Chapter 1249 Standard 3, Launch!

Chapter 1249 Standard 3, launch!

Pearson's estimate was spot on.

This test is called anti-satellite, but in fact it is an anti-missile interception test. There are too many connections to stop it midway.

Although outside concerns about this action have never ceased, the plan is still being implemented as usual.

For Americans, since the end of the Cold War, the red haze hanging over their heads has completely dissipated, and they no longer have to worry too much about international influence.

Now that you have thought about it, just do it.

2006 3 Month 5 Day.

Solomon Islands time, 14:27.

A fleet of five warships is sailing on the Pacific Ocean about 350km northeast of Guam.

Inside the bridge of the Kongo destroyer, which was located at the outermost part of the formation, Captain Chio Takano held up a telescope and looked at the USS Charlotte missile cruiser, which was a few kilometers away to the left front.

The other two escort ships, the USS Benford missile destroyer and the USS John Erickson fuel supply ship, were located slightly behind, forming a V-shaped row with the former.

In fact, for a modern combat ship, the captain does not appear on the bridge most of the time when performing missions, but is in charge of the overall situation in the Combat Intelligence Center (CIC).

However, since setting sail a few days ago, the Kongo has not received any additional instructions.

Even the Aegis air defense system was strictly prohibited from being activated.

All this destroyer with a full load displacement of 9500 tons needed to do was to follow the fleet from a distance and act as a spectator...

And mascots.

This inevitably discouraged the crew members who had high morale before departure.

In addition, appearing in the waters near the Mariana Islands in a warship named "King Kong" is indeed a bit of a hell joke, and it is hard not to make some strange associations.

But even so, Captain Takano's heart was still filled with excitement.

稍晚些时候，第一枚量产型的标准3block1A反导拦截弹将从夏洛伊号前甲板的MK41垂发系统中发射升空，并在预计3分钟击落一颗运行在大约500km高度的卫星。

Although this interception mission had nothing to do with the Maritime Self-Defense Force from planning to launching, the Standard 3 is, after all, a "decisive battle weapon" jointly developed by the two countries, which always gives him a sense of honor.

Due to specific historical reasons, the Self-Defense Forces have long had an inexplicable psychological advantage over China, believing that they should be far stronger than their opponents in terms of equipment level and personnel quality.

Especially naval power.

But the medium-range ballistic missiles equipped by the latter are always a lingering shadow.

Therefore, after the improvement, the effective firing height reached Standard 3 of hundreds of kilometers, which naturally became the psychological sustenance of Gao Ye and many of his colleagues.

According to the plan, after the interception test, the Kongo and Myoko destroyers will return to the Nagasaki Shipyard to upgrade to the same version 3.6.1 BMD missile interception system as the Charlotte.

By then, the Self-Defense Forces will become the second armed force in the world with missile defense capabilities.

The last shortcoming when facing China will also be made up...

Thinking of this, Takano Chio's breathing couldn't help but quicken.

The hands holding the telescope were shaking a little.

He took two deep breaths before he managed to calm himself down.

At this time, the telescope's field of view had shifted to the other side of the fleet.

There was also a destroyer sailing there that did not belong to the US military.

The title of Duke Chungmu Yi Sun-sin.

Gao Ye felt a little unhappy.

In the original plan, the interception fleet consisted of only four warships, including the Kongo.

However, during the preparation stage for departure, Seoul used the excuse of "facing more serious intermediate-range missile threats" to demand to participate.

So there was this fifth member.

However, since the opponent's first destroyer Sejong the Great equipped with the Aegis system has not yet been put into service, only a general-purpose destroyer with a smaller displacement and without regional air defense capabilities can be arranged to participate.

Obviously there is a qualitative gap between it and King Kong.

"Hmph... just a second-rate ally..."

He repeated this sentence silently several times, as if he had found a strange sense of superiority.

My mood has improved...

……

At the same time, inside the CIC of the cruiser Charlotte, there was a completely different tense scene.

Fleet commander Major General Paul Hawke was staring seriously at the satellite orbit data transmitted by the data link on the screen in front of him, waiting for the final launch window to arrive.

The AN/SPY1 radar of the Aegis system was designed from the beginning for fleet air defense. Although it has been modified, neither its detection distance nor its field of view supports the completion of anti-satellite missions alone.

Especially the early warning information, the data can only be shared by the aerospace tracking and control network.

However, no matter how efficient the data link is, there will still be delays. At the same time, the interception window of the Standard 3 at a 500-kilometer orbit is extremely narrow, which requires a very high level of experience from the commander.

"Captain, the Maui Optical Observatory reports that the target satellite has entered the transfer orbit!"

The voice of the radio operator behind him instantly made Hawke's brain tense.

"All members in position, adjust the Aegis system to semi-automatic combat mode!"

After hesitating for a moment, he added another instruction:

"Notify the Kongo so they can activate the data link and air defense command system, but still prohibit turning on the radar."

As his orders were given, the entire warship began to move rapidly like a well-oiled machine.

"Captain, we have successfully connected to the C2BMC system!"

"Captain, orbital information has been acquired successfully, prepare to input into the interceptor fire control center!"

"Thermal battery activated, missile power-up complete!"

"Inertial Measurement Unit Zero..."

"LEAP warhead seeker begins cooling down..."

"..."

The first two stages of the Standard 3 are identical to the Standard 2 series that Charlotte has launched countless times. The Aegis system automatically completes the check and no additional work is required.

However, the additional third stage and warhead (fourth stage) were something that no one on the ship had ever encountered before, so every step required special attention.

After a few minutes, the missile was ready to launch.

At the same time, the SPY1B radar, operating in narrow pulse and staring mode, captured a continuously visible signal.

The distance is 740km, which is almost at the limit of detection capability in anti-missile mode.

"Request the target orbit data again from the Space Command. Make sure it is 100% correct!"

Hawke knew that everything on this mission was pushed to its limits, so the radar resolution was not completely reliable.

There are hundreds of spacecraft flying in the sky. If the wrong target is hit, it will be a very troublesome problem even for the US Navy.

Fortunately, the UARS satellite was in the process of orbit transfer and its characteristics were too obvious, so the C2BMC system quickly sent back a message confirming the target.

Hawke took a deep breath and stared at the target parameters on the screen.

After more than ten seconds, the satellite entered the interception window over the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

"emission!"

The weapons control officer beside him, who had practiced many times, pressed the launch button hard, and a vertical launch unit on the front deck of the Charlotte immediately popped open its cover.

One-fifth of a second later, thick smoke and flames suddenly spurted out along the long flame exhaust port in the middle of MK41, almost illuminating the entire front of the bridge.

Immediately afterwards, a Standard Missile 3 interceptor missile that had been prepared broke through the sealing cover and went straight into the sky, trailing bright yellow flames and billowing white smoke.

After a few seconds of delay, this spectacular scene was transmitted to the ABC TV studio through two cameras installed on the USS Charlotte and the USS Benfold, and then broadcast to viewers around the world.

Of course, this also includes Chang Haonan who is at home.

When the missile was launched on the TV screen, he noticed that Yao Mengna, who was lying on his legs, tensed up slightly, and was obviously very concerned about the result.

If this test is completed successfully, it will certainly not be good news for China.

The guest on TV, Wilbert Pearson Jr., was talking to the live broadcast:

"Look, the missile is launched!"

He clenched his fists, leaned forward, and made a gesture as if he wanted to get into the screen:

"Because the flying speeds of satellites and missiles are very high, and the Standard Missile 3 is a direct-ascent interceptor missile, it will not send the payload into a stable orbit like a rocket, so there is only a very short interception opportunity. If you miss it, it means failure..."

"The last time humans performed the same mission was 20 years ago when I flew an F15A to launch an ASM135 missile. Even though 21 years have passed, we in the United States are still the only country on Earth that has such great technology... It's just that back then we were protecting the free world, and now we are protecting the safety of all mankind..."

"..."

Even though the first two stages of the Standard 3 missile are directly derived from the Standard 2, and therefore its initial ascent speed is far slower than its counterparts such as the A235, this lengthy presentation is enough to make the missile disappear from the camera's screen.

In the studio, the only way to understand the relative positions of the missile and the satellite is through a demonstration animation simulated based on radar detection signals.

While the missile was still flying, the host quickly intervened:

"Mr. Pearson, you just mentioned ensuring the safety of all mankind. I want to know if there will be any uncontrollable situation after the satellite is hit by a missile?"

Pearson's excitement just now was just an act. Now he became alert when he heard this key question:

"I'm not going to act like a prophet, but I can tell you what happened twenty years ago."

He picked up the satellite model that he had prepared long ago, took a pen as a missile, and began to recall the mission that year.

At the same time, high in the sky where no one can see.

The third stage of the Standard Missile 3 interceptor missile has completed the second ignition as instructed, sending the missile to an altitude of approximately 400km.

One second later, the second propellant charge burned out, and the MK136 engine was shut down. Then, the MK142 kinetic warhead (LEAP), which had already revealed its true appearance, was released.

The powerless LEAP failed to escape the Earth's gravity and began to slow down, showing slight signs of instability.

But long before the third-stage rocket stopped working, the 256*256-unit pound-tin mercury focal plane array at the top of the seeker had already captured an infrared signal almost in the center of the field of view.

The 10 surrounding attitude control engines were immediately started, adjusting the thrust at a frequency of 30 times per second to maintain the angle and viewing angle of the seeker to the target, always keeping it firmly aimed at the target with the most correct attitude.

At this time, the warhead was only about 55km away from the satellite.

The two sides were flying towards each other at a speed of 15km per second.

4 second, 3 seconds, 2 seconds...

In the simulation diagram, two light spots of different colors overlapped and then disappeared together.

"Intercept...Hit!"

Sound cannot be transmitted in outer space without a medium, but the head-on collision between the MK142 kinetic warhead and the UARS satellite was still like a loud bell, striking heavily in the hearts of all colleagues around the world.

The fireworks that exploded 500km above everyone's head were just like the United States' supreme military and technological hegemony.

Seems... invincible.