Weapon Systems

Air to Air Missiles

Types: Advanced Medium Range, Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM) (AIM-120), Sidewinder Missile (AIM-9)

AMRAAM (AIM 120)

Definition: An all-weather, beyondvisual range, supersonic air-to-air missile. The missile’s independent control allows the pilot to aim and fire multiple missiles while evading enemy fire

Platforms: F/A-18D/E/F Hornet, F-35 Lightning

Sidewinder Missile (AIM-9)

Definition: The Sidewinder is a short range, supersonic, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile carried by fighter aircraft

Platforms: F/A-18B/C/D Hornet, F/A-18 E-F Super Hornet, F-35 Lightning

Air to Ground Missiles

Types: HARM Missile (AGM-88), SLAM-ER Missile (AGM-84K), Hellfire Missile (AGM-114B/K/M)

HARM Missile (AGM-88)

Definition: The AGM-88 High-Speed Anti-radiation Missile is an air-to-surface subsonic tactical missile designed to seek out and destroy enemy radar-equipped air defense systems

Platforms: EA-18G, F-18E/F, F-35

SLAM-ER Missile (AGM-84K)

Definition: The Stand-Off Land Attack Missile – Extended Range, or SLAM-ER, is an air-launched, day/night, adverse weather, over-the-horizon, precision high subsonic strike missile that provides an effective, long range, precision strike option for both pre-planned and Target of Opportunity attack missions against land and maneuvering ship targets

Platforms: F/A-18D/E/F and P-8

Hellfire Missile (AGM-114B/K/M)

Definition: Hellfire is an airto-ground, laser guided, subsonic missile with significant antitank, anti-structure/bunker capacity. It can also be used as an air-to-air weapon against helicopters or slow-moving fixed-wing aircraft.

Platforms: MH-60R/S

Surface to Air Missiles

Types: Standard Missile 2 (SM-2), Standard Missile 3 (SM-3), Standard Missile 6 (SM-6), NATO Sea Sparrow Missile (NSSM), Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM), Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM)

Standard Missile 2 (SM-2)

Definition: . Medium-long range shipboard supersonic surface-to-air missile. It is an integral part of the AEGIS Weapon System (AWS) and is launched from the MK-41 Vertical Launching System (VLS). Its primary missions are fleet area air defense and ship self-defense. All variants are guided by inertial navigation and mid-course commands from AEGIS Weapon System (AWS) via SPY-1D RADAR uplink; terminal homing is accomplished using semi-active radar or an Infrared (IR) sensor on the missile

Platforms: CG, DDG

Standard Missile 3 (SM-3)

Definition: Ship launched supersonic Ballistic Missile Defense used to intercept variety of ballistic missiles. It is integrated with the Sea Based Weapon Systems aboard naval vessels as well as multiple national and foreign BMD architectures

Platforms: CG, DDG (limited platforms)

Standard Missile 6 (SM-6)

Definition: Extended Range Active Missile (SM-6) provides greater strength to anti-air warfare, an anti-surface warfare capability, as well as sea-based ballistic missile defense during the terminal phase

Platforms: CG, DDG

NATO Sea Sparrow Missile (NSSM)

Definition: The Sea Sparrow RIM-7 Missile is a radar-guided, surface-to-air missile. Sea Sparrow is short-range, semi-active homing missile providing self-defense against anti-ship cruise missiles. Shot from an 8 cell box launcher.

Platforms: CVN, LHA/LHD

Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM)

Definition: ESSM is a medium-range, semi-active homing missile that provides ship self-defense against low-altitude antiship cruise missiles (ASCMs), low velocity air threats (LVATs), such as helicopters, and highspeed, maneuverable surface threats. Launched from VLS quad-packed in one missile cell or from an 8 cell box launcher

Platforms: CG, DDG, CVN, LHA/LHD

Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM)

Definition: The RIM116 RAM is a lightweight, quick-reaction, fireand-forget point-defense missile designed to destroy anti-ship cruise missiles and asymmetric air and surface threats

Platforms: CVN, LHA/LHD, LPD, LSD, LCS1 (FREEDOM) variants

Cruise Missiles (Surface to Surface or Surface to Land)

Types: Harpoon, Tomahawk

Harpoon

The Harpoon is a long-range subsonic sea-skimming, anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) capable of being fired from air, ship (tube launched, not from VLS) or submarine

Platforms: F/A-18, P-8CG, DDG (Flight I and II), and SSN

Tomahawk

Definition: The Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) is a long range, subsonic cruise missile used to support strike warfare. There are three variants of the missile (C, D, E)

Platforms: CG, DDG, SSN, SSGN

Fleet Ballistic Missiles

Types: Trident II

Trident II

Definition: Intercontinental nuclear ballistic missiles each with multiple re-entry vehicles Trident II is launched by the pressure of expanding gas within the launch tube. When the missile attains sufficient distance from the submarine, the first stage motor ignites, the aerospike extends and the boost stage begins

Platforms: SSBN

Surface Launch Anti-Submarine Rocket

Types: Vertical Launch Anti-Submarine Rocket (VLA or ASROC)

Vertical Launch Anti-Submarine Rocket (VLA or ASROC)

The VLA is designed to be a standoff weapon which enables a ship to deliver a Mk-46 or Mk-54 torpedo to a waterentry point close to a targeted submarine while maintaining outside of the submarine’s torpedo danger zone

Platforms: CG, DDG

SeaRAM Ship Defense System

Types: RIM 116 and Mk.15 combination self-defense system

RIM 116 and Mk.15 combination self-defense system

Definition: The SeaRAM is designed to counter emerging advanced anti-ship cruise missile threats, drones and helicopters. This system replaced the 20mm Gatlin gun from the Phalanx weapon system and replaced it with 11 RAM missiles

Platforms: Platform: LCS-2 (INDEPENDENCE) variants, and certain DDGs

Mk-41 Vertical Launch System (VLS)

Definition: The Mk-41 VLS is a modular, below deck missile launching system that houses several classes of missiles in tubes called all-up rounds (AUR). Missiles capable of being vertically launched: SM-2, SM-3, SM-6, ESSM, TLAM, ASROC. Eight cells in a module with eight modules in a full launcher

Platforms:

Cruisers (CG-47+): Two full launchers of 61 cells (FWD & AFT). Three cells are lost on each launcher for a strike-down crane

Destroyers (DDG-51+): Half-launcher fwd (32 cells), full launcher aft (64 cells). Flight I/II DDGS lose 3 cells FWD and AFT for strike-down crane

Destroyers (DDG-1000+): 80 Mk-57 AdvancedVLS cells on along the hull of the vessel (peripheral)

Torpedoes

Types: Mk-46 Lightweight Torpedo, Mk-48 Advanced Capability (ADCAP) Heavyweight Torpedo, Mk-54 Lightweight Torpedo

Mk-46 Lightweight Torpedo

Definition: The Mk-46 lightweight torpedo is a surface ship and aircraft-launched anti-ship or anti-submarine weapon. Surface-launched Mk 46 torpedoes are launched over the side via SVTT or from VLS via ASROC

Platforms: MH-60R, CG, DDG

Mk-48 Advanced Capability (ADCAP) Heavyweight Torpedo

Definition: A heavyweight acoustichoming torpedo with sophisticated sonar, all-digital guidance-and-control systems, digital fusing systems, and propulsion improvements. A digital guidance system allows for repeated upgrades to counter evolving threats through software upgrades

Platform: SSN, SSGN, SSBN

Mk-54 Lightweight Torpedo

Definition: Integrates existing torpedo hardware and software from previous torpedo programs with state-ofthe-art commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) digital signal-processing technology. It incorporates an advanced guidance and control (G&C) section employing COTS processing technologies and tactical software improvements to significantly increase shallow water counter-countermeasure capability at reduced lifecycle costs. Surfacelaunched Mk 54 torpedoes are launched over the side via SVTT or from VLS via ASROC

Platforms: CG, DDG, P8, MH-60R

Naval Guns

Types: Mk-15 Phalanx Close-In Weapons System (CIWS), MK-45 5 INCH-GUN 54/62 Caliber Gun, MK-38 25mm machine gun system, Mk-110 57mm Gun

Mk-15 Phalanx Close-In Weapons System (CIWS)

Definition: Fastreaction, detect-through-engage, radar guided, 20-millimeter gun weapon system. Automatically detects, evaluates, tracks, engages and performs kill assessment against Anti-ship missiles (ASM), high speed aircraft threats, and surface threats. Provides point defense capability against Anti-Ship Missiles that were not defeated utilizing normal hard kill (missiles) or soft kill (chaff) methods

Platforms: CVN, CG, DDG, LHA/LHD, LSD

MK-45 5 INCH-GUN 54/62 Caliber Gun

Definition: Fully-automatic naval gun mount employed against surface (ASUW), air (AAW) and land attack (Naval Surface Fire Support - NSFS) targets. The mount has a 20 round automatic loader drum, can fire several different types of rounds at a rate of approx. 16-20 rounds per minute

Platforms: CG-47+ (Fwd and Aft), DDG-51+ (Fwd only)

MK-38 25mm machine gun system

Definition: A Single barrel, air cooled, semi- and full-automatic (180 rounds per minute) manually or remotely trained and elevated machine gun system installed for ship self-defense against High Speed Maneuvering Surface Targets

Platforms: CG, DDG, LSD, LHD, LHA, PC

Mk-110 57mm Gun

Definition: The Mark 110 Gun Mount delivers high rates of fire with extreme accuracy against surface, airborne and shore-based threats. It can fire salvos at up to 220 rounds per minute with a loader drum capacity of 120 rounds

Platforms: LCS (both variants)