ESSM completes OPEVAL with "flying colors"

Sea Power, May 2003

The Raytheon-built RIM-162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM) has completed the Navy's operational evaluation and awaits final assessment by the commander of the Navy's Operational Test and Evaluation Force.

"Preliminary data indicates it will be a positive assessment," said Capt. Ken Graber, the Navy's ESSM program manager, at the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space Exposition in Washington, D.C.

The ESSM passed the evaluation "with flying colors," said Neil King, domestic launcher programs manager for Lockheed Martin, which builds the Mk41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) that will serve as the ESSM launcher in many U.S. Navy and foreign ships.

In March, the ESSM passed the Navy's technical evaluation, conducted in the form of two test firings from the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer (DDG) USS Shoup.

The RIM-162 ESSM-a kinematic upgrade to the RIM-7P NATO Sea-Sparrow-is designed to defend against faster, lower-flying, highly maneuverable antiship cruise missiles.

The ESSM-scheduled for initial operational capability in 2006-is being developed by a consortium of 10 nations, seven of which also are participating in the development of a system that can launch the ESSM from a quadpack inserted in a Mk41 VLS. The international nature of the ESSM program is expected to reduce the cost of the program by 50 percent.

Because the ESSM is manufactured on the same Raytheon production line as the Standard surface-to-air missile, economies of scale can be achieved more easily by interspersing production of the two missiles according to the requirements of the customers.

The Baseline IV and later configurations of the Mk41 VLS will be capable of launching the ESSM from DDG 79 and subsequent Arleigh Burke-class DDGs. The ESSM Mk41 launching system also will be retrofitted in Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers CG 52 though CG 73 as part of the Cruiser Conversion Program.