Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine are building four MMSC ships for Saudi Arabia, which will carry the Mk41 Vertical Launching System (VLS), Combatss-21 combat management system and MBDA’s CAMM Extended Range (ER) Missiles.
View attachment 36577
The MMSCs sensing capabilities will be provided by a Hensoldt TRS-4D AESA radar and Thales Captas Variable Depth Sonar (VDS).
The Combatts-21 system on the MMSC ships, is built from the
Aegis combat management system library.
View attachment 36578
Lockheed Martin continues to work with local partners to identify what systems and components can be integrated locally in a drive to assist the development of local Saudi industrial capability.
A key area of capability development is the facilitation of maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO).
View attachment 36579
These are built for the Saudis from the ground up with everything they wanted..
They are fitted out as multi-mission ships from the get-go, so they don't have modules. They can do ASW, air warfare and surface warfare with the permanently installed systems they ordered.
Saudi Arabia joins the Aegis family
View attachment 36576
Saudi Arabia orders
SM-6 missiles on LCS FREEDOM
View attachment 36580
By having the SPY radar and the SM-6 missile, you almost have the whole Aegis..
The LCS has 16 MK41 launch cells.. 8 are designated for the ESSM.. These 8 cells hold 32 ESSM missiles (each cell carries 4 missiles).. There are 8 cells that can carry the SM-6.
The SM-6 is worth every penny paid for it. It is truly a multi-tasking monster that combats everything from air targets to sea targets to short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles to its use in targeting ground targets. What distinguishes it is that it carries a dual active and semi-active radar seeker, which enables it to be applied to its targets in the final stage without the need to illuminate the target from the guidance radar of the launch pad... Its MK125 warhead has also been updated to reach its weight of approximately 115 kg, which is a highly explosive fragmentation head with a tremendous ability to penetrate, without talking about the missile’s enormous ability on maneuvering with a duration exceeding 300 km...
This missile SM-6, Standard 6, or RIM-174 - called ERAM, which means active missile with extended range. It is a new air defense missile with a length of 6.55 meters, a diameter of 530 mm, and a weight of 1,500 kg. It uses a two-stage propulsion system used in each a solid-fuel rocket propulsion engine that reaches a speed of Mach 3.5. Its improved range in the Block 1 version reaches 200 nautical miles, or about 370 kilometers, and it can reach an altitude of 33 kilometers.
In addition to its great range, speed and power, this missile, which was developed based on the Block 4 version of the Standard 2 missile, can rely on itself in the final stage of its guidance towards the target, which is the landing stage, and this depends on the fact that it is used in addition to the semi-active guidance...also guidance. Active radar using the AMRAAM missile's seeker head... This means increasing the overall ability to engage multiple targets at the same time for each Frigate.
Raytheon's Standard Missile-6, already deployed in anti-air warfare and as an interceptor for ballistic missiles at sea, has now proven effective capability against targets in anti-surface warfare.
The SM-6 is a very capable missile.. One missile with one hardware configuration performs all three missions.
View attachment 36594
It is an anti-aircraft missile, anti-drones, and cruise missiles. It deals with ballistic missiles in their final stage and intercepts them at an altitude of 35 km.
The Block 1A version of the missile has the ability to target ships and
land targets..
The missile destroyed five targets in "over-the-horizon, engage-on-remote" missions. Those tests, in part, confirmed SM-6's ability to engage threats beyond the sight of operators on the ship, using its own radar..
View attachment 36592
Saudi Arabia is Interested in the land version of the Aegis..
View attachment 36587