Defense against Hypersonic Glide Vehicles

I remember one of these clouds over Huntsville Alabama a few years back—thought it might be Travis Taylor pulling a prank ;)
 
AN/AWW-14(V) said:
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The Space Development Agency wants to put an initial batch of satellites capable of tracking hypersonic weapons on orbit in fiscal 2022, according to a draft request for proposals the agency released May 11.

The draft comes as SDA prepares to launch its first tranche of about 20 satellites in FY22, the first step toward its goal of hundreds of interconnected satellites operating in low Earth orbit. The agency is taking a spiral development approach, launching additional satellites with increasingly advanced capabilities in two-year tranches.

The second tranche, to be launched in FY24, will place 150 satellites on orbit.

According to the draft RFP, the agency wants a contractor to design and build eight Wide Field of View, or WFoV, satellites with infrared sensors capable of demonstrating an initial hypersonic weapon-tracking capability.

The eight satellites will also be able to plug into SDA’s transport layer satellites, which will establish a space-based mesh network with optical intersatellite cross links. That will allow data collected by the WFoV sensors to flow from satellite to satellite until it is disseminated over tactical data links to the appropriate system.

The agency released an RFP on May 1 for the first 10 satellites that will make up the transport layer. Those satellites are also set to launch in FY22.

In addition, SDA wants to launch Medium Field of View satellites in mid-FY23 focused on technologies needed for additional performance.

Here are the performance goals laid out for the eight WFoV satellites in the draft RFP:

- Develop and deliver space vehicles integrated with infrared sensors that have sufficient sensitivity and processing to detect hypersonic vehicles from low Earth orbit.
- Characterize performance of satellite-to-satellite and satellite-to-ground communication paths.
- Integrate with a proliferated transport layer to directly provide tracking information over tactical data links.
- Demonstrate interoperability between satellites provided by different vendors.
- Assess how on-board processing, communications infrastructure and advanced algorithms can enable more efficient use of communications bandwidth.
- Develop a concept of operations for a global tracking capability.
- Verify functional and performance requirements to inform future trade studies on communications; space and ground processing; and the numbers, types and capabilities of space-based sensors needed for a full global capability.

Responses to the draft are due May 29.

The release comes shortly after the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency announced it plans to launch its first Blackjack satellite into orbit later this year, with more to follow in 2021. With Project Blackjack, DARPA seeks to demonstrate the value of low-Earth orbit satellites for the Defense Department. The small satellites will carry advanced technologies that will demonstrate space-based mesh networks and constellation autonomy.

SDA leadership previously said the agency will build off the lessons learned from Blackjack.

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Related to the above post.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1530204095981793281
View: https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1530204095981793281


An #AtlasV 541 with four side-mounted boosters will perform this U.S. national security launch for @USSF_SSC. The rocket is launching the @SpaceForceDOD's Wide Field of View (WFOV) Testbed satellite and a multi-manifest payload for the @DeptofDefense.
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Missile Defense Agency selects Northrop Grumman Corp and Raytheon Missiles and Defense to move forward in the Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) prototype project​

22-NEWS-0007
June 24, 2022
The Department of Defense has awarded two firm fixed price Other Transaction (OT) Agreement modifications to exercise options; one to Northrop Grumman and one to Raytheon through the Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) authority under 10 U.S.C. 4022.

Each modification has an approximate value of $41.5M and an anticipated Period of Performance through February 2023. These modifications will allow the performers to continue to further develop and refine their concepts leading to a System Requirements Review—Prototype.

These OT modifications were awarded as option exercises per the terms and conditions of the OT agreement, to support the department’s goal of increased competition by funding two prototype projects , while remaining flexible to align with evolving Department of Defense strategies and priorities.

“Today’s awards are an important step toward increasing the capacity of our Missile Defense System and providing a new capability to the Warfighter,” said VADM Jon Hill, Director, Missile Defense Agency. “GPI will play an important role in our regional hypersonic defense, and our acquisition strategy is ensuring that the department maximizes innovation to keep pace with rapidly advancing threats.”

The GPI concept fits into the MDA’s missile defense architecture to provide the warfighter and its allies with reliable layered defense against regional hypersonic missile threats.
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www.defensenews.com

Raytheon, Northrop advance in competition to develop hypersonic weapons interceptor

The Missile Defense Agency awarded contracts to Raytheon and Northrop Grumman to continue development of its Glide Phase Interceptor designed to take out hypersonic threats.
www.defensenews.com www.defensenews.com
MDA told Defense News in an email that the agency still has the ability to pull Lockheed back into the GPI effort later “if required.”
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1543098458000728064
View: https://mobile.twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1543098458000728064

Separation confirmed! The United Launch Alliance #AtlasV rocket has released the Wide Field of View (WFOV) Testbed satellite to demonstrate new missile early warning capabilities for the U.S. @SpaceForceDoD.

Atlas V USSF-12

bit.ly bit.ly
#PartnersInSpace
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1543102318312292354
View: https://mobile.twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1543102318312292354

Separation confirmed! The USSF-12 Ring spacecraft for the Department of Defense's Space Test Program has been deployed by the #AtlasV rocket's Centaur upper stage, completing today's launch for the nation.

Atlas V USSF-12

bit.ly bit.ly
#PartnersInSpace
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www.yahoo.com

U.S. military’s newest weapon against China and Russia: Hot air

The Pentagon is quietly transitioning high-altitude balloon projects to the military services.
www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.com

The Pentagon is working on a new plan to rise above competition from China and Russia: balloons.
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The high-altitude inflatables, flying at between 60,000 and 90,000 feet, would be added to the Pentagon’s extensive surveillance network and could eventually be used to track hypersonic weapons.
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If that is a proportionate representative of the NGI next to SM-3 and THAAD can anyone smarter than me (most of you here at SPF) estimate it’s dimensions?
 
bobbymike said:
If that is a proportionate representative of the NGI next to SM-3 and THAAD can anyone smarter than me (most of you here at SPF) estimate it’s dimensions?
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I'll save them the time, there's nothing proportionate about the graphic. The GBI is 16.6m tall and an SM-3 is 6.55m tall, as is SM-6.
 
More details about the recently launched WFOV satellite.

Built by L3Harris, the “large format” focal plane sensor — at 4,000 pixels by 4,000 pixels (4k X 4k) — will be able to track the infrared plumes of missiles over a wider swatch of the Earth at higher resolutions than SBIRS, Bogstie said, adding that it also will feature “reduced noise” in its signal.

“Launching WFOV comes at an opportune time with all of the threats out there now. What’s setting WFOV apart is the 4kx4k staring focal plane array, making it so you’re more likely to catch threats,” Millennium CEO Jason Kim told Breaking Defense in an email. “And WFOV is proving out various technologies and algorithms on orbit which will be transitioned into future programs to keep ahead of the threats.”
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breakingdefense.com

Experimental missile warning satellite will test tech for Space Force use in multiple orbits - Breaking Defense

The WFOV satellite, being built by Boeing's Millennium Space Systems, is expected to launch this evening on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas 5 rocket, under the National Security Space Launch program.
breakingdefense.com breakingdefense.com
 
www.csis.org

North America Is a Region, Too

Download the Report U.S. air and missile defense efforts have long been characterized by a striking dichotomy. Defenses for the homeland have largely focused on long-range ballistic threats, while cruise missile defense and other air defense efforts have focused on regional and force protection...
www.csis.org www.csis.org
 
I don’t see how a kinetic space based option could be built for any reasonable amount of money.
 
sferrin said:
Josh_TN said:
I don’t see how a kinetic space based option could be built for any reasonable amount of money.
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Think simplified SM-3 3rd stages, with their KKVs in "sheds" in space. Brilliant Pebbles.
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Plus it's much cheaper to achieve now with Reusable launch vehicles. You could throw several into orbit with one launch, come back and repeat.
 
sferrin said:
Josh_TN said:
I don’t see how a kinetic space based option could be built for any reasonable amount of money.
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Think simplified SM-3 3rd stages, with their KKVs in "sheds" in space. Brilliant Pebbles.
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Orbit mechanics makes it hard to do without a fairly vast number of satellites that seems impractical to me. It is easy now adays to spam starlink type satellites into orbit but operational weapons platforms would have to be larger and more expensive.

EDIT TO ADD: the cost and weight per interceptor will be a huge input into that calculation. For a LEO constellation of interceptors, the majority of them will be out of range at any given time. On top of that, once specific satellites are depleted, there is a hole in the coverage that can't be filled without another lifter launch. I think space based interception is impractical; surface launch allows the defensive missiles to be clustered around a particular target or at least theater.
 
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Josh_TN said:
Orbit mechanics makes it hard to do without a fairly vast number of satellites that seems impractical to me. It is easy now adays to spam starlink type satellites into orbit but operational weapons platforms would have to be larger and more expensive.

EDIT TO ADD: the cost and weight per interceptor will be a huge input into that calculation. For a LEO constellation of interceptors, the majority of them will be out of range at any given time. On top of that, once specific satellites are depleted, there is a whole in the coverage that can't be filled without another launch. I think space based interception is impractical; surface launch allows the defensive missiles to be clustered around a particular target or at least theater.
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Not at all, these devices would be very small, hence why they're called pebbles. They're already moving at high speed (~8km/s) because they're in orbit. We're basically talking about GBI KKV vehicles + bus orbiting in a swarm. I believe the number required as per the Star Wars plans were 4063. This would leave each KKV no more than 200km from any intercept path. Furthermore, the only way a whole develops is when a KKV kills a missile, likely several to make a sizeable whole. This can mean that up to 10+ warheads are knocked out at once per missiles. Then GBI gets a crack mid-course, then SM-3 Blk2A/1B, then brilliant pebbles gets a second crack before re-entry, then THAAD... or maybe even a powerful, ground-based, solid state laser array

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDCzpAuWM1w&t=1171s
 
Forest Green said:
Josh_TN said:
Orbit mechanics makes it hard to do without a fairly vast number of satellites that seems impractical to me. It is easy now adays to spam starlink type satellites into orbit but operational weapons platforms would have to be larger and more expensive.

EDIT TO ADD: the cost and weight per interceptor will be a huge input into that calculation. For a LEO constellation of interceptors, the majority of them will be out of range at any given time. On top of that, once specific satellites are depleted, there is a whole in the coverage that can't be filled without another launch. I think space based interception is impractical; surface launch allows the defensive missiles to be clustered around a particular target or at least theater.
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Not at all, these devices would be very small, hence why they're called pebbles. They're already moving at high speed (~8km/s) because they're in orbit. We're basically talking about GBI KKV vehicles + bus orbiting in a swarm. I believe the number required as per the Star Wars plans were 4063. This would leave each KKV no more than 200km from any intercept path. Furthermore, the only way a whole develops is when a KKV kills a missile, likely several to make a sizeable whole. This can mean that up to 10+ warheads are knocked out at once per missiles. Then GBI gets a crack mid-course, then SM-3 Blk2A/1B, then brilliant pebbles gets a second crack before re-entry, then THAAD... or maybe even a powerful, ground-based, solid state laser array

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDCzpAuWM1w&t=1171s
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If they are to have a fast de-orbit and any significant cross range envelope, I think we are talking about something at least the size of the SM-3 upper stage that sferrin references. In fact I think it's worse than that, because the interceptor also has to be capable of re-entry to the upper atmosphere at orbital speeds (something SM-3 doesn't need to do). It will need a heat shield of some kind. Brilliant Pebbles not only was of questionable practicality, it also was completely exo-atmospheric. Look at something like FOBS and how large the final re-entry booster is in order to do a fast, on demand de-orbit. The energy of the satellite in LEO is only helpful if the target is coming on a relatively reciprocal bearing otherwise it's something that the interceptor has to overcome, not use for effect.
 
Josh_TN said:
If they are to have a fast de-orbit and any significant cross range envelope, I think we are talking about something at least the size of the SM-3 upper stage that sferrin references. In fact I think it's worse than that, because the interceptor also has to be capable of re-entry to the upper atmosphere at orbital speeds (something SM-3 doesn't need to do). It will need a heat shield of some kind. Brilliant Pebbles not only was of questionable practicality, it also was completely exo-atmospheric. Look at something like FOBS and how large the final re-entry booster is in order to do a fast, on demand de-orbit. The energy of the satellite in LEO is only helpful if the target is coming on a relatively reciprocal bearing otherwise it's something that the interceptor has to overcome, not use for effect.
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SM-3 upper stage yes, or maybe a GBI bus. Which has a trivial weight compared to most space launches. You would only need to de-orbit for HGVs, for normal ballistic missiles your orbit just has to be in the correct spot when the missile passes.

The second part actually depends on the altitude of the intercept. Some satellites on elliptical orbits can get down to about 70km, there really isn't much air up there. The KKV may need to be aerodynamically manoeuvrable though, but we're still fairly small. The missile will always be slower than orbital velocity in the boost phase.
 
Trivial weight compared to most to orbit launchers is a given. The question is how heavy and with how much envelope outside their orbital inclination. IMO the greatest threat is high altitude gliders and scramjets that avoid (or largely avoid) an exo atmospheric ballistic trajectory.

You're not going to get much dwell time/coverage from a satellite with high orbital eccentricity. A low perigee would presumably also shorten the lifespan of the satellite or increase its fuel requirements due to atmospheric drag.

Some kind of partial re-entry (and heat protection) is a given for a glider intercept, or else the target itself wouldn't be aerodynamically maneuverable (or possibly even detectable by the new sensor layer). So we are talking about a re-entry that probably will likely place more heat stress on the interceptor than on target, since the interceptor is dropping from an orbital velocity down into the upper atmosphere and the target is coasting from a sub orbital boost.

I think the altitudes and velocities needed to create a constant coverage satellite constellation of interceptors able to deorbit to intercept in upper atmosphere against a HBG make the idea impractical. Ballistic weapons yes, but I think the US already has a fair number of ground based solutions for that which can be locally/regionally based near the defended targets. I'll leave it at that.
 
Josh_TN said:
Trivial weight compared to most to orbit launchers is a given. The question is how heavy and with how much envelope outside their orbital inclination. IMO the greatest threat is high altitude gliders and scramjets that avoid (or largely avoid) an exo atmospheric ballistic trajectory.

You're not going to get much dwell time/coverage from a satellite with high orbital eccentricity. A low perigee would presumably also shorten the lifespan of the satellite or increase its fuel requirements due to atmospheric drag.

Some kind of partial re-entry (and heat protection) is a given for a glider intercept, or else the target itself wouldn't be aerodynamically maneuverable (or possibly even detectable by the new sensor layer). So we are talking about a re-entry that probably will likely place more heat stress on the interceptor than on target, since the interceptor is dropping from an orbital velocity down into the upper atmosphere and the target is coasting from a sub orbital boost.

I think the altitudes and velocities needed to create a constant coverage satellite constellation of interceptors able to deorbit to intercept in upper atmosphere against a HBG make the idea impractical. Ballistic weapons yes, but I think the US already has a fair number of ground based solutions for that which can be locally/regionally based near the defended targets. I'll leave it at that.
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From what I understand, they still fly at about 60-70km where the air density is fairly superficial, you need some heat resistance but not as much as a full RV. Even if you do need a full RV, the full weight of an ICBM RV is ~400-600lbs and for a KKV, you won't need anything that big, for the KKV bus + KKV you might, so that's really an upper limit. We can't really be sure of the target speed, the claims for Avangard's speed vary wildly.

Depends on the design of satellite as regards longevity.
www.nationalgeographic.com

Where, exactly, is the edge of space? It depends on who you ask.

With more countries and commercial companies heading into the stratosphere, the debate about how to define outer space is heating up.
www.nationalgeographic.com www.nationalgeographic.com

It does but the cost of adding a non-reusable launcher to each KKV is significant, with reusable launchers, you only pay for the fuel and the KKV.
 
breakingdefense.com

Speed vs. oversight: Middle Tier Acquisition draws lawmakers' concern - Breaking Defense

When it comes to MTAs, Eric Lofgren, a defense acquisition specialist at George Mason University, told Breaking Defense that "GAO and OSD seem to be struggling with how to baseline and conduct oversight of these programs."
breakingdefense.com breakingdefense.com

SBIRSsat

Current SBIRS missile warning satellites (pictured) will be replaced by the Next Gen OPIR constellation. (Credit Lockheed Martin, via US Air Force)
 
Another thing to factor in is Starlink.

Cause that system basically proves that a low low orbit satellite constellation is very affordable once you get the factory working.

Theres like 2000 of the 260 kilogram/560 pound starlink sats up at the moment. With them just launch another 60 of the things last week for a goal of 4000 by the end of tge year.

Eyeah the US DOD be able to do it easily as a rounding error in the budget.

If they haven't already, there was talk bout declassified something to do with Space a few months back...
 

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