Anti-aircraft artillery in the 21st century?

[kato]

Linebackers are out of service. Avenger is a VSHORAD LOS system with a not exactly spectacular hit propability whose intended mid-range NLOS backup within FAAD was cancelled 15 years ago.

PAC-3 is the lowest-level (mid-range) land-based air defense system for the USA, with a 10-20 km range against non-ballistic air targets, effectively replacing the role of Hawk. The likelihood to encounter one within 20 km of a C-RAM system is rather low though.

 

[DarthAmerica]

Phalanx C-RAM, the land-based variant, isn't. It's a single-layer system owing to the fact that the US does not field any mid- or shortrange air-defense systems (except PAC-3, which won't be layered into a C-RAM environment).

Other then the avengers and linebackers, which are MANPADS mounted on other chassis, what else did you have in mind? Lets say, what did you have in mind with range of over 10kms?

I'm referring to USN SAMs.

-DA

 

[My2Cents]

I'm of the opinion that it will not cost as much as we think. Nothing really new is needed here. Only the technical challenges of integration.

Depends on how you calculate the costs. The upfront fixed costs to purchase and set up the weapon will be quite high, but the cost per use will be very low. The relative lifetime cost will depend on how many intercepts you assume over the life of the weapon. With enough intercepts it will look cheaper than any alternative.

DEWs will be the perfect example of the expensive launcher with cheap ammo, as opposed to missiles which are cheap launchers with expensive ammo.

 

[Feanor]

I'm referring to USN SAMs.

-DA

Your points in regards to the USN was correct. I believe we have now moved on to discussing the Army version.

 

[SpudmanWP]

Too bad SLAMRAAM got canned, although they are finishing the Dev if the Army later decides to buy it.

 

[DarthAmerica]

Your points in regards to the USN was correct. I believe we have now moved on to discussing the Army version.

Well in that case the US Army AD Branch doesn't have more than a very basic short range air defense and very sophisticated strategic SAM/BMD capability but nothing in between. However this is due to lack of threat and almost assured dominance of the air by other Armed Services.

-DA