SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare Suite
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The AN/SLQ-32 is a shipboard electronic warfare suite built by the Raytheon Company of Goleta, California. It is currently (2005) the primary electronic warfare system in use by the U.S. Navy.
The SLQ-32 was conceived in the 1970’s to replace the AN/WLR-1 system, which had been in service since the early 1950’s. As originally designed the SLQ-32 was produced in three variants, the (V)1, (V)2 and (V)3. Later in its service life, two additional versions were built, the (V)4 and (V)5. Each variant is described briefly below.
- SLQ-32(V)1 – A simple threat warning receiver, it was capable of receiving high band radar signals of the type commonly carried on missiles and aircraft. The (V)1 was installed on auxiliary ships and small combatants such as frigates.
- SLQ-32(V)2 – Initially the most common variant, the (V)2 added the ability to receive surveillance and targeting radars. This provided a passive targeting capability for Harpoon missile equipped ships. The (V)2 was installed on frigates and destroyers.
- SLQ-32(V)3 – Expanding on the (V)2’s capabilities the (V)3 added active radar jamming capability. The (V)3 was installed on large combatants such as cruisers, battleships and large amphibious ships.
- SLQ-32(V)4 – Designed for installation on aircraft carriers the (V)4 consisted of two (V)3 systems, one for each side of the ship, tied to a common computer and display console. This design was necessitated by the long distance between the antennas, which created timing problems when processing signals.
- SLQ-32(V)5 – The (V)5 was built as a response to the Stark incident in 1987. The (V)5 incorporated a compact version of the (V)3 system intended to give active jamming capability to the Perry class FFG’s, which were too small to carry a full (V)3.
The original modular design was intended to allow upgrades of the system from one variant to the next by simply installing additional equipment as required. In practice this was rarely, if ever done. But starting in the early 1990’s a program was begun to upgrade all SLQ-32’s in the U.S. fleet. The (V)1 systems were upgraded to (V)2 and most (V)2’s were upgraded to (V)3. This was normally carried out during a major ship overhaul and the system was removed and shipped to the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Indiana for refurbishment.
Referred to by its operators as the “Slick 32” the SLQ-32 was surrounded by controversy throughout its early service life. The initial procurement process was built around a “design to price” concept in which the final delivery cost per system was fixed in the contract and the system would be designed to meet that cost. In order to meet the fixed cost provision of the contract, much of the field-testing normally done on military equipment was simulated using computer models and laboratory testing. The result was that many of the bugs in the system were only discovered after it was operationally deployed and the SLQ-32 was in a constant state of revision for many years. As time went on technicians and operators gained more experience with the SLQ-32 and this, coupled with improvements to the hardware and software gradually overcame the initial problems. The SLQ-32 is now the mainstay of surface electronic warfare in the U.S. Navy.
In 1996 a program called the Advanced Integrated Electronic Warfare System (AIEWS) was begun to develop a replacement for the SLQ-32. Designated the AN/SLY-2, AIEWS reached the prototype stage by 1999, but ongoing testing problems coupled with erratic funding have left the future of the program uncertain.
External links
- http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/weaps/an-slq-32.htm
- http://www.raytheon.com/products/slq32/
- https://wrc.navair-rdte.navy.mil/warfighter_enc/weapons/SensElec/cm/slq32.htm
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