Tartar Guided Missile Fire Control System
Encyclopedia
The Tartar Guided Missile Fire Control System is an air defense system developed by the United States Navy
to defend warships from air attack. Since its introduction the system has been improved and sold to several United States
allies.
s is composed by a vertical rotating magazine holding 40 missiles, a Mk 13 launcher
, two AN/SPG-51
C fire-control radar
s and one DRBJ11 three-dimensional air search radar. Though the entire weapon system is commonly called Tartar, tracing back to its original linkage to the RIM-24 Tartar
missile, it utilizes medium-ranged RIM-66 Standard
missiles.
s, Virginia class cruiser
s, Kidd class destroyer
s and the Charles F. Adams class destroyer
. It is also in use in other countries such as the Fleet escorters
of the French Navy
Kersaint, Bouvet, Du Chayla and Dupetit-Thouars, and is now in use on the Cassard and Jean Bart
.
s, Virginia class cruiser
s and Kidd class destroyer
s had their Tartar systems upgraded to modification 14 or 15 standard which enabled them to employ the Standard missile 2 as part of the New Threat Upgrade
(NTU) program. The New Threat Upgrade equipped vessels could utilize the inertial guidance systems on the SM-2 and time share illumination radars for semi-active homing in the terminal phase of the intercept, increasing the number of targets the Tartar system could attack at the same time. The New Threat Upgrade
Tartar ships could function nearly as well as Aegis Combat System
equipped vessels, except for dealing with saturation missile attacks
. The NTU still requires the AN/SPG-51 radar to acquire and lock on the target just before intercept.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to defend warships from air attack. Since its introduction the system has been improved and sold to several United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
allies.
Description
The Tartar Guided Missile Fire Control System, or Mk 74 Guided Missile Fire Control System, or just Tartar, is a US-built medium-range anti-aircraft missile system. The French version used on Cassard class frigateCassard class frigate
The Cassard class is a class of AA frigates of the French Navy. The class is an air defence variant of the Georges Leygues class. The two classes have a different armament and propulsion system mounted on an identical hull. Their primary role is to provide air cover for a fleet, an aeronaval...
s is composed by a vertical rotating magazine holding 40 missiles, a Mk 13 launcher
Mk 13 Missile Launcher
The Mk-13 guided missile launching system is a single-arm missile launcher designed for use on frigates and other military vessels.The Mark 13 is equipped to fire the RIM-66 Standard, RGM-84 Harpoon, and RIM-24 Tartar missiles for anti-air and anti-ship defense, and is capable of firing the...
, two AN/SPG-51
AN/SPG-51
The AN/SPG-51 is a tracking / illumination radar for RIM-66 Standard missiles. It is used for target tracking and Surface-to-air missile guidance on s, s, and s.The French Cassard class frigates also utilise this system.Older variants were used on s....
C fire-control radar
Fire-control radar
A fire-control radar is a radar which is designed specifically to provide information to a fire-control system in order to calculate a firing solution...
s and one DRBJ11 three-dimensional air search radar. Though the entire weapon system is commonly called Tartar, tracing back to its original linkage to the RIM-24 Tartar
RIM-24 Tartar
The General Dynamics RIM-24 Tartar was a medium-range naval surface-to-air missile , and was among the earliest surface-to-air missiles to equip United States Navy ships...
missile, it utilizes medium-ranged RIM-66 Standard
RIM-66 Standard
The RIM-66 Standard MR is a medium range surface-to-air missile originally developed for the United States Navy . The SM-1 was developed as a replacement for the RIM-2 Terrier and RIM-24 Tartar that were deployed in the 1950s on a variety of USN ships...
missiles.
Deployment
It was installed on numerous US Cruiser and destroyers in the 1960s through early 1990s such as the California class cruiserCalifornia class cruiser
The California class cruisers were a set of two of nuclear-powered guided missile cruisers operated by the United States Navy between 1974 and 1998. Other than their nuclear power supply and lack of helicopter hangars, ships of the California class were comparable to other guided missile cruisers...
s, Virginia class cruiser
Virginia class cruiser
The Virginia-class nuclear guided-missile cruisers were a series of four double-ended guided-missile cruisers commissioned in the late 1970s, which served in the US Navy until the mid- to late-1990s...
s, Kidd class destroyer
Kidd class destroyer
The Kidd class guided missile destroyers were a series of four warships based upon the hull of the Spruance class destroyers. These ships were originally ordered by the Shah of Iran for service in the Persian Gulf in an air defense role...
s and the Charles F. Adams class destroyer
Charles F. Adams class destroyer
The Charles F. Adams class is a ship class of 29 guided missile destroyers built between 1958 and 1967. Twenty three ships were built for the United States Navy, 3 for the Royal Australian Navy, and 3 for the West German Bundesmarine. The ships were based on the existing Forrest Sherman class, but...
. It is also in use in other countries such as the Fleet escorters
T 47 class destroyer
The T 47 class were the first destroyers built for the French Navy after the Second World War. Twelve ships were built between 1955 and 1957. The ships were modernised in the 1960s and decommissioned in the 1980s when they were replaced by Georges Leygues-class frigatesThese ships were larger than...
of the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
Kersaint, Bouvet, Du Chayla and Dupetit-Thouars, and is now in use on the Cassard and Jean Bart
FS Jean Bart
The Jean Bart is an anti-air frigate of the French Marine Nationale of the Cassard type. She is the eighth vessel of the French Navy named after the privateer Jean Bart...
.
RIM-66B Standard
Starting in the middle 1960s a new family of guided missiles referred to as the Standard missiles were developed to replace the poor performing missiles used by existing fire control systems. The RIM-66A/B Standard replaced the earlier RIM-24C Tartar used by the system. The new missile made Tartar into a true medium ranged system. Besides having longer range than the RIM-24, the new missile was more accurate and reliable.New Threat Upgrade
Vessels of the California class cruiserCalifornia class cruiser
The California class cruisers were a set of two of nuclear-powered guided missile cruisers operated by the United States Navy between 1974 and 1998. Other than their nuclear power supply and lack of helicopter hangars, ships of the California class were comparable to other guided missile cruisers...
s, Virginia class cruiser
Virginia class cruiser
The Virginia-class nuclear guided-missile cruisers were a series of four double-ended guided-missile cruisers commissioned in the late 1970s, which served in the US Navy until the mid- to late-1990s...
s and Kidd class destroyer
Kidd class destroyer
The Kidd class guided missile destroyers were a series of four warships based upon the hull of the Spruance class destroyers. These ships were originally ordered by the Shah of Iran for service in the Persian Gulf in an air defense role...
s had their Tartar systems upgraded to modification 14 or 15 standard which enabled them to employ the Standard missile 2 as part of the New Threat Upgrade
New Threat Upgrade
-The Program:New Threat Upgrade was a program to improve the anti-aircraft capability of Terrier and Tartar ships. It allowed the full use of newer Standard missiles and improved the interoperability of the radar and computer systems aboard the ships...
(NTU) program. The New Threat Upgrade equipped vessels could utilize the inertial guidance systems on the SM-2 and time share illumination radars for semi-active homing in the terminal phase of the intercept, increasing the number of targets the Tartar system could attack at the same time. The New Threat Upgrade
New Threat Upgrade
-The Program:New Threat Upgrade was a program to improve the anti-aircraft capability of Terrier and Tartar ships. It allowed the full use of newer Standard missiles and improved the interoperability of the radar and computer systems aboard the ships...
Tartar ships could function nearly as well as Aegis Combat System
Aegis combat system
The Aegis Combat System is an integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and now produced by Lockheed Martin...
equipped vessels, except for dealing with saturation missile attacks
Saturation attack
Saturation attack is a military tactic in which the attacking side hopes to gain an advantage by overwhelming the defending side's technological, physical and mental ability to respond effectively...
. The NTU still requires the AN/SPG-51 radar to acquire and lock on the target just before intercept.
External links
- Global security - MK-74 Guided Missile Fire Control System
- Global security - SM-1 - The SM-1 MR is installed on FFG-, DDG-, CG-, and CGN-class ships equipped with a Tartar combat system.