[Editor’s note]
The US military believes that Russia and other big countries have begun to deploy hypersonic missiles, which poses a great challenge to the US military’s existing missile defense system. In order to continue to maintain its dominant position, on the one hand, the US military actively develops hypersonic weapons to achieve reciprocal deterrence; On the other hand, we should speed up the research and development of anti-hypersonic weapons and strengthen the ability of active missile defense systems to intercept hypersonic weapons in order to cope with possible high-end wars in the Asia-Pacific region.
Since Trump took office, he has shifted his national strategy from anti-terrorism to competition among big countries. In the "Missile Defense Assessment" report released in January 2019, the US Department of Defense listed hypersonic threats as the focus of missile defense. Hypersonic defense is gradually attached great importance to by the US military. Both the US Missile Defense Agency and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) actively promote the demonstration and verification of hypersonic defense technology and project research and development.
A series of recent trends show that the US military will first develop the sea-based anti-hypersonic capability, and plan to equip it on the Aegis ship and launch it by the existing MK41, which is mainly used for the so-called hypersonic regional defense in the Indo-Pacific region. Based on the project of "Hypersonic Defense Zone Gliding Section Weapon System", the sea-based anti-hypersonic missile is planned to adopt the "Standard" -6 1B missile, and the interception test of hypersonic gliding section will be carried out in FY 2023.
The US Navy’s "arleigh burke" class destroyer launched the "Standard" -6 missile, which can intercept hypersonic weapons in the future.
Multi-dimensional promotion of anti-super ability development
The missile defense agency is mainly responsible for the high-level defense of the United States, which is mainly responsible for the top-level planning and design of the hypersonic defense system, the research and development of weapon systems, the research and development of key technologies, and the construction of systems engineering. The Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States and the United States Air Force participated in the demand demonstration stage; DARPA also conducts research and development of advanced defense component technology. In the summer of 2019, the US Department of Defense formulated a road map for hypersonic defense architecture, but the contents of the road map were not made public. Mike White, deputy director of the US Department of Defense’s Hypersonic Project, said in an interview that the US hypersonic defense adopts a comprehensive and layered defense strategy, which will comprehensively use pre-launch strikes and active and passive defense means such as kinetic energy and non-kinetic energy to defend against competitors’ hypersonic weapons in the active phase, re-entry gliding phase and final phase.
The construction of American hypersonic defense system will be mainly based on the existing ballistic missile defense system, and finally form an integrated defense capability against hypersonic threats and ballistic missile threats through improvement and new research. At present, the Missile Defense Bureau is promoting the development of hypersonic defense capability from multiple dimensions such as architecture, early warning and detection, command and control, and interceptor.
In addition to improving the existing system, the US military has developed four hypersonic defense projects: Hypersonic and Trajectory Tracking Sensor System (HBTSS), Hypersonic Defense Weapon System (HDWS), Hypersonic Defense Zone Glide Weapon System (RPGWS) and Glide Breaker.
Early warning detection is the basis of hypersonic defense. In order to reduce the cost, the United States is seeking to install sensors for detecting hypersonic on low-orbit commercial satellites.
(1) Hypersonic and ballistic tracking sensor systems
Early warning detection is the basis of hypersonic defense. The system of Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor, formerly known as Missile Defense Tracking System (MDTS) and Space Sensor Layer (SSL), consists of about 200 50-500 kg sensor loads deployed on low-orbit commercial satellites, aiming at eliminating gaps in sensor networks and continuously tracking complex ballistic missiles and hypersonic weapons from launch to interception. Missile Defense Agency is responsible for sensor load research and development, Space Development Agency is responsible for architecture design, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is responsible for load platform design and constellation management, and Air Force Space and Missile System Center is responsible for mission requirements design. In October 2019, the Missile Defense Agency awarded Northrop Grumman, Leidos, L3 and Raytheon the second phase of the project, which was used to complete the design of the load prototype, signal chain processing and software algorithm research. According to the National Defense Authorization Act of FY 2020, the "Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor" system should be tested in orbit on December 31, 2021, and reach its initial operation capability after 2023.
Hypersonic and trajectory tracking space sensor system belongs to the "tracking layer" of the next generation space architecture (consisting of seven constellations) proposed by the Space Development Agency (SDA). In order to avoid redundant construction and make better use of commercial space technology to accelerate the formation of capabilities, in the budget for fiscal year 2021, the US Congress has transferred the system dominance from the Missile Defense Agency to the Space Development Agency.
(2) Hypersonic defense weapon system
In September 2018, the Missile Defense Agency announced the "Hypersonic Defense Weapon System" project, awarded 21 program research and development contracts to 8 units, and began research and development in the concept definition stage; In September 2019, five schemes were selected from 21 schemes and awarded contracts to carry out R&D in the concept improvement stage.
The five research programs awarded mainly include:
Lockheed Martin’s "Javelin-Hypersonic Defense Weapon System" (DART) scheme, based on the improvement of "Sade" interceptor, is mainly used for long-range interception, intercepting in the middle of hypersonic warhead gliding, and forming a layered interception capability with "Valkyrie-Hypersonic Defense Terminal Interceptor";
Lockheed Martin’s "Javelin-Hypersonic Defense Weapon System" scheme, based on the improvement of Patriot -3 MSE missile, is mainly used for short-range interception, intercepting the hypersonic warhead in the later and last stages of gliding, and forming a layered interception capability with "Valkyria-Hypersonic Defense Terminal Interceptor";
Boeing’s "Hypervelocity Interceptor for Hypersonic Weapons" (HYVINT) scheme;
Raytheon’s SM -3 Hawk scheme is based on the improvement of the SM -3 missile.
Raytheon’s "non-dynamic hypersonic defense concept" scheme is a non-dynamic scheme based on high-power microwave weapons.
Russia has equipped a variety of hypersonic missiles in recent years, ahead of the United States. The picture shows the dagger hypersonic missile.
(3) Weapon system of gliding section in hypersonic defense area
On December 5, 2019, the US Missile Defense Agency issued a request for information on the prototype design of the "hypersonic regional defense gliding section weapon system", seeking to quickly design, develop and demonstrate the prototype of the hypersonic regional defense weapon system. On December 18th, the Missile Defense Agency held the Industrial Day of this project to discuss the technical approach of hypersonic defense and further disclose the details of the project requirements to the industrial sector.
"Hypersonic defense zone gliding phase weapon system" emphasizes "gliding phase" and "zone defense", indicating that the defense object of this system is not a hypersonic gliding warhead carried on an intercontinental ballistic missile like Russian Pioneer, but a hypersonic gliding warhead carried by a medium-range ballistic missile.
(4) Gliding saboteurs
DARPA presented the concept map of "Gliding Destroyer" for the first time at the 60th anniversary seminar held from September 5 to 7, 2018. On November 6, 2018, DARPA released a wide-ranging institutional announcement of the "Gliding Destroyer" project, aiming at developing and demonstrating the technology of hypersonic defense weapon components. In February, 2020, DARPA awarded Aerojet-Rockdyne a "gliding destroyer" propulsion technology research and development contract worth 19.6 million.
This month, the United States conducted a hypersonic missile launch test
The US Navy tested anti-superb capability in 2023.
On February 10th, 2020, at the budget conference of FY 2021 held by the US Department of Defense, a reporter asked Jon Hill, director of the US Missile Defense Agency, about the progress of the project "Hypersonic Defense Weapon System", focusing on the research and development progress of five programs such as "Javelin-Hypersonic Defense Weapon System" and "Valkyria-Hypersonic Defense Terminal Interceptor". Jon Hill said, At present, there are only two hypersonic defense projects of the US Missile Defense Agency, namely "Hypersonic Defense Area Gliding Phase Weapon System" and "Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Sensor System". The projects mentioned by the reporter are only the preliminary verification projects of the project. Whether it is true or not is intriguing.
On March 4th, 2020, Jon Hill, director of the Missile Defense Bureau, said at the annual national defense planning conference in mcaleese that the "hypersonic defense zone gliding phase weapon system" will be first equipped on the "arleigh burke" class destroyer, launched by the MK41 vertical launch system, and then equipped in the air or other platforms. On March 11, 2020, US Deputy Secretary of Defense Michael Griffin revealed for the first time in his testimony in the House of Representatives that the US Navy and the Missile Defense Agency plan to test the ability of the Standard -6 missile to intercept hypersonic targets in fiscal year 2023; On March 13th, Jon Hill, director of the Missile Defense Agency, confirmed this statement again in his testimony in the House of Representatives.
The range of the standard "-6 1B missile has been greatly increased by replacing it with a booster with a larger diameter, reaching 560~800 kilometers.
The "Standard" -6 missile is a new generation of multi-functional missile developed by Raytheon Company. It was developed in September 2004, the initial design review was completed in June 2005, the first test was successful in June 2008, and mass production began in 2013. The "Standard" -6 missile adopts the "Standard" -2 Block 4 missile body, MK104 dual-thrust solid rocket engine and MK41 booster, and the seeker adopts the active radar seeker of AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missile, with a range of 370 kilometers and a shooting height of 34 kilometers. Compared with the "Standard" -2 missile, the "Standard" -6 missile focuses on strengthening the interception capability of low-altitude and ultra-low-altitude cruise missiles, and has anti-ship and limited terminal anti-missile capabilities.
The US Navy first joined the "Standard" -6 1B missile project in the budget of fiscal year 2020, which belongs to the 2063 sub-project of "Standard Missile Improvement" (project number 0604366N), with the expenditure of $116.7 million in fiscal year 2020, and it is planned to invest about $380 million in the next five years. Compared with the Standard -6 1A missile, the Standard -6 1B missile continues to use the original seeker and warhead, but the original 343mm MK104 engine is upgraded to the 533mm engine used in the Standard -3 2A missile. It is expected that the range will be increased to 560-800km and the flying speed will reach the hypersonic level.
The "Standard" -6 1B missile is planned to undergo CDR in FY 2020, LRIP in FY 2021, and reach initial operational capability (IOC) in FY 2023. In the fiscal year 2021 budget, the U.S. Navy substantially increased the R&D funds for the "Standard" -6 1B missile, which was 232 million U.S. dollars in fiscal year 2021 and increased to about 570 million U.S. dollars in the next five years, which proves that the U.S. military plans to develop the anti-superb capability of the "Standard" -6 1B missile.
Fiscal year 2023 is the key node of the US military’s sea-based anti-superb capability.
The Standard -6 1B missile uses the 21-inch engine of the Standard -3 2A missile, and its range and firing height are significantly improved. First, with the help of the Naval Integrated Fire Control-Air Defense (NIFC-CA), it will significantly enhance the over-the-horizon anti-ship capability of the Aegis ship and improve the safety depth of the fleet. Second, it will improve the anti-missile capability of the terminal part of the Aegis ship and make up for the defense gap between the Standard -3 missile and the Standard -6 1A missile; The third is to give the Aegis ship anti-hypersonic capability. The "Standard" -3 missile has a high shooting height and the "Standard" -6 1A missile has a limited shooting height and range, so it is basically difficult to intercept hypersonic missiles.
After the deployment of the Standard -6 1B missile, the Aegis system, together with Standard -3, Standard -6 1A, Standard -2, improved Sea Sparrow, Ram and Tomahawk, will form a multi-layer and integrated air defense, anti-missile, anti-superb and anti-ship capability.
tag
The U.S. military has formulated an ambitious road map of hypersonic defense architecture, but the focus of the U.S. military’s hypersonic defense is the booster gliding warhead mounted on the medium-range ballistic missile, which will be deployed on the Aegis ship in the Asia-Pacific region first.
The fiscal year 2023 is the key node of the US Army’s sea-based anti-hypersonic capability. At that time, the "Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Sensor System" will reach the initial operational capability, which can continuously track hypersonic weapons, and the "Standard" -6 1B missile will reach the initial operational capability, or can conduct anti-hypersonic tests. The "Standard" -6 missile will be the first missile with air defense/anti-superb, anti-missile and anti-ship capabilities.