The Extended Range Guided Munition was a precision guidedrocket-assisted 5-inch (127 mm) shell (projectile) development by Raytheon for the U.S. Navy. The program was cancelled in March 2008 after twelve years of development and over 600 million dollars in funding.[1] The developmental round was designated EX 171.[2]
Navy Image of an ERGM
ERGM consisted of three major subsections: propulsion (rocket motor), warhead, and Guidance, Navigation and Control section. ERGM is fired from the 127 mm (5 inch) 62 Caliber Mark 45 gun Mod 4, at which point the fins would deploy and the rocket motor would ignite, lifting the munition to at least 80,000 feet (24 km), after which the canards would deploy and guide the ERGM to the target using GPS guidance. It was to be used on Arleigh Burke-class destroyers hulls DDG-81 onward.[3]
A similar system (though for MLRS) developed by SAAB and Boeing reached production in 2019 and is known as the GLSDB.
Despite the long development time, the ERGM never worked as reliably as the older but significantly less expensive laser-guided M712 Copperhead. During development, the ERGM failed several tests in which the tail fins failed to deploy at launch, rocket motors did not ignite, or the electronic components did not survive the stress of being fired from a gun.[4] In February 2008, guidance components, rocket motors, and tail fins all failed in tests; Raytheon claimed they were testing specific functionalities rather than overall functionality and that they were "on the verge" of making the whole system operate reliably, but the Navy had lost confidence after years of issues and were no longer expecting a return on investment. Rising cost was another factor in cancellation. The unit cost of the shell more than quadrupled, from US$45,000 in 1997 to $191,000 by 2006 (the Copperhead unit production price was about $30,000), reducing the projected buy from 8,500 to about 3,150. Program research-and-development costs had increased from $80 million to $400 million between 1997 and 2004, with total program costs increasing from $400 million to $600 million. The Navy formally cancelled the ERGM program on 19 March 2008.[5]BTERM was another U.S. Navy developmental round that included GPS guidance in an artillery shell; it too was terminated in 2008 after over four years of development by ATK.
^Torres, Rene. "Raising the Iowa: Reactivating the Iowa Class Battleships to Fill the Current Naval Surface Fire Support Vacancy" (PDF). Marine Corps Combat Development Command. p. 9. (PDF) from the original on 2021-11-21. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
^ abRaytheon ERGM (5" Projectile MK 171) - Designation Systems
^Wertheim, Eric (2005). The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, 2005–2006: Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. p. 946. ISBN978-1591149347.
Graham, Major Jeff (June 2004). (PDF). Brief for the NDIA International Armaments Technology Symposium and Exhibition. Naval Surface Fire Support Program Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-27.
November 11, 2023
extended, range, guided, munition, ergm, redirects, here, term, also, refer, exponential, random, graph, model, precision, guided, rocket, assisted, inch, shell, projectile, development, raytheon, navy, program, cancelled, march, 2008, after, twelve, years, de. ERGM redirects here The term may also refer to the exponential random graph model The Extended Range Guided Munition was a precision guided rocket assisted 5 inch 127 mm shell projectile development by Raytheon for the U S Navy The program was cancelled in March 2008 after twelve years of development and over 600 million dollars in funding 1 The developmental round was designated EX 171 2 Navy Image of an ERGMERGM consisted of three major subsections propulsion rocket motor warhead and Guidance Navigation and Control section ERGM is fired from the 127 mm 5 inch 62 Caliber Mark 45 gun Mod 4 at which point the fins would deploy and the rocket motor would ignite lifting the munition to at least 80 000 feet 24 km after which the canards would deploy and guide the ERGM to the target using GPS guidance It was to be used on Arleigh Burke class destroyers hulls DDG 81 onward 3 A similar system though for MLRS developed by SAAB and Boeing reached production in 2019 and is known as the GLSDB Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Specifications 3 Program timeline 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksSynopsis editDespite the long development time the ERGM never worked as reliably as the older but significantly less expensive laser guided M712 Copperhead During development the ERGM failed several tests in which the tail fins failed to deploy at launch rocket motors did not ignite or the electronic components did not survive the stress of being fired from a gun 4 In February 2008 guidance components rocket motors and tail fins all failed in tests Raytheon claimed they were testing specific functionalities rather than overall functionality and that they were on the verge of making the whole system operate reliably but the Navy had lost confidence after years of issues and were no longer expecting a return on investment Rising cost was another factor in cancellation The unit cost of the shell more than quadrupled from US 45 000 in 1997 to 191 000 by 2006 the Copperhead unit production price was about 30 000 reducing the projected buy from 8 500 to about 3 150 Program research and development costs had increased from 80 million to 400 million between 1997 and 2004 with total program costs increasing from 400 million to 600 million The Navy formally cancelled the ERGM program on 19 March 2008 5 BTERM was another U S Navy developmental round that included GPS guidance in an artillery shell it too was terminated in 2008 after over four years of development by ATK Specifications edit nbsp EX 171 ERGMCaliber 127 mm 5 in Length 1 55 m 5 ft 1 in Weight 50 kg 110 lb Speed gt 3000 km h 1860 mph Range 110 km 60 nm Guidance GPS INS Accuracy lt 20 m CEP independent of range Propulsion Solid propellant rocket motor Warhead 72 DPICM submunitions EX 1 or unitary high explosive Program timeline edit1996 Program started 2 December 2001 All up round guided test flight of an ERGM at White Sands Missile Range NM 6 February 2005 Successfully test fired two tactical ERGM rounds 6 April 2005 U S Navy closes original ERGM program and re opens new competition to meet the requirement 7 March 2008 Navy ends funding to Raytheon effectively killing the program 8 See also editBallistic Trajectory Extended Range Munition Long Range Land Attack Projectile Rocket Assisted Projectile M982 ExcaliburReferences edit Torres Rene Raising the Iowa Reactivating the Iowa Class Battleships to Fill the Current Naval Surface Fire Support Vacancy PDF Marine Corps Combat Development Command p 9 Archived PDF from the original on 2021 11 21 Retrieved 2023 01 07 a b Raytheon ERGM 5 Projectile MK 171 Designation Systems Wertheim Eric 2005 The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 2005 2006 Their Ships Aircraft and Systems Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press p 946 ISBN 978 1591149347 Guided munition may be canceled Navy Times End of ERGM spotlights other future guns Navy Times a b EX 171 ERGM Extended Range Guided Munition Global Security Navy Smart Shell Does a Crash and Burn Strategy Page Navy ends ERGM funding Navy TimesExternal links edit 1 Raytheon Company Products amp Services ERGM Missile Systems Precision Guided Projectiles Raytheon Graham Major Jeff June 2004 Extended Range Guided Munition ERGM Program PDF Brief for the NDIA International Armaments Technology Symposium and Exhibition Naval Surface Fire Support Program Office Archived from the original PDF on 2012 09 27 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Extended Range Guided Munition amp oldid 1157081745, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
