Mark 41 vertical launching system explained

Mk 41 vertical launching system
Origin:United States
Type:Missile launching system
Is Ranged:yes
Service:1986–present
Used By:United States Navy
Royal Navy
Wars:Cold War
Tanker War
Gulf War
Kosovo War
War on Terror
Red Sea crisis
Design Date:1970s
Manufacturer:Martin Marietta
Lockheed Martin
Variants:Mk 57
Mk 70 Mod 1

The Mark 41 vertical launching system (Mk 41 VLS) is a shipborne missile canister launching system which provides a rapid-fire launch capability against hostile threats.[1] The vertical launching system (VLS) concept was derived from work on the Aegis Combat System.[2]

History

Refinement of the initial concept of Aegis system in the 1960s continued through the 1960s and 1970s, and the Mk 41 was conceived in 1976.[2] Originally, the system was only intended to fire the RIM-66 Standard missile, but the height of the Mk 41 was increased to accommodate the larger Tomahawk missile.[2] The prototype for the launcher was tested and evaluated on board . The first operational launcher was installed aboard .[2]

Combat history

On 12 October 2016, was targeted by missiles fired from Yemeni territory while operating in the Bab-el-Mandeb strait.[3] Mason was not hit by the two missiles, which were fired from near the city of Al Hudaydah. While the Navy is not certain whether the first incoming missile was intercepted or it just fell into the sea, officials claim Mason successfully intercepted the second missile at a distance of about,[4] marking the first time in history a warship destroyed an inbound anti-ship missile with a SAM in actual self-defense and the first time the Mk41 VLS did so.

Specifications

Mark 41 (Mk 41)

The Mk 41 is capable of firing the following missiles:[5] [2] [6] [7]

Surface-to-air

Surface-to-surface

Anti-submarine

Electronic warfare

The missiles are pre-loaded into "canisters", which are then loaded into the individual "cells" of the launcher. The ESSM is loaded in a quad-pack with 4 missiles in one Mk 25 canister, older types of 8 cell modules are not able to use ESSM. Lockheed Martin has developed the Host Extensible Launching System (ExLS), an adapter for Mark 41 and Mark 57 vertical launching systems that was designed to allow for easier integration of new or existing weapon systems such as Nulka, RAM Block 2, CAMM and CAMM-ER, and the Joint Air to Ground Missile (JAGM) in a quad-packed configuration.[8] [9] [10] Some munitions under development such as CAMM-MR are planned to be dual-packed (likely with ExLS) with two missiles sharing a single canister enabling larger and longer range munitions to be carried in greater quantity.[11]

Launcher cells are fitted to ships in 8 cell modules (2 rows of 4) that share a common uptake hatch (exhaust system) sited between the two rows. The Mk 41 VLS adopts modular design concept, which result in different versions that vary in size and weight due to different "canisters" in various modules. The height (determining missile length) of the launcher comes in three sizes: 209inches for the self-defense version, 266inches for the tactical version, and 303inches for the strike version. The empty weight for an 8-cell module is 26800lbs for the self-defense version, 29800lbs for the tactical version, and 32000lbs for the strike version. Ticonderoga cruisers and Arleigh Burke destroyers up to DDG-78 have a Strikedown module fore and aft, which consists of five cells and a collapsible crane for assisting with replenishment at sea. As replenishment of large missiles at sea was later seen as impractical and dangerous, Strikedown modules fell out of use on newer ships.

Mark 56 (Mk 56) VLS and Mark 57 (Mk 57) PVLS

The Mk 56 VLS is an evolution of the tactical length Mk 41 VLS which is a smaller version of the strike length Mk 41 used on s.

The Mk 57 Peripheral Vertical Launch System (PVLS) used on the s is composed of much larger VLS cells capable of venting much larger volume and mass of exhaust gasses (mass flow rate), but is an evolution of the smaller unarmored Mk 56 VLS. The Mk 57 PVLS are designed to be installed on the ship periphery with armor on the inboard boundary, instead of in centralized magazines used in the Mk 41.

Developed by Raytheon, Mk 57 provides backward compatibility with existing missiles while allowing new missiles with significantly increased propulsion and payloads. While allowing for larger missiles than the Mk 41, the primary improvement of Mk 57 is its exhaust gas management system which can accommodate new missile designs having up to 45 percent greater rocket motor mass flow rate than that of Mk 41.[12] The unique symmetric geometry of the U-shaped gas management system facilitates the egress of gases, while minimizing flow into adjacent cells and reversed flow into the active cell. Another advantage is the elimination of the water deluge system, which is used to cool the missile canister in the event that the missile restraint bolts do not release after rocket motor ignition. Elimination of the water deluge system significantly reduces maintenance and personnel requirements, and protects against accidental missile wet-down.

4 cells
Width 7.25feet
Length14.2feet
Height26feet
Weight 33600lb
Maximum canister width28inches
Maximum canister length283inches
Maximum canistered weight 9020lb

Variants

Operators

Germany
Japan
Spain
United States

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Mark 41 Vertical Launching System . 21 September 2011.
  2. Book: Friedman, Norman . The Naval Institute Guide to World Naval Weapon Systems . Naval Institute Press . Annapolis, MD . 2006 . 5th . 600.
  3. Web site: Pentagon Pledges to Respond in 'Appropriate Manner' After New Yemen Missile Attack on USS Mason. LaGrone. Sam. 12 October 2016. USNI News. U.S. Naval Institute. 12 October 2016.
  4. Web site: Aegis defense system helped stop missile attack on USS Mason. Copp. Tara. Stars and Stripes. 13 October 2016. 15 October 2016.
  5. Web site: Exclusive: New Details on the Kongsberg Vertical Launch Joint Strike Missile (VL JSM) . Navy Reckognition . 14 January 2015 . 9 January 2022.
  6. Web site: Lockheed Martin Successfully Launches First LRASM Boosted Test Vehicle From MK 41 VLS . 2023-10-30 . Navy Recognition . 18 September 2013 .
  7. Web site: 2019 . Host Extensible Launching System . 1 November 2023 . Lockheed Martin.
  8. Web site: Allison . George . 2018-04-17 . CAMM completes qualification trials from Lockheed Martin launcher . 2023-11-01 . en-GB.
  9. Web site: CAMM FORCE PROTECTION, Ground Based Air Defence . 2023-11-01 . MBDA . en-US.
  10. Web site: 2022-11-05 . Common Anti Air Missile (CAMM) - Think Defence . 2023-11-01 . www.thinkdefence.co.uk . en-GB.
  11. Web site: UK, Poland To Advance Development Of Longer Range Air Defense Missile Aviation Week Network . 2023-09-07 . aviationweek.com.
  12. http://www.raytheon.com/businesses/rids/products/rtnwcm/groups/public/documents/content/rtn_bus_ids_prod_mk57_pdf.pdf Mk 57
  13. NAVEDTRA 14324, Gunner's Mate, Chapter 7.
  14. Web site: U.S. Navy Guided Missile Launcher Systems . 2014-05-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220725195323/http://www.alternatewars.com/BBOW/Weapons/US_GMLS.htm . 2022-07-25 . dead .
  15. https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2023/08/usmc-systems-command-provides-details-on-long-range-missile-battery/
  16. Web site: Everington . Keoni . Mysterious radar ship spotted off coast of S. Taiwan . www.taiwannews.com.tw . 20 November 2019 . Taiwan News . 15 April 2020.