Navy Air and Missile Defense Command established

[HeyJoe]

As promised by CNO in March, NAMDC is now a reality.

090430-N-6092D-091 DAHLGREN, Va. (April 30, 2009) Rear Adm. Alan B. "Brad" Hicks, Commander, Navy Air And Missile Defense Command, stands with Adm. Robert F. Willard, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet and Vice Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, during a ceremony at Naval Support Facility Dahlgren to establish the Navy Air And Missile Defense Command. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Christopher Dollar/Released)

 

[picklesuit]

Is that the famous "Rat" Willard from TG?

 

[HeyJoe]

Is that the famous "Rat" Willard from TG?

One and the same

 

[lowflier03]

So that's where all the money for flight hours went.

 

[Godspeed]

So that's where all the money for flight hours went.

Yes... Apparently to defend against things like air, and missiles.

 

[FMRAM]

Why would the Navy want to get into this mission? Hasn't this been the long-time baby of the Air Force?

 

[HeyJoe]

Why would the Navy want to get into this mission? Hasn't this been the long-time baby of the Air Force?

Navy has been in this business as long or longer than USAF and it's the Navy and Army cooperating to build a deployable defensive shield.

Here's what Navy brings to fight that nobody can....

090326-N-0000X-001 PACIFIC OCEAN (March 26, 2009) The San Diego-based guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65) fires a missile Thursday, March 26, 2009 during training exercise Stellar Daggers in the Pacific Ocean. Benfold engaged multiple targets with Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) Block IIIA and modified SM-2 BLK IV missiles. The overall objective of Stellar Daggers was to test the Aegis system's sea-based ability to simultaneously detect, track, engage and destroy multiple incoming air and ballistic missile threats during terminal or final phase of flight. The Benfold's Aegis Weapons System successfully detected and intercepted a cruise missile target with a SM-2 BLK IIIA, while simultaneously detecting and intercepting an incoming SRBM target with a modified SM-2 BLK IV. This is the first time the fleet has successfully tested the Aegis system's ability to intercept both an SRBM in terminal phase and a low-altitude cruise missile target at the same time. (U.S. Navy photo/Released)

 

[HeyJoe]

SM-2 Blk IV, business end of Ballistic Missile Defense

080605-N-0000X-006 PACIFIC OCEAN (June 5, 2008) A modified Standard Missile 2 (SM-2) Block IV interceptor is launched Thursday, June 5, 2008 from the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70) during a Missile Defense Agency test to intercept a short-range ballistic missile target. The missile intercepted the target approximately 12 miles above the Pacific Ocean 100 miles west of Kauai, Hawaii on the Pacific Missile Range Facility. This was the second successful intercept in two attempts of the sea-based terminal capability and the fourteenth overall successful test of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Program. U.S. Navy photo by the Missile Defense Agency (Released)

 

[Jim123]

Why would the Navy want to get into this mission? Hasn't this been the long-time baby of the Air Force?

Sort of the grandson of the old Cold War DER/picket ship mission too.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Behold, God's Own Hard-On. I triple-dog-dare the North Koreans to try some crazy missile shit with a Linebacker boat sitting off the coast. Seriously...just try launching your backyard hoopty rattle-can "rocket" when we can bring our wonderful toys to your neighborhood and fuck your shit up in seconds.

FMRAM - this is the only part of missile defense that's been at all field-tested (the satellite shoot-down by Lake Erie last year).

 

[HeyJoe]

More BMDO eye candy

080605-N-0000X-001 PACIFIC OCEAN (June 5, 2008) Two modified Standard Missile 2 (SM-2) Block IV interceptors are launched Thursday, June 5, 2008 from the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70) during a Missile Defense Agency test to intercept a short-range ballistic missile target. The missiles intercepted the target approximately 12 miles above the Pacific Ocean 100 miles west of Kauai, Hawaii on the Pacific Missile Range Facility. This was the second successful intercept in two attempts of the sea-based terminal capability and the fourteenth overall successful test of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Program. U.S. Navy photo by the Missile Defense Agency (Released)

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

All of that stuff sure is SWOtivating!!!!

 

[VetteMuscle427]

All of that stuff sure is SWOtivating!!!!

There is an aviation component too.

 

[Brett327]

Why would the Navy want to get into this mission? Hasn't this been the long-time baby of the Air Force?

Yeah, like HJ said, the Navy is the premiere operational TBM defense player in town.

Brett

 

[Flash]

Behold, God's Own Hard-On. I triple-dog-dare the North Koreans to try some crazy missile shit with a Linebacker boat sitting off the coast. Seriously...just try launching your backyard hoopty rattle-can "rocket" when we can bring our wonderful toys to your neighborhood and fuck your shit up in seconds.

FMRAM - this is the only part of missile defense that's been at all field-tested (the satellite shoot-down by Lake Erie last year).

BMD is oh-so, very-much more complicated than that.

In reality the only missile defense systems that have been fully 'field-tested' are the Army's Patriot/PAC-3 missile systems, used in Desert Storm and OIF. Even the SM-3 satellite shoot-down wasn't a realistic test, they knew it was coming.

The SM-3 is good, real good, but it is only a part of the 'solution' when it comes to missile defense. Built on a very reliable and proven system, with its roots in the Terrier/Tartar SAM systems, it is one of the best we have, especially in the TBM arena like Brett says. But it can't do it all, not even close.