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Mark 41 vertical launching system

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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]

Mk 41 vertical launching system
A single 8-cell Mk 41 VLS module fitted to New Zealand frigate HMNZS Te Kaha
TypeMissile launching system
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service1986–present
Used byUnited States Navy
Royal Navy
WarsCold War
Tanker War
Gulf War
Kosovo War
War on Terror
Red Sea crisis
Production history
Designed1970s
ManufacturerMartin Marietta
Lockheed Martin
VariantsMk 57
Mk 70 Mod 1

History

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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 USS Norton Sound. The first operational launcher was installed aboard USS Bunker Hill.[2]

Combat history

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On 12 October 2016, USS Mason (DDG-87) 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.[3] 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 8 miles (13 km),[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

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Mark 41 (Mk 41)

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

Surface-to-air

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Surface-to-surface

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Anti-submarine

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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.[2][8] 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.[7][9][10][11] 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.[12]

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.[2] 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: 209 inches (5.3 m) for the self-defense version, 266 in (6.8 m) for the tactical version, and 303 inches (7.7 m) for the strike version. The empty weight for an 8-cell module is 26,800 pounds (12.2 t) for the self-defense version, 29,800 pounds (13.5 t) for the tactical version, and 32,000 pounds (15 t) for the strike version.[2] 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.[2]

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

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Mk 57 VLS

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 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

The Mk 57 Peripheral Vertical Launch System (PVLS) used on the Zumwalt-class destroyers 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.[13] 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.

Vertical Missile Launcher Mk 57 GMVLS specifications[14]
Missiles 4 cells
Width 7.25 ft (2.21 m)
Length 14.2 ft (4.3 m)
Height 26 ft (7.9 m)
Weight 33,600 lb (15,200 kg)
Maximum canister width 28 in (0.71 m)
Maximum canister length 283 in (7.2 m)
Maximum canistered weight 9,020 lb (4,090 kg)

Variants

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Mark 41 Mod 0 vertical launching system on USS Chosin

Operators

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A Tomahawk missile being launched from the Mark 41 vertical launching system aboard the US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Farragut
  Australia
  Canada
  Chile
  Denmark
  Finland
  Germany
  Japan
  Netherlands
  Norway
  South Korea
  Spain
  Taiwan
  Thailand
  Turkey
  United Kingdom
  United States
  • Spruance-class destroyer - (61 cells, installed on 24 of 31 vessels) (Retired)
  • Arleigh Burke-class destroyer - (90 or 96 cells)
  • Ticonderoga-class cruiser - (122 cells)
  • Zumwalt-class destroyer - (80 Mk 57 cells)
  • Constellation-class frigate - (32 Mk 41 cells)
  • DDG(X) class destroyer - (At minimum up to 128 cells (4x32 module configuration), dependent on number of hypersonic missiles carried as per current US Navy design proposal)
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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Mark 41 Vertical Launching System". Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Friedman, Norman (2006). The Naval Institute Guide to World Naval Weapon Systems (5th ed.). Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. p. 600.
  3. ^ a b LaGrone, Sam (12 October 2016). "Pentagon Pledges to Respond in 'Appropriate Manner' After New Yemen Missile Attack on USS Mason". USNI News. U.S. Naval Institute. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  4. ^ Copp, Tara (13 October 2016). "Aegis defense system helped stop missile attack on USS Mason". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  5. ^ "Exclusive: New Details on the Kongsberg Vertical Launch Joint Strike Missile (VL JSM)". Navy Reckognition. 14 January 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  6. ^ "Lockheed Martin Successfully Launches First LRASM Boosted Test Vehicle From MK 41 VLS". Navy Recognition. 18 September 2013. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  7. ^ a b "Host Extensible Launching System" (PDF). Lockheed Martin. 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  8. ^ a b c d e f NAVEDTRA 14324, Gunner's Mate, Chapter 7.
  9. ^ Allison, George (2018-04-17). "CAMM completes qualification trials from Lockheed Martin launcher". Retrieved 2023-11-01.
  10. ^ "CAMM | FORCE PROTECTION, Ground Based Air Defence". MBDA. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
  11. ^ "Common Anti Air Missile (CAMM) - Think Defence". www.thinkdefence.co.uk. 2022-11-05. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
  12. ^ "UK, Poland To Advance Development Of Longer Range Air Defense Missile | Aviation Week Network". aviationweek.com. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  13. ^ Mk 57
  14. ^ "MK 57 Vertical Launching System Zumwalt Class Destroyer Program" (PDF).
  15. ^ a b "U.S. Navy Guided Missile Launcher Systems". Archived from the original on 2022-07-25. Retrieved 2014-05-15.
  16. ^ "USMC Systems Command Provides Details on Long-Range Missile Battery". 14 August 2023.
  17. ^ Everington, Keoni (20 November 2019). "Mysterious radar ship spotted off coast of S. Taiwan". www.taiwannews.com.tw. Taiwan News. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
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