WASHINGTON – The U.S. Navy and numerous NATO partners are firing a new high-tech ship-defense weapon that can identify, track, and attack maneuvering anti-ship missiles with an active seeker that enables the missile to change course in flight. Kris Osborn at The National Interest reports. Continue reading original article
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
19 Nov. 2019 -- The Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile Block II, or ESSM, is a new version of an existing Sea Sparrow missile-defense system that protects aircraft carriers, destroyers, cruisers, amphibious assault ships and other vessels against anti-ship missiles and other surface and airborne short-range threats to ships.
The recent live-fire test follows completion of two controlled test vehicle flight tests in June 2017 and is the first in a series of live-fire tests that will lead to the ESSM Block 2 missile entering production.
The ESSM Block 2 live-fire exercise marked the first use of the weapon’s active seeker system, emerging technology improves the missile's guidance to its target with active electromagnetic signals, Navy officials said.
Related: Raytheon moves to full-scale development of RIM-162 ESSM Block 2 ship-defense missile
John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics
