contractor Lockheed Martin readies itself to proceed with a production program despite a lack of U.S. support going forward.

Meads successfully acquired, tracked and destroyed two targets — one air-breathing and another ballistic missile — fulfilling two of the test objectives, says Marty Coyne, Lockheed Martin’s lead business development official for Meads.

 

Fonte .... http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/awx_11_06_2013_p0-634381.xml

 

Lockheed Martin .... "Unprecedented Dual Intercept Success for MEADS at White Sands Missile Range" .... http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/press-releases/2013/november/mfc-110613-Unprecedented-Dual-Intercept-Success-For-MEADS.html

Modificato 6 Novembre 2013 da TT-1 Pinto

[holmes7]

Bloccato il Meads

 

 

http://defensetech.org/2013/12/27/u-s-blocks-funding-for-lockheed-meads-program/