by Kris Osborn, President, Warrior Maven
Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force warships will now operate with an increased ability to track and destroy enemy drones, helicopters, low-flying aircraft and even surface threats such as small boats or incoming enemy anti-ship missiles. .. due to the imminent arrival of Rolling AirFrame Missiles from the US.
The Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) has for years been an integral part of the US Navy’s layered ship defense systems, so it would make sense that Japan might want to acquire the weapon for its fleet of warships and “mini-carriers” under development. Japan will acquire the RAM missiles in a $360 million deal, an acquisition which comprises one part of a long-standing, large-scale US-Japan weapons development collaboration. Japan is not only an Aegis Combat System partner but also co-develops a number of critical weapons systems with the US to include the SM-3 Block IIA interceptor and the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile Block II.
RAM & SeaRAM Protect Warships
Japan operates its own version of the US Navy SeaRAM weapons system as well, an integrated suite of technologies which connect radar, fire control and a launcher to fire the RAM. The SeaRAM missile system can replace the CIWS (Close-in-Weapons System) area weapon with the Rolling Airframe Missile which fires from an 11-missile battery. The CIWS weapon, which has in recent years been upgraded by the Navy to incorporate surface as well as incoming air threats with the 1B variant, shoots out 4,500 rounds per minute with a phalanx gun firing mini-projectiles.
The idea with the US Navy’s SeaRAM is to supplement and build upon the defensive power of the CIWS, an area weapon which fires multiple projectiles from a Phalanx gun system to destroy approaching air and surface threats; SeaRAM increases the envelope of attacking threats a ship can defend against and hits targets at farther ranges than CIWS. Raytheon weapons developers explain that the SeaRAM massively expands the defensive envelope of the ship, enabling a longer-range Rolling Airframe Missile beyond the capacities of a CIWS gun to track and destroy multiple targets simultaneously.
“The SeaRAM CIWS is a complete combat weapon system that automatically detects, evaluates, tracks, engages, and performs kill assessment against ASM and high speed aircraft threats in an extended self-defense battle space envelope around the ship,” a US Navy essay on SeaRAM explains.
Rolling Airframe Missile
The RAM weapon is a versatile interceptor as it can fire from the US Navy’s SeaRAM or a Guided Missile Weapons System Mk 49 Launcher. The Mk 49 consists of a launcher and lightweight, fire-and-forget interceptor weapons. Japan also uses SeaRAM as a radar and launching system for RAM, and can also possibly use its own launcher and radar as well. Japanese Defense Forces Izumo-class destroyers and Mogami-class Frigates are armed with SeaRAM systems capable of firing RAM.
The RAM missile can bring new dimensions to defensive weapons systems on warships as it can reach longer ranges and a broader range of targets than a blanket of smaller projectiles fired from closer in by a Phalanx with CIWS.
SeaRAM and the RAM can destroy several approaching enemy attacks at one time, using an autonomous dual-mode passive radio frequency with infrared guidance, a Raytheon statement said. The defensive envelope for SeaRAM is significant, as it can destroy cruise missiles, enemy drones and other surface threats such as approaching vessels or small boats.
Interestingly, a Navy weapons developer once explained to me that the SeaRAM integrates the accuracy and precision of the Rolling Airframe Missile with the maneuverability of the CIWS’ Phalanx’s high-resolution search and track sensors systems designed for rapid response.
SeaRAM is a MK 15 CIWS variant which integrates two Fleet proven weapon systems: The Block 1B Phalanx CIWS and the Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) Guided Missile Weapon System. SeaRAM combines the Phalanx CIWS Block 1B search-and-track radar and Electro Optic sensor, along with its inherent threat evaluation and weapon designation capability, with a RAM 11-round launcher guide assembly on a single mount. The SeaRAM CIWS is a complete combat weapon system that automatically detects, evaluates, tracks, engages, and performs kill assessment against ASM and high speed aircraft threats in an extended self-defense battle space envelope around the ship. SeaRAM can also be integrated into ship combat control systems to provide additional sensor and fire-control support to other installed ship weapon systems.
