Meet NASAMS

Most areas around the US, you would be hard pressed to find any kind of defenses, other than aircraft. However, if you were to travel Washington DC, you would find many Avenger, vehicle mounted Surface to Air Missile systems. You'd even find some hard mounted to the top of buildings.

The Avenger uses the FIM-92 Stinger infrared missile, and is only effective for short range targets. It also has a fairly light warhead, so use against anything large would require several missiles minimum.

From the center of the city out, for a range of 15 miles is the Flight Restricted Zone (FRZ). It's a multiple layer defense zone that covers a bubble of the city. The entire layer is patrolled by active defenses, such as QRA F-16s, and Coast Guard helicopters with message boards hanging in the doors. The inner layer consists of the Avenger systems around the Mall, and the Pentagon (since 9/11, not before), both mobile and fixed sites.

The middle ring is where things get interesting. There is a defense system there capable of covering almost the entire FRZ, regardless of size or vector to the target, that not a lot is known about.

Let me introduce you to the NASAMS. NASAMS stands for National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System. It consists of a fixed launcher with a "six pack" of missiles. It has a self enclosed sensor system, including radar, and electro-optical sensors placed around the launcher system. It's modular, and capable of integrating into existing defense systems quite easily.

The missile is based on the AIM-120 AMRAAM, known as the SLAMRAAM (Surface Launched Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile). It loses range on the AMRAAM, being ground launched (range is estimated between 8 and 20 miles depending on source). It has seen success in Europe, although it never found large sales in the US. The Norwegian version of the SLAMRAAM system is in its second generation, and a third generation is planned based on the Evolved Sea Sparrow system.

The NASAMS began to show up in 2005 and are in no way hidden from view. They have been placed alongside roadways, and near targets that are high on a list that someone might want to destroy.

NASAMS II

Meet NASAMS

More NASAMS

Hey Zaph...
thought you might find this interesting....
Posted today:

Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Low Rate Initial Production VI
Solicitation Number: N00019-11-C-0083
Agency: Department of the Navy
Office: Naval Air Systems Command
Location: NAVAIR HQ

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Notice Details
Packages

Complete View
Original Synopsis
Presolicitation
Sep 15, 2010
12:23 pm
J&A
Aug 09, 2011
12:47 pm
Award
Aug 09, 2011
12:51 pm
Changed
Oct 15, 2013
11:57 am


Solicitation Number:
N00019-11-C-0083
Notice Type:
Award
Synopsis:
Added: Sep 15, 2010 12:23 pm
The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program Office intends to award a contract to Lockheed Martin Corporation, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Fort Worth, TX for Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot VI requirements. The proposed contract will provide for twenty-eight (28) Conventional Take-off and Landing (CTOL) aircraft, eighteen (18) Short Take-off Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft, seven (7) Carrier Variant (CV) aircraft (or other such quantities as may be authorized and appropriated by Congress); as well as associated sustainment support including spares, support equipment, non-recurring autonomic logistics sustainment activities, training, Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) hardware, depot activation, Performance Based Logistics (PBL) operations, and maintenance for all CTOL, STOVL, and CV aircraft; Ancillary Mission Equipment (AME); Production Non-Recurring (PNR) activities to support the JSF production ramp rate including tooling, test equipment, production aids, production equipment, support labor and technical assistance; technical and financial data; and proposal preparation for LRIP Lot VI full funding. In addition, there will be ordering line items to allow for additional supplies and services, including but not limited to Diminishing Manufacturing Sources (DMS) procurements, retrofit efforts required to update accepted aircraft to newer configurations, Engineering Change Proposals (ECPs), and Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) maintenance. The proposed contract action is for supplies or services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with Lockheed Martin Corporation under authority of FAR 6.302-1. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. However, interested parties may submit a capability statement for the purpose of determining whether to initiate a competitive procurement. All responses received within forty-five days after date of publication of this synopsis will be considered by the government. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the government. Questions regarding this notice should be addressed to Paul Campbell via e-mail at [email protected] anticipated award date for the LRIP Lot VI production & sustainment efforts is April 2012.
Added: Oct 15, 2013 11:57 am

In accordance with 10 U.S.C. § 2533a(k), Notification Required Within 7 Days After Contract Award If Certain Exceptions Applied, the following notification is provided. The Secretary of the Navy has determined, through application of the exception set forth in subsection (c) of 10 U.S.C. § 2533a, that items manufactured from or containing synthetic fabric or coated synthetic fabric (including all textile fibers and yarns that are for use in such fabrics) grown, reprocessed, reused, or produced in the U.S. for the US-16E Ejection Seat incorporated into F-35 aircraft or procured as spares cannot be procured in sufficient quantity and satisfactory quality as and when needed at U.S. market prices. A Domestic Non-Availability Determination (DNAD) was approved on July 11, 2013. The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) awarded a modification on September 27, 2013 to the previously awarded F-35 Lightning II Low Rate Initial Production Lot VI Advance Acquisition Contract (N00019-11-C-0083) for delivery of non-U.S. source items in accordance with the approved DNAD.
Please consult the list of document viewers if you cannot open a file.
Justification and Approval
Type:
Other (Draft RFPs/RFIs, Responses to Questions, etc..)
Posted Date:
August 9, 2011
LRIP 6 J&A posting.pdf (174.62 Kb)
Description: Justification and Approval for F-35 Lightning II JSF LRIP 6
Contracting Office Address:
Building 2272
47123 Buse Road Unit IPT
Patuxent River, Maryland 20670
United States
Place of Performance:
P.O. Box 748, Mail Zone 1301
Fort Worth, Texas 76101
United States
Primary Point of Contact.:
Daniel Spiller,
Contract Specialist
[email protected]
Phone: 7036074440

reply to post by AFewGoodWomen


It only took them almost a year to get it done.

That's interesting to know but what did they have pre- 9/11? I know the Secret service had some type of SAMs as they anticipated a possible shootdown of incoming aircraft and i find it impossible to believe the Pentagon had nothing to defend from air attacks (aside from scrambled fighters).
Also, what is your source for the information you provided?
Thanks.

reply to post by Asktheanimals


They had MANPADS Stingers at the White House and around certain areas of Washington, but not much else. A Stinger won't stop a 757 sized target, unless you have a bunch of them, and can volley them.

There are a number of sources online, including ones that show some of the batteries.

Fort Belvior NASAMS

Naval Yard Avengers

Caderock NASAMS

Andrews NASAMS

HMX-1 Avengers

In 2006 the Norwegian magazine Økonomisk Rapport (Economic Report) revealed that several NASAMS were used to guard air space over Washington, D.C. during the 2005 presidential inauguration. According to the report, the same NASAMS units has since been used to protect air space around the White House. The magazine had gotten access to the deal which mentioned specifically that the equipment be used for protection of the President in Washington. Director Tore Sannes of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace refused to comment, other than acknowledging that they had made a weapon systems deal with US military contractor Raytheon and the USAF.

sirviper.com.../nasams

Kongsberg PDF

reply to post by Zaphod58


Very cool! Thanks!
::where's my thumbs up emoticon?::