The
RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) is a small, lightweight,
infrared homing surface-to-air missile in use by the
United States Navy,
Turkish Navy,
German Navy,
Hellenic Navy,
Egyptian Navy, and the
Republic of Korea Navy. It was intended originally and used primarily as a
point-defense weapon against anti-ship
cruise missiles. The missile is named because it rolls around its longitudinal axis during its flight to stabilize its flight path.
The onboard Mk-49 launcher installation weighs and stores 21 missiles. The original weapon cannot employ its own sensors prior to firing so it must be integrated with a ship's combat system, which directs the launcher at targets. On American ships it is integrated with the AN/SWY-2 and
Ship Self Defense System combat systems.
SeaRAM, a model equipped with independent sensors is undergoing testing.
Development
The RIM-116 was developed by
General Dynamics under a July
1976 agreement with
Denmark and
West Germany. (The General Dynamics missile business was later acquired by
Hughes Aircraft and is today part of
Raytheon.) Denmark dropped out of the program, but the
USN joined in as the major partner. The first 30 missiles were built in
FY85 and they became operational on
November 14,
1992, on board the
USS Peleliu (LHA-5).
Service
The U.S. Navy plans to purchase a total of about 1,600 RAMs and 115 launchers to equip 74 ships. The RIM-116 is in service on several
American and 30
German warships. Moreover, all new
German Navy warships will be equipped with the RAM, such as the new
Braunschweig class corvettes, which mount two RAM launchers per ship. The
Greek Navy has equipped the new
Super Vita–class fast attack craft with the RAM, and
South Korea has signed procurement contracts for their Destroyers KDX-2, KDX-3, and their LPX program.
Variants
Block 0
Also known as RIM-116A in US service, the original version called
Block 0 whose design is based on that of the
AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile, from which it took its
rocket motor,
fuse, and
warhead. Block 0 missiles initially home in on active radiation emitted from a target (such as the radar of an incoming anti-ship missile). Then, the terminal guidance is done by an
infrared seeker derived from that of the
FIM-92 Stinger missile. In test firings, the Block 0 missiles achieved hit rates of over 95%.
Block 1
The
Block 1 (RIM-116B) is an enhanced version of the RAM missile that adds an overall infrared-only guidance system that enables it to intercept missiles that are not
emitting any radar signals. The Block 0's
passive radar homing capabilities have been retained.
HAS
Sailors handle the rolling airframe missile system aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75).
In 1998 a
memorandum of understanding was signed by the defense departments of Germany and the United States to improve the system, so that it could also engage so-called "HAS",
Helicopter,
Aircraft, and
Surface targets. As developed, the
HAS upgrade just required software modifications that can be applied to all Block 1 RAM missiles.
SeaRAM
The SeaRAM is a companion self-defense weapon system to the rapid-fire-gun-based
Phalanx CIWS system which is also capable of engaging multiple attackers simultaneously.
Both systems are manufactured by Raytheon Company.
The SeaRAM combines the Phalanx's proven radar and sensor suite with an 11-cell RAM launcher to produce an autonomous system - one which does not need any external information to engage threats.
Thus like Phalanx, SeaRAM can be fitted to all class of ships. This is still in trial stages.
General characteristics (Block 1)
RIM-116 test firing
- Primary Function: Surface-to-Air Missile
- Warhead: blast fragmentation
- Guidance System: three modes—passive radio frequency/infrared homing, infrared only, or infrared dual mode enabled (radio frequency and infrared homing)
Operators
