Extended Range Munition [ERM]
Navy funds in FY2006 provide for the development of two separate 5" guided projectiles; the Extended Range Guided Munition (ERGM) and the Ballistic Trajectory Extended Range Munition (BTERM) as part of the ERM demonstration. ERGM is being executed as a formal ACAT program while ERM is a demonstration project via a Broad Agency Announcement. Both were executed through the end of FY05. In FY06, a full and open competition will be held to select a single 5" guided projectile for System Development and Demonstration leading to an Initial Operational Capability in FY11.
The Extended Range Munition (ERM) program began in FY04 with a planned IOC in FY08. Development of the Extended Range Munition (ERM), for use in existing 5"/54 MK45 Mod 2 guns, included the a Low Cost Guidance and Electronic Unit (LCGEU) from demonstration of Ballistic Telemetry Range Munition (ANSR). The Technology demonstrations for both ANSR and the LCGEU are being executed under a BAA contract award to Draper Laboratory. The Navy requires an affordable projectile - one that costs $35,000 or less per unit, including the cost of the propelling charge; the unit cost objective is $15,000.
The success of the war-fighting concepts of the Navy (Forward From the Sea) and the Marine Corps (Operational Maneuver From the Sea) requires the support of improved Naval Surface Fire Support capabilities. Whether from close range or from over-the-horizon, these improved capabilities must support future amphibious operations and joint land battle scenarios. A critical element in achieving these goals is the development of long range, low cost, lethal projectiles. One such program currently under development to meet this need is the Extended Range Guided Munition program.
The Extended Range Munition (ERM) is a key element in providing a near term Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS) capability. The NSFS mission is to support the US and allied assault landing forces through increased range and accuracy. Funds requested provide engineering support for items procured in same fiscal year. Support efforts include analysis of producibility and production operations; preparation, test and technical evaluation of engineering changes to correct deficiencies in the production item; preparation, test and technical evaluation of waivers and deviations; value engineering; review and evaluation of production design data and documentation; production configuration control; and other related engineering function which are integral to an item's manufacture.
On 31 October 2003 the Naval Sea Systems Command solicited proposals under Broad Agency Announcement Solicitation Number BAA N00024-04-R-4302 for Extended Range Munition demonstration. A major goal of this BAA is to demonstrate low cost alternative guided projectiles. NAVSEA sought proposals for the demonstration of alternative precision-guided munition concepts capable of being fired from the Navy MK 45 gun system by the end of September 2005. The Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) solicited proposals from qualified Offerors for the demonstration of alternative precision-guided munition concepts capable of being fired from the Navy MK 45 gun system by the end of September 2005. Specifically, NAVSEA seeks innova tive concepts for all weather, day/night alternative gun-launched projectiles capable of operation in the Mk 45 Mod 4 (required) and Mod 2 (desired) guns.
The contractor is responsible for all aspects of the demonstration effort including, development/acquisition of propelling charge, arrangement of test facilities and activities, as well as any associated Government support. It is expected that the demonstration process will include subcomponent tests and all-up-round (AUR) tests. The subcomponent tests should be utilized to verify suitability for AUR integration and tests. The AUR flight tests should demonstrate that the design concept meets as many Key Parameters (long range, medium range, minimum range, jammed and unjammed environments, lethality, etc.) as possible. The Navy also desires a telemetry system integral to the round to limit the number of test configurations.
Mk 45 gun system interface verification tests are required with the Mod 4 gun system - this is to include round initialization tests to support system rate of fire requirements. Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System concepts must use Selected Availability Anti-Spoofing Module receivers with Black Keys. The knowledge, use, and implementation of NATO standardization agreements (STANAGs) and Allied Ordnance Publications (AOPs) in supporting the design and demonstration effort will be looked upon favorably. The contractor is not required to assess barrel wear issues attributable to the projectile and/or propellant charge; however, this is a key parameter so the Government will perform barrel wear an alysis of the Contractor's design during the demonstration effort. Contractors must keep in mind that, even though they are not required to perform the analysis, their proposed concept will be evaluated with respect to barrel wear.
In August 2004 the Navy modified plans for extended range munitions for 5-inch gun. The Navy notified industry of intent to issue a solicitation in 2005 for System Development and Demonstration with a low rate initial production option of precision-guided, extended range munitions to be fired in the Navy’s 5-inch gun. According to program official, depending on which system is selected, initial operational capability could be as late as 2011. Evolving toward a FY 2005 “shoot-off,” either the Extended Range Guided Munition or the Autonomous Naval Support Round will enhance the range and accuracy of Navy 5-inch guns. In order to mitigate risk for the munitions development, the Navy conducted an open source selection in Fiscal Year 2005 between the Extended Range Guided Munition (ERGM), the Ballistic Trajectory Extended Range Munition (BTERM II) and potential competitors.
The 15 March 2005 House Armed Services Committee Subcommittee on Projection Forces report stated "In order to mitigate risk for the munitions development, the Navy will conduct an open source selection in Fiscal Year 2005 between the Extended Range Guided Munition (ERGM), the Ballistic Trajectory Extended Range Munition (BTERM) and potential competitors. The contract will be awarded in early Fiscal Year 2006 with IOC planned for Fiscal Year 2011."
On 30 June 2005 it was announced that the Naval Sea Systems Command intended to issue a DRAFT solicitation N00024-05-R-4313 for the Extended Range Munition (ERM) Projectile and Propelling Charge System Development and Demonstration (SDD). This DRAFT solicitation includes options for: Developmental Test and Operational Test (DT/OT) Test Assets; Assembly of DT/OT Test Assets; Transition to Production; Long Lead Items Procurement; Low Rate Initial Production; and Engineering Services. A contract with cost plus award fee, cost plus incentive fee and cost plus fixed fee line items was contemplated.
The Contractor shall provide labor, facilities, and engineering services to design and develop the ERM projectile that is fully integrated into the Mk34 Gun Weapons System. The Contractor shall design and document a tactical ERM propellant charge that provides consistent and safe gun launches of the ERM projectile. The Contractor shall perform supporting analysis, simulations and testing to qualify the projectile and propelling charge.
Cost targets have been established for the ERM Projectile. The Contractor shall implement a Cost As and Independent Variable (CAIV) program. To be affordable in the quantities required, ERM average unit procurement cost (FY 03 $) must not exceed $48,000 (threshold) based on a procurement objective of 18,000 rounds. Objective average unit cost is $20,000 based on the same quantity. Navy officials had estimated ERGM would cost $60,000 to $100,000 per unit, depending on the quantities produced.
Technology demonstrations have shown that micromachined silicon instruments can be used to construct a six-axis inertial navigator (three translation and three rotation axes) that can be used together with the Global Positioning System to guide a projectile. The inertial navigator provides navigation if GPS is jammed, it works in the autopilot's control loops to transform Earth-referenced navigation commands into body-referenced control commands, and it stabilizes the line of sight for a terminal seeker to provide proportional navigation.
Although the technology demonstration showed that silicon micromachined instruments could provide this inertial navigator, the market has not yet produced such instruments in large quantities. For other applications (for example, automotive air bags) there are instruments that almost provide the needed performance. Although a full-custom, purpose-designed silicon micromachined IMU is technically feasible, the up-front costs have prevented any manufacturer from producing it, given the limited number of EX-171 projectiles to be produced (compared to the million-unit quantities typical of commercial production.) Asked to develop a highly integrated IMU, produced in a custom process with up to 20 steps, for a market that may purchase only 10,000 units, industry sees too much risk and too little payoff. So, to have a viable, low cost source of instruments, with the possibility of multiple vendors, the NSFS program must look to non-custom, commercial off-the-shelf instruments.
The DRAFT Request for Proposal Draft Solicitation N00024-05-R-4313 was released June 30, 2005 for the Extended Range Munition (ERM) Projectile and Propelling Charge System Development and Demonstration (SDD). This DRAFT solicitation includes options for: Developmental Test and Operational Test (DT/OT) Test Assets; Assembly of DT/OT Test Assets; Transition to Production; Long Lead Items Procurement; Low Rate Initial Production; and Engineering Services. A contract with cost plus award fee, cost plus incentive fee and cost plus fixed fee line items is contemplated. Section C, the Extended Range Munition (ERM) Capability Development Document (CDD), was not provided as part of this draft Request for Proposals (RFP).
A primary objective of the contract is to develop a gun launched (from a MK 45 Mod 4 Gun ) ERM airframe which is kinetically capable of meeting the performance requirements specified in Section C of the RFP. The Offeror shall describe in detail his airframe design, and shall include modeling and analysis results and/or experimental data from related efforts, to indicate range (minimum and maximum) capability, accuracy and structural integrity in order to meet Section C of the RFP requirements.
A primary objective will be the ability of the Offeror’s GNC design to successfully navigate and control the ERM projectile over the entire operating envelope of the projectile. Offeror’s will describe the Guidance Electronic Unit (GEU), Canard Actuation System (CAS) and GPS receiver design with anti-jam capability. The contractor shall provide a design of the Inertial Sensing Assembly (ISA). The Offeror shall describe in detail how the accelerometers, CAS and rate gyros in their design will be able to survive the high “g” environment as specified in Section C of the RFP. The Offeror shall describe in detail how the ISA will meet the performance requirements as specified in Section C of the RFP, addressing the loss of GPS lock in a jamming environment and continued ISA guidance performance to targets at all engagement scenarios. The Offerer shall describe the process by which the canards are commanded and physically moved in order to correct for guidance error.
The Offeror will describe the ability of the GPS receiver to achieve the fastest satellite acquisition time possible. This is especially true for the case when jammers are in close proximity at any time during flight. The Offeror shall propose his acquisition time and justify this time, and the corresponding acquisition range, as a function of his design’s resistance to jamming as described in Section C of the RFP. The Offeror shall describe in detail how his design will be able to achieve his proposed acquisition time. The Offeror shall also discuss in detail how his design will be able to survive the high “g” environment as specified in Section C of the RFP. The contractor shall provide specific design detail on high “g” survivability of the GPS clock oscillator.
A primary objective will be the Offeror’s ability to design and manufacture a warhead to meet the lethality criteria specified in Section C of the RFP under all flight profiles (range, angle of fall, velocity) specified in Section C of the RFP. The Offeror must show an understanding that the entire payload section meets Navy Qualification and Insensitive Munition requirements. The Offeror must demonstrate the survivability of the warhead during all environments associated with gun launch. The Offeror must demonstrate in his proposal the ability of the warhead design to satisfy the Navy safety requirement as specified in Section C of the RFP.
The contractor shall provide a design of the rocket motor which will allow the ERM to meet the performance requirements specified in Section C of the RFP. The contractor shall offer a detailed description of the rocket motor case, propellant compositions, safety and ignition systems. Projected motor performance parameters should be described. Understanding of the need to meet Navy propellant Qualification and Insensitive Munition requirements will also be considered.
A primary objective will be the Offeror’s ability to manufacture a suitable propelling charge for the ERM. The charge must provide adequate energy at gun launch to achieve trajectories to meet mission requirements over the entire operation envelope of the projectile as specified in Section C of the RFP.
ATK announced in a 22 February 2006 Press Release that the BTERM development team had "successfully conducted a challenging short-range, unboosted, guided flight test of ATK’s ballistic trajectory extended range munition (BTERM) in support of the Navy’s extended range munition (ERM) requirement. In this engineering test, the advanced, BTERM guided projectile flew more than 8 miles and landed within two meters of the target. This is the latest in a series of engineering tests leading up to guided and boosted flight-tests, currently being scheduled for this spring." ATK was preparing for its next phase in the development plan, a series of boosted and guided flight tests, which are slated to be conducted later in 2006 and 2007.
On April 25, 2006 Alliant Techsystems announced that it has successfully fired a Ballistic Trajectory Extended Range Munition (BTERM) rocket motor in support of the U.S. Navy’s Extended Range Munition (ERM) program. Following the successful validation test of its rocket motor, ATK demonstrated the effectiveness of its Ignition Safety Device (ISD). Both tests were conducted at the Yuma Proving Grounds, Yuma, Ariz., on April 14, 2006.
At the beginning of 2006 it was planned that in 3Q FY06, a contract would be awarded for the 5" guided projectile for System Development and Demonstration (SDD). As of 01 October 2006 [that is, the start of 1Q FY07] no contract had been awarded. The SDD continued in FY07 leading to an LRIP decision in FY10 and Initial Operational Capability in FY11.
