Ship Self-Defense System

The Ship Self-Defense System (SSDS) is a combat system specifically designed for anti-air defense of aircraft carriers, and most other non-Aegis United States Navy combat ships. It coordinates several legacy shipboard systems as well as major acquisition programs. Multi-sensor integration, parallel processing and the coordination of hard and soft kill capabilities in an automated, doctrine-based response to the ASCM threats are the cornerstones of the SSDS.^[1]

The SSDS system coordinates all the ship's existing sensors, self-defense weapons and countermeasures into a unified, distributed, open-architecture system. It provides the ship with automated and rapid-reacting anti-air defenses, aimed particularly at countering the sea-skimming anti-ship missile threat. It is largely based on commercial off-the-shelf systems.^[2]

The automated integration of these sensor and weapon systems, which have traditionally been stand-alone units, greatly shortens the detect-to-engage cycle.^[2]

Although SSDSs does not improve the capability of individual sensors, it fuses the active and passive sensors and provides a more complete picture and enhances target automatic tracking to form a composite track.

The major benefits of this combination are an improved anti-cruise missile capability and faster reaction times in the littoral battle space and using track data from the other fleet and land sensors with the Cooperative Engagement Capability.^[3]

As well as controlling the hard-kill weapons on board such as the Evolved Sea-Sparrow Missile and the Phalanx close-in weapon systems - the SSDS is also integrated into the soft-kill equipment, including decoys and control of the electronic warfare system. It also includes embedded software that enables the system to be used as the auto detection to engage the decision aid.

SSDS Mark 2 has six variants:^[4] Mod 1, used in CVN 68 class aircraft carriers. Mod 2, used in LPD-17 class amphibious ships. Mod 3, used in LHD-1 class amphibious ships. Mod 4, for LHA-6 class amphibious ships. Mod 5, for LSD-41/49 class amphibious ships Mod 6, in development for CVN 78 class aircraft carriers.

The sensors that are fused into a composite picture include:^[5](subscription required)

AN/SPS-49 air search radar, AN/SPS-48E air search radar, The dual band radar (SPY-3 & SPY-4) on CVN 78 class, AN/SPQ-9B horizon search radar, AN/SPS-67 surface search radar, ANSLQ-32 electronic warfare system, Centralized identification friend or foe (CIFF).

References