RIM-162 ESSM
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| RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) | |
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| Basic data | |
| Function | Medium-range surface-to-air missile |
| Manufacturer | Raytheon |
| First flight | September 1998 |
| Entered service | February 2004 aboard USS Chafee |
| General characteristics | |
| Engine | Mk 143 Mod 0 solid fuel rocket |
| Launch mass | 620 lb (280 kg) |
| Length | 12 ft (3.66 m) |
| Diameter | 10 in (254 mm) |
| Speed | Mach 4+ |
| Range | 27+ nm (50+ km) |
| Warhead | 66 lb (39 kg) blast-fragmentation |
| Guidance | Midcourse datalink Terminal semi-active radar homing |
| Fuzes | Proximity fuse |
| Launch platform | Mk 41 VLS (RIM-162A/B) Mk 48 VLS (RIM-162C) Mk 29 box launcher (RIM-162D) |
The RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) is a development of the Sea Sparrow. missile used to protect ships from attacking missiles and aircraft. ESSM is designed to counter supersonic maneuvering anti-ship missiles. Compared to the Sea Sparrow, ESSM has a larger, more powerful rocket motor for increased range and agility, as well as upgraded aerodynamics using strakes and skid-to-turn. In addition, ESSM takes advantage of the latest missile guidance technology, with different versions for Aegis/SPY-1, Sewaco/APAR, and traditional target illumination all-the-way. ESSM also has the ability to be "quad-packed" in the Mk 41 VLS system, allowing four times the number of Sea Sparrow to be carried.
ESSM will be used by many allied countries. The first country to achieve operational status for ESSM was Australia. Other countries which also integrated the ESSM are The Netherlands and Norway. Other countries in the process of integrating ESSM are Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Japan, Spain and Turkey.
