There had been very little development in missiles since the collapse of the Soviet Union, but the race is back on. There are also some new players in this growing market. Canada has decided to stuff all the below missiles on its new frigates (update CSC: Now designated as Destroyers).
Camm or the Sea Ceptor is a close in, cost effective, short range anti-aircraft missile. It has a speed of mach 3, range of 25 km and uses active RF seeker. It is launched from the MK41 VLS and can be quad packed in a single cell.
No image of Sea Ceptor as it is called in the UK or the CAMM-ER in the rest of the world.
Evolved Sea Sparrow is a medium range, air defense missile. They will be launched from the Mk41 VLS. The missiles can be “quad packed” in a single cell. Mach 4 range 50 km.
Harpoon block 2 RGM-84 it called the Harpoon Next Generation. With a new lighter 300 lb (140 kg) warhead and a more fuel-efficient engine, it increases the ship-launched Harpoon missile’s range from the Block II’s 70 nmi (81 mi; 130 km) to 167.5 nmi (192.8 mi; 310.2 km).
Next Gen Harpoons would cost approximately as much as a Block II at $1.2 million each, with upgrades for an existing missile costing half that. This version is called, Harpoon Block II + ER.
Boeing claims the Block II+ ER is superior to the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) through its improved turbojet giving it greater range and active radar-homing seeker for all-weather operation, as well as a lighter but “more lethal” warhead.
Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile (NSM) will be the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) Ship’s main anti-surface warfare weapon.. It has an operational range of 185 km flies at high subsonic speed. GPS and terrain reference navigation and infrared homing.
The Tomahawk Land Attack Missile Bock 5 (TLAM) is a long-range (1,700 km), jet-powered, subsonic cruise missile. Mainly used for land attack, but can also attack other ships. Canada will equip its new CSC ships with the Block 5 Tomahawk. Imagine, Canada putting an offensive weapon on a warship.
- Missile Vertical Launch System 24 Cells (downgraded from original plan of 32) – LMC MK 41
- Area Air Defence Missiles – Raytheon Standard Missile 2
- Point Defence Missiles – Raytheon Evolved Sea Sparrow (RIM-162)
- Naval Fires Support – Raytheon Tomahawk (land & ship cruise missile)
- Main Gun System – OTO 127/64 LW Vulcano naval gun
- Lightweight Torpedoes MK54 (324mm) & Twin Launch Tubes
- 24x Close-In Air Defense System – MBDA Sea Ceptor
- 8x Surface-to-Surface Anti-Ship Missile – Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile
- 2 x Stabilized Rapid Fire 30mm (1.2 in) Naval Gun System – BAE
- 6x 12.7 (.50 in) M2 machine guns
image sources
- Evolved_Sea_Sparrow_Missile_ESSM: US Navy Lt. j.g. Joel Jackson | Public domains
- _Harpoon_missile_into_its_launch_rack_on_the_aft_VLS_d: U.S. US Navy James Lamb | Public domain
- Naval_Strike_Missile_(NSM): U.S. Navy Kenneth Rodriguez Santiago | Public Domain
- Tomahawk: U.S. Navy derivative work | Public domain