- WIADOMOŚCI
Patriot getting closer to 'over-the-shoulder' shooting
Lockheed Martin has reported on the subsequent stages of development for the RIG-360, a device providing omni-directional connectivity with PAC-3 family missiles used in Patriot systems during flight. In less than two months, a critical design review, a series of flight trials, and a missile launch test were conducted.
According to a statement from Lockheed Martin, the trials were successful, and the programme is ahead of schedule for delivery and implementation within the U.S. Army.
The RIG-360 is designed to enhance the operational capabilities of PAC-3 missiles by making the transmission of in-flight data independent of the Patriot system’s radar. Target information can originate from other sensors operating within the IBCS command system and then reach the missile via a separate link. This allows for complete freedom in selecting sensors and launchers tailored to the specific conditions of an intercept, utilising information available in the integrated air defence network without the need to rely on the communication assets of Patriot radars.
The PAC-3 missile launch test was preceded by three captive-carry trials. These involved an aircraft carrying the missile’s communication device to verify data exchange with the RIG-360 without launching a rocket. According to the manufacturer, full 360-degree connectivity was confirmed, as was the fulfilment of maximum transmission range requirements.
A few weeks later, a PAC-3 test firing was conducted, during which data exchange between the flying missile and the RIG-360 was confirmed. This allowed for the verification of the link’s performance during an actual missile flight, supplementing the results of the earlier aircraft-based tests.
The RIG-360 is set to increase the utility of PAC-3 missiles by separating the Patriot radar from the transmission of data to the flying missile. Today, even if a Patriot battery features the IBCS system and uses another sensor for target tracking, the update of data for that object (the so-called uplink) takes place via the Patriot radar (even if this radar does not „see” the target itself).
Thanks to the RIG-360, information acquired by sensors collaborating with the IBCS will be able to reach the missile via a separate link, without the need to use the Patriot radar’s communication equipment. This increases the flexibility of using radars and launchers operating within a single network and enables intercepts based on data from various sources.
PAC-3, currently produced in the modernised PAC-3 MSE version, is an active radar-guided missile used for defence against the most complex threats (ballistic and cruise missiles, aircraft). The PAC-3 MSE constitutes the primary armament for newer configurations of Patriot systems, including the Polish Wisła system. During the war in Ukraine, it has been used to engage Iskander and Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles, which are considered the greatest threat to critical infrastructure. Meanwhile, the IBCS is a command system developed by Northrop Grumman for the US Army, connecting various layers of air defence into a single network. It is used by the US Army and in Poland within the Wisła programme, and it will also be utilised in the target configuration of the Narew system. New sensors are to be integrated with the IBCS, including F-35A fighters and – in the Polish configuration – the domestic Sajna and Bystra radars.
