The Medium Extended Air Defense System is a ground-mobile air and missile
defense system intended to replace the Patriot missile system through a
NATO-managed development. The program is a tri-national development of the USA,
Germany, and Italy. Description
Developed by Germany, Italy, and the United States, MEADS is a ground-mobile
air and missile defense system intended to replace German and United States
Patriot systems and Italian Nike Hercules systems. Germany chose MEADS to
replace their MIM-104 Patriot systems in June 2015. MEADS is designed to address
the shortcomings of fielded systems and to permit full interoperability between
U.S. and allied forces. It is the only medium-range AMD system to provide full
360-degree coverage against tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles,
unmanned aerial vehicles, aircraft, and large-caliber rockets.
MEADS provides ground-mobile air and missile defense with expanded coverage.
The system provides enhanced force protection against a broad array of
third-dimension threats. Improved interoperability, mobility, and full
360-degree defense capability against the evolving threat represent are key
aspects. MEADS is the first air and missile defense system that provides
continuous on-the-move protection for maneuver forces. MEADS also provides
area defense, homeland defense, and weighted asset protection.
MEADS incorporates the Lockheed Martin hit-to-kill PAC-3 Missile Segment
Enhancement missile in a system including 360-degree surveillance and
fire control sensors, netted-distributed tactical operations centers, and
lightweight launchers. A single MEADS battery is able to defend up to 8 times
the area of a Patriot battery through use of advanced 360-degree sensors,
near-vertical launch capability, and the longer-range PAC-3 MSE missile. The
MEADS radars – using active phased arrays and digital beam forming – enable
full use of the PAC-3 MSE missile’s extended range.
Truck-mounted MEADS elements drive or roll on and off C-130 and A400M
transport aircraft so they can quickly deploy to a theater of operations.
Because MEADS uses fewer system assets, it permits a substantial reduction in
deployed personnel and equipment. MEADS reduces demand for airlift, so it can
deploy to theater faster. The minimum MEADS engagement capability
requires only one launcher, one battle manager, and one fire control radar to
provide 360-degree defense of troops or critical assets. As more system elements
arrive, they automatically and seamlessly join the MEADS network and
build out capability. The prime contractor, MEADS
International, is a multinational joint venture headquartered in Orlando,
Florida. Its participating companies are MBDA Italia, MBDA Deutschland GmbH, and
Lockheed Martin. The company initially won a competitive downselect to develop
the MEADS system in 1999, but the program could not be started because the
losing competitor filed two successive suits. In 2001, a $216 million Risk
Reduction Effort contract was awarded to incorporate a new interceptor approach.
In May 2005, MEADS International signed a definitized contract valued at $2
billion plus €1.4 billion for MEADS design and development. This contract
was completed in 2014. The United States funded 58 percent of the MEADS Design
and Development program, with European partners Germany and Italy providing 25
percent and 17 percent respectively. The German Bundeswehr completed an
analysis of air defense alternatives in 2010 and strongly recommended MEADS as
the basis for improving Germany’s missile defense shield and as Germany’s
contribution to the European Phased Adaptive Approach. In February 2011, the
U.S. Department of Defense announced that it intended to fulfill its
commitment to complete the design and development effort, but that it would
not procure the MEADS system for budgetary reasons.
In October 2011, the National Armaments Directors of Germany, Italy, and the
United States approved a contract amendment to fund two flight intercept
tests, a launcher/missile characterization test, and a sensor
characterization test conducted to complete the planned development scope..
In September 2013, MEADS received operating certification for its Mode 5
Identification Friend or Foe system. Mode 5 is more secure and provides
positive line-of-sight identification of friendly platforms equipped with an IFF
transponder to better protect allied forces.
In June 2015, MEADS was selected as the basis for the German Taktisches
Luftverteidigungssystem, a new generation of air and missile defense
that requires flexible architecture based on strong networking capabilities.
MEADS was a candidate for Poland’s Wisła medium range air defense system
procurement, but was eliminated in June 2014 when competition was downselected
to the US Patriot system and the French/Italian SAMP/T system. MEADS
remains a candidate for Poland’s Narew short range air defense system
procurement. Major end items
The MEADS air and missile defense system is composed of six major equipment
items. The MEADS radars, battle manager, and launchers are designed for high
reliability so that the system will be able to maintain sustained operations
much longer than legacy systems resulting in overall lower operation and
support costs. Multifunction Fire Control Radar – an
X-band, solid-state, phased array radar using element-level transmit/receive
modules developed in Germany. The active electronically scanned array radar
provides precision tracking and wideband discrimination and classification
capabilities. For extremely rapid deployments, the MEADS MFCR can provide
both surveillance and fire control capabilities until a surveillance radar
joins the network. The MFCR uses its main beam for uplink and downlink
missile communications. An advanced Mode 5 identification friend-or-foe subsystem
supports improved threat identification and typing.
Surveillance Radar – the UHF MEADS Surveillance Radar is a 360-degree
active electronically steered array radar that provides extended range
coverage. It provides threat detection capability against highly maneuverable
low-signature threats, including short- and medium-range ballistic missiles,
cruise missiles, and other air-breathing threats.
Battle Management, Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and
Intelligence Tactical Operations Center – the MEADS TOC controls an advanced
network-centric open architecture that allows any combination of sensors and
launchers to be organized into a single air and missile defense battle element.
The system is netted and distributed. Every MEADS battle manager, radar, and
launcher is a wireless node on the network. By virtue of multiple
communications paths, the network can be expanded or contracted as the situation
dictates and precludes single point failure if one node becomes inoperable.
It also has a plug-and-fight capability that allows MEADS launchers and radars
to seamlessly enter and leave the network without shutting it down and
interrupting ongoing operations. MEADS uses open, non-proprietary standardized
interfaces to extend plug-and-fight to non-MEADS elements. This flexibility is
new for ground-based AMD systems. Launcher and Reloader – the lightweight
MEADS launcher is easily transportable, tactically mobile, and capable of rapid
reload. It carries up to eight PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement Missiles and
achieves launch readiness in minimum time. A MEADS reloader is similar but
lacks launcher electronic systems. Certified Missile Round – The PAC-3
Missile Segment Enhancement missile is the baseline interceptor for MEADS. The
interceptor increases the system's range and lethality over the baseline PAC-3
missile, which was selected as the primary missile for MEADS when the
design and development program began in 2004. The MSE missile increases the
engagement envelope and defended area by using more responsive control surfaces
and a more powerful rocket motor. In Germany, the PAC-3 MSE missile is
expected to be supplemented by IRIS-T SL as secondary missile for ground-based
medium range air defense. It is based on the IRIS-T air-to-air missile. The
shorter range IRIS-T SLS system uses unmodified IRIS-T air-to-air missiles
launched from standard LAU-7 aircraft launchers, four of which are mounted
onto an all-terrain launch vehicle, while the medium-range IRIS-T SL missile
is equipped with an enlarged rocket motor, datalink, and jettisonable
drag-reducing nose cone. Plug-and-Fight
In the BMC4I TOC, plug-and-fight flexibility lets MEADS exchange data
with non-MEADS sensors and shooters. The same capability lets MEADS move with
ground forces and interoperate with allied forces. Through interoperability
features designed into the system, MEADS will dramatically improve combat
effectiveness and situational awareness, reducing the potential for fratricide.
MEADS system elements can seamlessly integrate into each nation’s, or NATO’s,
combat architecture as required. Units can be dispersed over a wide area.
Command and control of launchers and missiles can be handed over to a
neighboring battle management unit while the initial systems are moved,
maintaining maneuver force protection. Plug-and-fight connectivity lets MEADS
elements attach to and detach from the network at will, with no requirement to
shut the system down. The MEADS plug-and-fight capability
enables command and control over other air and missile defense system elements
through open, non-proprietary standardized interfaces. MEADS
implements a unique ability to work with secondary missile systems if selected,
and to evolve as other capabilities are developed.
Integration and test history In July 2010, the MEADS BMC4I
demonstrated its interoperability with the NATO Air Command and Control System
during tests using the Active Layer Theatre Ballistic Missile Defense
Integration Test Bed being developed by NATO. The test was an early maturity
demonstration for the MEADS BMC4I capability.
In August 2010, the MEADS program completed an extensive series of
Critical Design Review events with a Summary CDR at MEADS International.
Reviewers from Germany, Italy, the United States, and the NATO Medium
Extended Air Defense System Management Agency evaluated the MEADS design
criteria in a comprehensive series of 47 reviews.
In December 2010, the first MEADS launcher and Tactical Operations Center
were displayed in ceremonies in Germany and Italy before initiating system
integration tests at Pratica di Mare Air Force Base in Italy.
In November 2011, it was announced that the MEADS Multifunction Fire Control
Radar had been integrated with a MEADS TOC and launcher at Pratica di Mare Air
Force Base. The objectives of the integration test series were to
demonstrate that the MEADS TOC could control the MEADS MFCR in coordination
with the MEADS Launcher as initial operational proof of the plug-and-fight
capability. The MFCR demonstrated key functionalities including 360-degree
target acquisition and track using both dedicated flights and other air traffic.
Then, at White Sands Missile Range, MEADS demonstrated a first-ever
over-the-shoulder launch of the PAC-3 MSE missile against a simulated target
attacking from behind. It required a unique sideways maneuver, demonstrating
a 360-degree capability. The missile executed a planned self-destruct
sequence at the end of the mission after successfully engaging the simulated
threat. In November 2012 at White Sands Missile
Range, MEADS detected, tracked, intercepted, and destroyed an
air-breathing target in an intercept flight test. The test configuration
included a networked MEADS Tactical Operations Center, lightweight launcher
firing a PAC-3 MSE, and a 360-degree MEADS Multifunction Fire Control Radar,
which tracked the MQM-107 target and guided the missile to a successful
intercept. Several progress milestones were
demonstrated during 2013, culminating in a 360-degree dual-intercept test that
went beyond initial contract objectives. In April, the MEADS Surveillance Radar
acquired and tracked a small test aircraft and relayed its location to a
MEADS TOC, which generated cue search commands. The MFCR, in full 360-degree
rotating mode, searched the cued area, acquired the target, and established a
dedicated track. In June 2013, during six days of
testing, MEADS demonstrated network interoperability with NATO systems
during Joint Project Optic Windmill exercises. MEADS demonstrated battle
management capability to transmit, receive, and process Link 16 messages
and to conduct threat engagements. In November 2013, MEADS intercepted and
destroyed two simultaneous targets attacking from opposite directions
during a stressing demonstration of its 360-degree AMD capabilities at White
Sands Missile Range, N.M. All elements of the MEADS system were tested,
including the 360-degree MEADS Surveillance Radar, a networked MEADS
battle manager, two lightweight launchers firing PAC-3 Missile Segment
Enhancement Missiles and a 360-degree MEADS Multifunction Fire Control Radar.
The flight test achieved all criteria for success.
The first target, a QF-4 air-breathing target, approached from the south as a
Lance missile, flying a tactical ballistic missile trajectory, attacked
from the north. The Surveillance Radar acquired both targets and provided
target cues to the MEADS battle manager, which generated cue commands for the
MFCR. The MFCR tracked both targets successfully and guided missiles from
launchers in the Italian and German configuration to successful intercepts.
At White Sands Missile Range, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman also
demonstrated plug-and-fight connectivity between MEADS and the U.S. Army’s
Integrated Battle Command System. IBCS demonstrated ability to plug-and-fight a
360-degree MEADS Surveillance Radar and Multifunction Fire Control Radar.
In July 2014, MEADS completed a comprehensive system demonstration at
Pratica di Mare Air Base, Italy. The tests, including operational
demonstrations run by German and Italian military personnel, were designed to
seamlessly add and subtract system elements under representative combat
conditions, and to blend MEADS with other systems in a larger system
architecture. All criteria for success were achieved.
During the test, plug-and-fight capability to rapidly attach and control
an external Italian deployable air defense radar was demonstrated. Also
demonstrated was engage-on-remote flexibility, which allows operators to
target threats at greater distances despite being masked by terrain. Through
reassigning workload, MEADS demonstrated ability to maintain defense capabilities
if any system element is lost or fails. Interoperability with German and Italian
air defense assets was demonstrated through exchange of standardized NATO
messages. Italian air-defense assets were integrated into a test bed at an
Italian national facility, while the Surface to Air Missile Operations Centre
and Patriot assets were integrated into a test bed at the German Air Force Air
Defense Center in Fort Bliss, Texas. MEADS further demonstrated capability to
perform engagement coordination with other systems, which fielded system are
unable to do. In September 2014, MEADS MFCRs completed
a six-week performance test at Pratica di Mare Air Base, Italy, and MBDA
Deutschland’s air defense center in Freinhausen. During the tests, the MEADS
MFCR successfully demonstrated several advanced capabilities, many of which are
critical for ground-mobile radar systems. Capabilities tested include
tracking and canceling of jamming signals; searching, cueing and tracking
in ground clutter; and successfully classifying target data using kinematic
information. See also
S-500 - Next-generation Russian surface-to-air missile.
Active electronically scanned array – an active electronically scanned array
radar is a type of phased array radar whose transmitter and receiver functions
are composed of numerous small solid-state transmit/receive modules.
Plug-and-Fight – ability of system elements to attach to and detach from
the network at will, with no requirement to shut the system down.
LFK NG – the new air defence missile of the German Army
MANTIS – the very short-range protection system of the German Army within the
"SysFla" program. NASAMS – air defence system using the
AIM-120 AMRAAM, developed by Norway. References
External links MEADS International website – MEADS
program website MBDA product page – German and Italian
contractors Lockheed Martin product page – U.S.
contractor IRIS-T SL/SLS – Further information on
the IRIS-T SL/SLS missile by German manufacturer Diehl BGT.