LOUISVILLE, Ky., Aug. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company today
unveiled
the first developmental model of the SeaRAM anti-ship missile
defense system
built at its Louisville plant. It is the latest addition to
Raytheon's ship
self-defense suite of the Phalanx Block 1B Close-In Weapon System
and the
Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) guided missile weapon system.
SeaRAM is a low-risk, low-cost spiral development of the proven
Phalanx
Block 1B and the RAM, the latter produced jointly by Raytheon and
RAMSys of
Germany. Intended to enlarge the keep-out range against
sea-skimming anti-ship
missiles, aircraft and large surface threats, SeaRAM utilizes the
enhanced
Phalanx sensors and replaces the M61A1 Gatling Gun with an 11-round
RAM
missile guide.
"SeaRAM provides a self-contained ship defense capability which
leverages
proven multi-spectral sensors with the demonstrated lethality of
the RAM
missile," said Troy Oberg, Raytheon's SeaRAM program manager in
Tucson, Ariz.
"Additionally, SeaRAM fits the exact installation footprint as
Phalanx, uses
the same power and requires minimal shipboard modification."
In 2001 Raytheon provided an engineering model of SeaRAM to the
United
Kingdom's Royal Navy for suitability testing. Later in 2001
Raytheon, in
conjunction with the U. S. Navy, successfully fired four blast test
vehicles
which measured rocket motor forces and demonstrated software
features. The
launches also confirmed that SeaRAM's forward-looking infrared
sensor can
withstand multiple launches without damage.
