User:Belfras/SandboxMissile1: Difference between revisions

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<!--{{Region_icon_Ajax}}-->{{infobox weapon
<!--{{Region_icon_Ajax}}-->{{infobox weapon
| name              = Spearfish Missile
| name              = Aegis Dart
| image              = File:Harpoon missile sketch.svg|300pg
| image              = File:AegisDartDisplay.png|300pg
| caption            =
| caption            =
| origin            =  
| origin            =  
| type              = Subsonic {{wpl|Anti-ship missile}}
| type              = Anti-Torpedo Torpedo (ATT)
| role              =  
| role              =  
<!-- Type selection -->
<!-- Type selection -->
Line 15: Line 15:
| is_UK              =
| is_UK              =
<!-- Service history -->
<!-- Service history -->
| service            = 1978-Present
| service            = 2024-Present
| used_by            = {{flag|Belfras}}<br>see [[#operators|operators]]
| used_by            = {{flag|Belfras}}<br>see [[#operators|operators]]
| wars              =  
| wars              =  
Line 29: Line 29:
| spec_label        =
| spec_label        =
| weight            =  
| weight            =  
{{convert|690|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
~{{convert|115|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
| length            =  
| length            =  
{{convert|3.84|m|ft|abbr=on}}
{{convert|1.94|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| part_length        =
| part_length        =
| width              =
| width              =
| height            =
| height            =
| diameter          = {{convert|0.34|m|in|abbr=on}}
| diameter          = {{convert|.21|m|in|abbr=on}}
| crew              =
| crew              =
| passengers        =
| passengers        =
Line 41: Line 41:
| filling            =  
| filling            =  
| filling_weight    =
| filling_weight    =
| detonation        = blast fragmentation
| detonation        = focused high-explosive charge
| yield              = {{convert|221|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
| yield              = classified
<!-- Vehicle/missile specifications -->
<!-- Vehicle/missile specifications -->
| armour            =
| armour            =
| primary_armament    =
| primary_armament    =
| secondary_armament  =
| secondary_armament  =
| engine            = turbojet engine w/ solid-fuel booster
| engine            = Solid-fuel rocket motor
| engine_power      =
| engine_power      =
| pw_ratio          =
| pw_ratio          =
Line 55: Line 55:
| clearance          =
| clearance          =
| fuel_capacity      =
| fuel_capacity      =
| vehicle_range      = {{convert|67|nmi|km|abbr=on}}+
| vehicle_range      = >{{convert|87|nmi|km|abbr=on}}+
| speed              = {{convert|531|mph|kph|abbr=on}}
| speed              = Classified
| guidance          = inertial navigation, active radar homing
| guidance          = multi-mode sonar; Passive, active, intercept
| steering          =
| steering          =
<!-- Missiles only -->
<!-- Missiles only -->
Line 67: Line 67:
| boost              =
| boost              =
| accuracy          =
| accuracy          =
| launch_platform    = Ship, submarine, aircraft, ground-based platforms
| launch_platform    = Surface ships, submarines
| transport          =
| transport          = maintenance-free canister
}}
}}


The '''Spearfish Missile''' is a subsonic, precision-guided anti-ship missile designed for versatility and reliability in maritime strike operations. Introduced in 1978, it remains a critical component of naval warfare, capable of engaging a variety of surface targets in contested environments. With its focus on cost-effectiveness and adaptability, the Spearfish has been widely adopted by naval forces for its proven track record and operational flexibility.
The '''Aegis Dart Torpedo System''' is an anti-torpedo torpedo (ATT) developed to provide a hard-kill solution against incoming torpedo threats. Designed for deployment from both surface vessels and submarines, the system offers a proactive defensive capability for naval platforms. The Aegis Dart is capable of detecting, tracking, and intercepting incoming torpedoes using advanced sonar systems and rapid propulsion technologies.


The Spearfish missile’s design emphasizes simplicity and effectiveness, utilizing advanced guidance systems and a robust propulsion unit to ensure accuracy and dependability. The missile’s compact size and lightweight construction make it compatible with a wide range of launch platforms, including surface ships, submarines, fixed-wing aircraft, and ground-based systems. This multi-platform capability allows it to integrate seamlessly into diverse naval strategies.
Introduced in 2024, the Aegis Dart was developed to address the limitations of traditional soft-kill countermeasures, such as decoys, by providing a direct interception capability. The system aims to enhance the survivability of naval vessels by neutralizing torpedo threats before they reach their targets. It is part of a broader effort to modernize naval defenses in response to advancements in torpedo technology.


One of the key features of the Spearfish is its mid-range capability, designed to engage enemy vessels from a standoff distance. Its sea-skimming flight profile reduces radar visibility, allowing it to approach targets undetected until the final engagement phase. This approach ensures a high probability of mission success even in environments with advanced enemy defenses.
The Dart is compatible with various launch platforms, including fixed launchers on surface ships and sub-caliber inserts in lightweight and heavyweight torpedo tubes. Its compact size and modular design allow for integration into a wide range of naval assets without significant modifications. The system is intended to complement other defensive measures, providing an additional layer of protection.
 
The guidance system of the Dart combines passive, active, and intercept sonar capabilities, allowing it to engage threats under diverse environmental conditions. This multi-mode sonar system enables the Dart to track and classify incoming torpedoes and calculate optimal interception points. The use of advanced signal processing ensures accurate target discrimination, even in cluttered underwater environments.
 
Propulsion for the Dart is provided by a solid-fuel rocket motor, designed to achieve high speeds necessary for intercepting fast-moving torpedoes. The propulsion system also minimizes acoustic emissions, reducing interference with the sonar system. This balance of speed and stealth enhances the system’s effectiveness in operational scenarios.
 
Operational testing has demonstrated the Dart’s ability to intercept a variety of torpedo types, including those employing advanced guidance systems and counter-countermeasures. The system has undergone trials in diverse environments, from open-ocean conditions to littoral zones, to validate its performance and reliability. These tests have confirmed its utility as a hard-kill solution for torpedo defense.
 
The modular design of the Aegis Dart supports upgrades and enhancements, ensuring its adaptability to emerging threats and technologies. Planned upgrades include improvements to its sonar processing algorithms, extended range capabilities, and integration with next-generation naval platforms. The system’s canisterized design simplifies maintenance and logistics, providing long-term operational readiness.
 
The Aegis Dart has been adopted as a key component of naval defense strategies, emphasizing the importance of hard-kill solutions in modern maritime warfare. Its ability to neutralize torpedo threats enhances the overall survivability of naval vessels, contributing to a layered defensive network.


While the missile system has largely been replaced in Federation Naval service with the [[Foreganger Missile]] overtaking it for heavy anti-ship duties and the [[Trident Missile]] being used for air-launched duties, the Spearfish remains a go-to munition for the Federation due to it's reliability, cost and historical production.


== Design and development ==
== Design and development ==
[[File:160707-N-ZZ999-112 (28482438301).jpg|200px|thumbnail|left|Spearfish being launched]]
[[File:AegisDartLaunchers.png|200px|thumbnail|left|Launcher variations for the Aegis Dart]]
The Spearfish Missile System features a streamlined design focused on subsonic maritime strike capabilities. Constructed from lightweight, corrosion-resistant materials, the missile is designed to withstand harsh maritime environments. Its aerodynamic shape and low radar cross-section enhance its stealth characteristics, ensuring survivability against advanced detection systems.
The Aegis Dart is designed to offer a compact and reliable solution for torpedo interception. Measuring 1.94 meters in length and 210 millimeters in diameter, the torpedo is lightweight and adaptable, enabling deployment from a variety of naval platforms. Its construction emphasizes durability and hydrodynamic efficiency, with a streamlined shape to minimize drag and optimize maneuverability.


At 3.84 meters (12.6 feet) in length and 0.34 meters (13.5 inches) in diameter, the Spearfish is compact enough to be deployed from a variety of platforms. Its folded wingspan of 0.91 meters (3 feet) allows for efficient storage in standard launch canisters, while the unfolded wings provide stability and maneuverability during flight.
The propulsion system of the Dart uses a solid-fuel rocket motor, selected for its rapid acceleration and high-speed performance. This design ensures the torpedo can reach its target within a short timeframe, critical for countering fast-moving threats. The motor is engineered to produce minimal noise, reducing the chance of detection by enemy sensors. The usage of a solid-fuel rocket motor is unique among torpedoes, and allows the vehicle to reach high speeds while remaining incredibly manoeuvrable.  


The missile’s propulsion system consists of a turbojet engine paired with a solid-fuel booster for initial launch. This configuration enables the Spearfish to achieve a cruising speed of approximately 855 km/h (531 mph), making it ideal for engaging targets within its operational range of 124 kilometers (67 nautical miles). The solid-fuel booster ensures rapid acceleration upon launch, while the turbojet provides sustained thrust throughout the missile’s flight.
The guidance system integrates a multimode sonar array, comprising passive, active, and intercept modes. The passive mode detects acoustic signatures from incoming torpedoes, while the active mode provides detailed tracking data through sonar pings. The intercept mode combines these capabilities to calculate optimal interception points, ensuring precise engagement.


Guidance is a critical component of the Spearfish’s design. The missile employs a combination of inertial navigation and active radar homing for mid-course and terminal guidance. The active radar seeker allows the missile to track and engage moving targets with precision, while the inertial navigation system ensures accurate mid-course corrections, even in GPS-denied environments.
The Dart’s warhead is a focused high-explosive charge, designed to neutralize torpedoes by detonating at close proximity. This proximity detonation maximizes the destructive effect while minimizing collateral damage to friendly vessels. The warhead’s design prioritizes effectiveness against a variety of torpedo types.


The warhead of the Spearfish is a 221-kilogram (487-pound) blast fragmentation design, optimized for maximum damage against naval vessels. The warhead’s delayed-action fuse ensures penetration of the target’s outer hull before detonation, maximizing the destructive force delivered to critical systems such as propulsion, command centers, and weapons magazines.
Durability is a core aspect of the Dart’s design. The torpedo’s casing is constructed from corrosion-resistant materials, ensuring reliable performance in challenging underwater environments. Its components are rigorously tested to withstand the pressures and temperatures encountered during deployment.


The Spearfish’s sea-skimming flight profile is a defining feature of its design. By flying at extremely low altitudes, the missile minimizes its radar signature and reduces the likelihood of detection. This approach also allows the Spearfish to exploit gaps in enemy radar coverage, increasing its survivability in contested environments.
The system’s modular architecture allows for straightforward upgrades. Hardware and software components can be enhanced or replaced to improve performance, ensuring the system remains effective against evolving threats. Planned improvements include advanced sonar processing algorithms and extended operational range.


One of the missile’s standout features is its modular construction, which allows for easy upgrades and maintenance. The Spearfish’s systems can be updated with minimal logistical overhead, ensuring that the missile remains effective against evolving threats. This modularity also enables operators to tailor the missile’s capabilities to specific mission requirements.
Deployment flexibility is another key feature. The Dart can be mounted into launchers on surface ships which are either fixed or trainable, and either placed into dedicated fixed launchers on submarines or placed into torpedo tubes. For smaller torpedo tubes the Dart can be removed from it's launch canister, which will include two ring segments that are left on the torpedo to hold it in place while it is in the torpedo tube, not unlike the mounts for modern anti-tank sabot rounds. This also means that existing surface ships can launch the Dart from shipboard torpedo launchers until refitted to include native capacity for the system.


The Spearfish is compatible with a variety of launch platforms, including quad-launch systems on surface ships, torpedo tubes on submarines, and wing-mounted racks on aircraft. This versatility ensures that the missile can be deployed across multiple domains, enhancing its strategic utility.
The Dart can be launched from fixed and under-casing launchers on submarines, as well as vertical and angled launchers on surface ships. This adaptability ensures compatibility with a wide range of naval platforms, enhancing the system’s operational utility.


Maintenance and logistics have been streamlined to support the Spearfish’s operational lifecycle. The missile’s durable construction and modular design minimize the need for frequent repairs, while its compatibility with standard storage and transport systems simplifies logistical operations. This focus on reliability ensures high availability and readiness across all deployment platforms.
The Aegis Dart is delivered in a sealed canister that protects the torpedo during storage and handling. This canisterized design simplifies maintenance and ensures the system is ready for rapid deployment when needed. The canister also serves as the launch tube, reducing logistical complexity.


The Spearfish Missile System’s design reflects a balance of cost-effectiveness, adaptability, and lethality. Its proven performance and ongoing modernization efforts have ensured its place as a key asset in naval operations worldwide, capable of addressing the challenges of modern maritime warfare.
Operationally the Dart is meant to seemlessly integrate with existing torpedo detection systems on surface and submerged assets. Following active detection of an attacking torpedo, the Dart is launched from it's mounting. Upon entering the water or clearing it's launching submarine, the Dart will engage it's tracking systems and intercept the incoming torpedo.


== Operators ==
== Operators ==
Line 105: Line 114:
; {{flag|Belfras}}
; {{flag|Belfras}}
* [[Belfrasian Navy|Federation Navy]]
* [[Belfrasian Navy|Federation Navy]]
* [[Belfrasian Air Force]]
: The Federation Navy was the first customer for the Aegis Dart, having requested it's development to counter Mutulese torpedo threats within the Kayamuca.


<!-- [[Category:Belfrasian Weapons]] -->
<!-- [[Category:Belfrasian Weapons]] -->

Revision as of 08:25, 25 December 2024

Aegis Dart
AegisDartDisplay.png
TypeAnti-Torpedo Torpedo (ATT)
Service history
In service2024-Present
Used by Belfras
see operators
Specifications
Weight~115 kg (254 lb)
Length1.94 m (6.4 ft)
Diameter.21 m (8.3 in)
Detonation
mechanism
focused high-explosive charge
Blast yieldclassified

EngineSolid-fuel rocket motor
Operational
range
>87 nmi (161 km)+
SpeedClassified
Guidance
system
multi-mode sonar; Passive, active, intercept
Launch
platform
Surface ships, submarines
Transportmaintenance-free canister

The Aegis Dart Torpedo System is an anti-torpedo torpedo (ATT) developed to provide a hard-kill solution against incoming torpedo threats. Designed for deployment from both surface vessels and submarines, the system offers a proactive defensive capability for naval platforms. The Aegis Dart is capable of detecting, tracking, and intercepting incoming torpedoes using advanced sonar systems and rapid propulsion technologies.

Introduced in 2024, the Aegis Dart was developed to address the limitations of traditional soft-kill countermeasures, such as decoys, by providing a direct interception capability. The system aims to enhance the survivability of naval vessels by neutralizing torpedo threats before they reach their targets. It is part of a broader effort to modernize naval defenses in response to advancements in torpedo technology.

The Dart is compatible with various launch platforms, including fixed launchers on surface ships and sub-caliber inserts in lightweight and heavyweight torpedo tubes. Its compact size and modular design allow for integration into a wide range of naval assets without significant modifications. The system is intended to complement other defensive measures, providing an additional layer of protection.

The guidance system of the Dart combines passive, active, and intercept sonar capabilities, allowing it to engage threats under diverse environmental conditions. This multi-mode sonar system enables the Dart to track and classify incoming torpedoes and calculate optimal interception points. The use of advanced signal processing ensures accurate target discrimination, even in cluttered underwater environments.

Propulsion for the Dart is provided by a solid-fuel rocket motor, designed to achieve high speeds necessary for intercepting fast-moving torpedoes. The propulsion system also minimizes acoustic emissions, reducing interference with the sonar system. This balance of speed and stealth enhances the system’s effectiveness in operational scenarios.

Operational testing has demonstrated the Dart’s ability to intercept a variety of torpedo types, including those employing advanced guidance systems and counter-countermeasures. The system has undergone trials in diverse environments, from open-ocean conditions to littoral zones, to validate its performance and reliability. These tests have confirmed its utility as a hard-kill solution for torpedo defense.

The modular design of the Aegis Dart supports upgrades and enhancements, ensuring its adaptability to emerging threats and technologies. Planned upgrades include improvements to its sonar processing algorithms, extended range capabilities, and integration with next-generation naval platforms. The system’s canisterized design simplifies maintenance and logistics, providing long-term operational readiness.

The Aegis Dart has been adopted as a key component of naval defense strategies, emphasizing the importance of hard-kill solutions in modern maritime warfare. Its ability to neutralize torpedo threats enhances the overall survivability of naval vessels, contributing to a layered defensive network.


Design and development

Launcher variations for the Aegis Dart

The Aegis Dart is designed to offer a compact and reliable solution for torpedo interception. Measuring 1.94 meters in length and 210 millimeters in diameter, the torpedo is lightweight and adaptable, enabling deployment from a variety of naval platforms. Its construction emphasizes durability and hydrodynamic efficiency, with a streamlined shape to minimize drag and optimize maneuverability.

The propulsion system of the Dart uses a solid-fuel rocket motor, selected for its rapid acceleration and high-speed performance. This design ensures the torpedo can reach its target within a short timeframe, critical for countering fast-moving threats. The motor is engineered to produce minimal noise, reducing the chance of detection by enemy sensors. The usage of a solid-fuel rocket motor is unique among torpedoes, and allows the vehicle to reach high speeds while remaining incredibly manoeuvrable.

The guidance system integrates a multimode sonar array, comprising passive, active, and intercept modes. The passive mode detects acoustic signatures from incoming torpedoes, while the active mode provides detailed tracking data through sonar pings. The intercept mode combines these capabilities to calculate optimal interception points, ensuring precise engagement.

The Dart’s warhead is a focused high-explosive charge, designed to neutralize torpedoes by detonating at close proximity. This proximity detonation maximizes the destructive effect while minimizing collateral damage to friendly vessels. The warhead’s design prioritizes effectiveness against a variety of torpedo types.

Durability is a core aspect of the Dart’s design. The torpedo’s casing is constructed from corrosion-resistant materials, ensuring reliable performance in challenging underwater environments. Its components are rigorously tested to withstand the pressures and temperatures encountered during deployment.

The system’s modular architecture allows for straightforward upgrades. Hardware and software components can be enhanced or replaced to improve performance, ensuring the system remains effective against evolving threats. Planned improvements include advanced sonar processing algorithms and extended operational range.

Deployment flexibility is another key feature. The Dart can be mounted into launchers on surface ships which are either fixed or trainable, and either placed into dedicated fixed launchers on submarines or placed into torpedo tubes. For smaller torpedo tubes the Dart can be removed from it's launch canister, which will include two ring segments that are left on the torpedo to hold it in place while it is in the torpedo tube, not unlike the mounts for modern anti-tank sabot rounds. This also means that existing surface ships can launch the Dart from shipboard torpedo launchers until refitted to include native capacity for the system.

The Dart can be launched from fixed and under-casing launchers on submarines, as well as vertical and angled launchers on surface ships. This adaptability ensures compatibility with a wide range of naval platforms, enhancing the system’s operational utility.

The Aegis Dart is delivered in a sealed canister that protects the torpedo during storage and handling. This canisterized design simplifies maintenance and ensures the system is ready for rapid deployment when needed. The canister also serves as the launch tube, reducing logistical complexity.

Operationally the Dart is meant to seemlessly integrate with existing torpedo detection systems on surface and submerged assets. Following active detection of an attacking torpedo, the Dart is launched from it's mounting. Upon entering the water or clearing it's launching submarine, the Dart will engage it's tracking systems and intercept the incoming torpedo.

Operators

 Belfras
The Federation Navy was the first customer for the Aegis Dart, having requested it's development to counter Mutulese torpedo threats within the Kayamuca.