The first fleet firings of a new-configuration Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) went well, the Navy reported.
Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Port Hueneme successfully conducted Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) engineering tests aboard an aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz (CVN 68), near San Nicholas Island in the Pacific Ocean.
Personnel from NSWC Port Hueneme served as test director and test conductor for the event.
Tests included two single missile scenarios and featured the first fleet firings of the new production configuration of ESSM from the new open architecture variant of the Ship Self Defense System (SSDS) on Nimitz.
“ESSM is a kinematic upgrade to the RIM 7P Sea Sparrow Missile and provides self-defense fire power against faster, lower, smaller, more maneuverable anti-ship cruise missiles,” said Mike Ryan, NSWC Port Hueneme missile test director. “The test team did a fantastic job of demonstrating the integration of the new ESSM configuration missile and the MK 57 and SSDS on board USS Nimitz.”
Tests demonstrated that SSDS and the newly-configured ESSM are properly integrated to engage anti-ship missile threat-representative targets. The tests also validated the new guidance improvement configuration of ESSM, which will increase guidance performance against air and surface threats and thus increase the probability of target kill and depth of defense.