Air defense and command frigate Zr.Ms. Trump fired four missiles during the large-scale naval exercise “Formidable Shield.” They also succeeded in detecting a ballistic missile in space using the SMART-L radar. For example, the most important objectives of the Dutch Navy seem to have been achieved now that the exercises are over.
Zr.Ms. Trump launches the SM-2. The missile was aimed at a subsonic target, a target that does not fly faster than sound. (Image: Defense)
Massive Shield is an exercise in the waters of Norway and the Atlantic Ocean in which thirteen NATO countries and its partner participated this year. In addition to the Netherlands and Norway, the United States, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Italy, France, Denmark, Finland, Poland and Australia participated in the exercise, which began on May 8 and ended yesterday.
The exercise focused mainly on integrated air and missile defence. Zr.Ms. goals So Trump focused on this. A Navy spokesperson, who was located in Norway, told Marineschip.nl that the frigate had been put into action several times.
To simulate supersonic anti-ship missiles, Coyote is used. This missile, if all goes well, will be destroyed during the exercise. (Photo: US Navy)
Four missile launches
De Tromp fired four missiles during the exercise. The spokesman said that all of these four missiles were targeting an air target. Aerial targets were Banshee Jet 80 subsonic targets, Tromp also fired at a supersonic target with the French FREMM FS Bretagne and the Spanish Blas de Lezo (Alvaro de Bazan class) frigate. The supersonic anti-ship missile was According to the US Navy, re-enacted by a GQM-163A coyote, launched from the Hebrides. The Coyote is a cruising missile that reaches speeds of Mach 3.8 at high altitudes and 2.6 a few meters above the waves.
During at least part of the rehearsals, Tromp had eg Commander of the Anti-Air Force Force Responsible for the division’s air defense.
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Americans do it themselves
Also, at the same time as the last launch, a ballistic missile was detected in space using the ship’s SMART-L MM/N radar. Trump managed to pull that together: Then they pulled out the ballistic missile, as we call it, and put it on the link, the spokeswoman explains. Placing it on the link will share the route with other ships.
By: Jaime Karremann
Few naval ships can see a ballistic missile in space. Fewer ships can also see an anti-ship missile, because the radar is often completely focused on what is happening in space. Such a ship would be vulnerable to attack itself. This is why Dutch frigates practice joint defense; Aerial targets (to protect themselves and surrounding ships) and ballistic missiles.
The big black radar on the right is SMART-L. This radar can see up to 2,000 kilometers of missiles in space. APAR, the radar in the corner mast to the left of the image, is used to see and track incoming low-flying missiles. (Photo: Jaime Karremann / Marineschips.nl)
LCFs can do this at the same time. Anyway, the SMART-L MM/N has different modes; From full air defense to full anti-ballistic missile defense, but also combinations in between. However, frigates also have an APAR, and this radar is designed to detect low-flying targets and guide missiles to their target. For example, the SMART-L MM/N can focus on space and the APAR can, for example, search the horizon for sea-skimming missiles.
The Americans destroyed the missile. The Americans did this on the basis of their own information, not ours, as happened two years ago. But we discovered that ballistic missile ourselves.
Two years ago, Zr.Ms. De Zeven Provincin made history during the Formidable Shield by becoming the first ever European ship to successfully track a ballistic target and transmit data using its own resources.
We did it two years ago, but this year the Americans wanted to practice it themselves and work with their own data, the Navy spokesman said.
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Author: Tobias Capel Tobias has been working as a freelance journalist at Marineschips.nl since August 2020. In addition, he is mainly active in sports journalism at AD Sportwereld, Eurosport and Hockey.nl, among others. Tobias studied history, public administration and organizational sciences at Utrecht University and holds a master’s degree in media and journalism from Erasmus University Rotterdam. |
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