Carlos F. Valdes’ Post

AIM-9 Sidewinder Sidewinder is an IR-guided short-range, supersonic air-to-air missile. It was developed by the Navy for fleet air defense and adapted for USAF fighters. Early versions were used extensively in the Vietnam War. The AIM-9M is a joint Navy-USAF, all-altitude, all-aspect intercept missile. It has improved defense against IR countermeasures, background discrimination, and reduced-smoke rocket motor. AIM-9X is the newest jointly funded variant. It employs passive IR tracking, jet-vane steering for increased maneuverability, and Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) compatibility for high, off-boresight targeting. #PhoenixDelivers #aim9 #Sidewinder

Lockheed Martin takes next step in homeland missile defense interceptor acquisition process In November 2023, Lockheed Martin successfully ompleted a Missile Defense Agency (MDA) acquisition milestone for the nation's modernized long range ballistic missile interceptor. The company completed the first Knowledge Point – known as KP1 – ahead of schedule, taking a major contractual step forward that allows its Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) program to continue development towards the Critical Design Review (CDR). During KP1, the MDA evaluated Lockheed Martin's development progress to date. This includes completing design review milestones and demonstrating significant maturation across critical technologies, manufacturing readiness, and utility of the company's NGI Software Factory. This KP1 achievement follows the program's All Up Round Preliminary Design Review, which Lockheed Martin executed on-schedule in September. #Military #Defence #Aviation #Aerospace #Technology #Space https://lnkd.in/ePekUBNQ

Retired Royal Navy Air Warfare Officer (AWO) Tom Sharpe OBE, delves into the make-up of the twelve #interceptor #missiles fired by two US Navy #ArleighBurkeClass guided missile destroyers to suppress the threat of #Iran's #Shahab3 ballistic missiles: "An Arleigh Burke destroyer has either 90 or 96 Mark 41 vertical launch cells, into which a variety of missiles can be put: various kinds of Standard Missile (SM-2s, SM-6s or SM-3s), Tomahawk cruise missiles, ASROC anti-submarine torpedo carriers and various other things. "The SM-3 is probably the interesting one here, however. Unlike all the others, it is a space weapon: it carries an Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV) rather than a normal warhead. An EKV is lobbed out of the atmosphere by the launching rocket, and then, if it has been sent to the right general area of space, it can acquire a ballistic missile warhead coming towards it using its onboard telescope system. It then uses its thrusters to get exactly in the way of the warhead so that the incoming enemy weapon crashes into it and is destroyed – by its own kinetic energy, as much as that of the EKV." #AegisCombatSystem #AirDefence #BallisticMissiles #CruiseMissiles #DDGs #Defence #EasternMediterranean #IRGC #IsraelIranConflict #KineticEnergy #MiddleEast #Military #MRBM #SM3 #Space #USNavy #USSixthFleet

Lockheed Martin takes next step in homeland missile defense interceptor acquisition process In November 2023, Lockheed Martin successfully ompleted a Missile Defense Agency (MDA) acquisition milestone for the nation's modernized long range ballistic missile interceptor. The company completed the first Knowledge Point – known as KP1 – ahead of schedule, taking a major contractual step forward that allows its Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) program to continue development towards the Critical Design Review (CDR). During KP1, the MDA evaluated Lockheed Martin's development progress to date. This includes completing design review milestones and demonstrating significant maturation across critical technologies, manufacturing readiness, and utility of the company's NGI Software Factory. This KP1 achievement follows the program's All Up Round Preliminary Design Review, which Lockheed Martin executed on-schedule in September. #Military #Defence #Aviation #Aerospace #Technology #Space https://lnkd.in/ePekUBNQ

L3Harris Technologies’ subsidiary Aerojet Rocketdyne has successfully tested the Zeus 2 solid rocket motor. The hot-fire test took place at the company’s Camden, Arkansas site. The Zeus 2 solid rocket motor has been jointly developed by Aerojet Rocketdyne and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions. The success of this test forms another critical milestone in developing the high-performance rocket motor. Zeus 2 is intended to support hypersonic, ballistic missile defense, suborbital, and other testing for its clients, including the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). L3Harris explains that the latest test follows a similar one in 2023 for the Zeus 2’s smaller sister, the Zeus-1. That particular static-fire test saw the motor not only meet but exceed performance expectations. Nearly twice the length of its predecessor, the larger Zeus 2 also exceeded expectations for its designers. “The Zeus program is a great example of industry taking the initiative to modernize and simultaneously lower the cost of systems critical to U.S. national security,” said Ross Niebergall, President of Aerojet Rocketdyne. “We look forward to delivering these advanced large solid rocket motors and our continued partnership with Kratos to serve the needs of our defense customers.” As it stands, Aerojet Rocketdyne has a contract with Kratos to produce and deliver nine Zeus motors. These rockets are currently earmarked for inclusion in hypersonic projects like Leidos’ Expendable Hypersonic Multi-Mission called “Mayhem.” Project “Mayhem” aims to develop a hypersonic air-breathing system with a larger payload capacity than the AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) for strike and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The new weapon will enhance the USAF’s capability to strike well-defended targets from a distance. #Zeus2 #Mayhem #ARRW

𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐱𝐡𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐑𝐲𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 (𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭) 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐱𝐡𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧, 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐲𝐥𝐞 (𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭) 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐒𝐌-𝟔𝟐 𝐒𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤. Named for Lewis Carroll's character, the "snark" in the 1876 poem, 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐻𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑘, the Northrup SM-62 is an early-model intercontinental range ground-launched cruise missile that could carry a W39 thermonuclear warhead. The Snark was deployed by the United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command from 1958 through 1961. It represented an important step in weapons technology during the Cold War. The Snark was the only surface-to-surface cruise missile with such a long range that was ever deployed by the U.S. Air Force. The Snark was rendered obsolete, and was removed from deployment in 1961. #nuclearmuseum #coldwar #snark

👀 Northrop Grumman is pitching its famed ATHENA missile warning sensor as the US Army’s Improved Threat Detection System. Short for Advanced Tactical Hostile Engagement Awareness, ATHENA was designed to elevate aircraft protection and survivability by enabling 360-degree situational awareness. It is capable of quickly and accurately geolocating incoming electro-optical/infrared threats, such as guided missiles and rockets. “ATHENA can see where pilots can’t, even looking through an aircraft floor,” Northrop survivability programs director Dennis Neel explained. “The longer range and resolution of ATHENA will give warfighters an additional margin of safety in contested airspace.” #military #army #defense #defence #defenseindustry #defenceindustry #defensetech #defencetech #militarytech #technology #northropgrumman #usarmy #sensor #sensors

Lockheed Martin was awarded a huge contract to manufacture additional #HIMARS systems. The United States Department of Defense announced that it was allocating $1.92 billion to the company that manufactures these systems. The new funding is provided under the existing contract #W31P4Q-24-D-0019. All M142 HIMARS rocket systems within this contract are to be delivered by May 2028. Nevertheless, the terms of the agreement may be supplemented by new orders. The HIMARS rocket system can launch various types of missiles and shells, providing the armed forces with a versatile and effective long-range attack capability. The system can be quickly deployed and moved, making it suitable for use in a variety of combat scenarios. The MLRS is capable of launching rockets and missiles, including the GMLRS and the ATACMS, which are used to engage various types of targets, from armored vehicles to fortified positions. The system is also capable of launching #GLSDBs – glide bombs crossed with a solid rocket booster/engine. The contract will ensure the continued production and delivery of these advanced systems, which are critical to enhancing the operational capabilities of the U.S. military and its allies, including #Ukraine. For several years now, Ukraine has been effectively using #American rocket systems on the battlefield, hitting Russian targets with #GMLRS and #ATACMS missiles. Previously, a HIMARS maintenance center was launched in the city of Bacău in Romania. This is the first such facility in Europe designed to service the American-made #M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. https://lnkd.in/eKqdTgBE

With the Pentagon’s plans to field hypersonic weapons across multiple domains in the coming years, the head of the Missile Defense Agency is pushing for additional infrastructure to ramp up testing of the high-speed systems. “We need to get into a faster clip of doing these tests, especially in the new stuff, to be able to really wring out the technology, but also to start beefing up the inventory levels [and] the capacity levels because, frankly, the hypersonics are too costly,” MDA Director Lt. Gen. Heath Collins said Thursday during an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Development of hypersonic missiles and tools to defeat them, is a top modernization priority in the Defense Department, especially as adversaries like China and Russia mature their own versions of the technology. The weapons are able to reach speeds greater than Mach 5 and are highly maneuverable in-flight, making them difficult for traditional air defense systems to intercept them. #hypersonic #researchanddevelopment

𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐱𝐡𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐑𝐲𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 (𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭) 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐱𝐡𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧, 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐲𝐥𝐞 (𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭) 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐒𝐌-𝟔𝟐 𝐒𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤. Named for Lewis Carroll's character, the "snark" in the 1876 poem, 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐻𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑘, the Northrup SM-62 is an early-model intercontinental range ground-launched cruise missile that could carry a W39 thermonuclear warhead. The Snark was deployed by the United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command from 1958 through 1961. It represented an important step in weapons technology during the Cold War. The Snark was the only surface-to-surface cruise missile with such a long range that was ever deployed by the U.S. Air Force. The Snark was rendered obsolete, and was removed from deployment in 1961. #nuclearmuseum #coldwar #snark