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98-562: The Army had first considered anti-ballistic missiles as early as 1946, in order to protect against attack by V-2 missiles and similar weapons. This work, Project Thumper and Project Wizard , was handed off to the US Air Force when that command was created in 1948. Delays and changes of mission for Wizard led to the Army re-considering their own needs, and started the Plato study in 1952. Sylvania won

196-669: A Taepodong-1 missile over northern Japan, the Japanese have been jointly developing a new surface-to-air interceptor known as the Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3) with the US. Tests have been successful, and there are 11 locations that are planned for the PAC-3 to be installed. The approximate locations are near major air bases, like Kadena Air Base , and ammunition storage centers of the Japanese military. The exact location are not known to

294-408: A ballistic flight trajectory . The term "anti-ballistic missile" is a generic term for a system designed to intercept and destroy any type of ballistic threat; however, it is commonly used for systems specifically designed to counter intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). There are a limited number of systems worldwide that can intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles : During 1993,

392-467: A land-based anti-ballistic missile test on 11 January 2010. The test was exoatmospheric and done in midcourse phase and with a kinetic kill vehicle . China is the second country after US that demonstrated intercepting ballistic missile with a kinetic kill vehicle, the interceptor missile was a SC-19 . The sources suggest the system is not operationally deployed as of 2010. On 27 January 2013, China did another anti ballistic missile test. According to

490-624: A Spitfire happened upon a V-2 rising through the trees, and fired on it with no effect. This led to allied efforts to capture launching sites in Belgium and the Netherlands. A wartime study by Bell Labs into the task of shooting down ballistic missiles in flight concluded it was not possible. In order to intercept a missile, one needs to be able to steer the attack onto the missile before it hits. A V-2's speed would require guns of effectively instantaneous reaction time, or some sort of weapon with ranges on

588-515: A complex test designed to validate how the system can detect, identify, track and then discriminate real from decoy targets delivered into space by an improved Silver Sparrow target missile. According to officials, the milestone test paves the way toward low-rate initial production of the Arrow 3. David's Sling (Hebrew: קלע דוד), also sometimes called Magic Wand (Hebrew: שרביט קסמים), is an Israel Defense Forces military system being jointly developed by

686-523: A cost of $ 3 million. These simulators were unlike earlier ones produced in the late 1940s for airliners but now included visuals, sound, and movement. They were the first of today's modern flight simulators for commercial aircraft. In 1956, financially strapped automaker Studebaker-Packard Corporation entered into a management agreement with Curtiss-Wright to allow the nation's fifth-largest automobile manufacturer to avoid insolvency. The relationship lasted until 1959 at which time Curtiss-Wright withdrew from

784-529: A development contract in 1956, and the proposed missile was assigned the designation SAM-A-19. When rapid deployment of theatre weapons during the late 1950s placed the Army at risk, Plato was still nowhere near ready for deployment. Plato was canceled in February 1959 in favor of modifications to the Hawk and Hercules anti-aircraft missiles to provide some level of protection while a much more capable system, FABMDS ,

882-400: A diameter of 22 inches (560 mm), it was to be equipped with a nuclear warhead and could intercept incoming missiles at altitudes of up to 120,000 feet (37,000 m). By October 1962, however, the technology available was officially deemed incapable of producing a cost-effective system; in addition, the requirement had been altered to require capability for defense against aircraft, which

980-578: A few exceptions. Throughout the 1930s, Curtiss-Wright designed and built aircraft for military, commercial, and private markets but it was the Wright engine division and the longstanding relationship with the U.S. military that helped the company through the difficult years of the Great Depression . Guy Vaughan was appointed president in 1935. In 1937, the company developed the P-36 fighter aircraft, resulting in

1078-562: A few more times, including in November 2015. The HQ-29, a counterpart to the MIM-104F PAC-3 , was first tested in 2011. Surface-to-air missiles that supposedly have some terminal ABM capability (as opposed to midcourse capability): The technology and experience from the successful anti-satellite test using a ground-launched interceptor during January 2007 was immediately applied to current ABM efforts and development. China carried out

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1176-795: A latest generation ABM system with a radar site in the Czech Republic and the launch site in Poland . The system was announced to be aimed against ICBMs from Iran and North Korea. This caused harsh comments by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) security conference during spring 2007 in Munich. Other European ministers commented that any change of strategic weapons should be negotiated on NATO level and not 'unilaterally' [sic, actually bilaterally] between

1274-662: A letter of intent and agreeing to initial joint requirements. The ultimate goal of the project is to develop a countermeasure that could be integrated into the French-led EU TWISTER (Timely Warning and Interception with Space-based TheatER surveillance) capability program. TWISTER, launched in 2019 with MBDA France acting as lead contractor as well, is intended to be an air defense system capable of early warning, tracking and intercepting high-performance air threats, including defense against ballistic missiles (BMD) and hypersonic vehicles. The program involves France, Italy, Spain ,

1372-526: A move aimed at expanding its presence in the military aircraft emergency arresting systems sector. SAA, a subsidiary of Safran Aerosystems, specializes in designing and manufacturing aircraft emergency arresting systems and will operate within Curtiss-Wright's Naval & Power segment post-acquisition. The completion of the acquisition, valued at $ 240 million, is contingent on regulatory approval and other closing conditions, with expectations for finalization in

1470-685: A new missile defence system in Central Europe. According to a July 2007 survey, a majority of Poles were opposed to hosting a component of the system in Poland. By 28 July 2016 Missile Defense Agency planning and agreements had clarified enough to give more details about the Aegis Ashore sites in Romania (2014) and Poland (2018). Project 640 had been the PRC's indigenous effort to develop ABM capability. The Academy of Anti-Ballistic Missile & Anti-Satellite

1568-519: A project was feasible; Sylvania's design for the XSAM-A-19 missile was selected for development in September 1956. The XSAM-A-19 was expected to reach speeds of up to Mach 8; the issues with hypersonic control and thermodynamics were a major part of the project studies. The project was partially announced to the public in February 1958, with it being announced that "Plato" was a mobile system that would use

1666-564: A supplier of specialized data communications products for real-time systems, primarily for the aerospace and defense, industrial automation and medical image markets. The acquisition also reintroduced Curtiss-Wright to Dayton, Ohio. In 2010, Curtiss-Wright acquired Hybricon Corporation for $ 19 million in cash. Hybricon is a supplier of electronic packaging for the aerospace, defense, and commercial markets, and provides electronic subsystem integration. In 2011, Curtiss-Wright acquired Ireland-based Acra Control for $ 61 million in cash. Acra Control

1764-467: A symposium was held by western European nations to discuss potential future ballistic missile defence programs. In the end, the council recommended deployment of early warning and surveillance systems as well as regionally controlled defence systems. During spring 2006 reports about negotiations between the United States, Poland, and the Czech Republic were published. The plans propose the installation of

1862-409: A target going faster than ICBM warheads. On 16 November 2020 an SM-3 Block IIA interceptor successfully destroyed an ICBM in mid-course, under Link-16 Command and Control, Battle Management, and Communications ( C2BMC ). The U.S. Army Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system began production in 2008. Its stated range as a short to intermediate ballistic missile interceptor means that it

1960-430: Is South Korea's next anti-ballistic missile generation. It is expected to have a range of 150 km and be able to intercept targets between 40 km and 100 km of altitude, and it can also be used as an aircraft interceptor. The L-SAM system is expected to be complete and ready to use in 2024. The idea of destroying rockets before they can hit their target dates from the first use of modern missiles in warfare,

2058-645: Is a manufacturer and services provider headquartered in Davidson, North Carolina , with factories and operations in and outside the United States. Created in 1929 from the consolidation of Curtiss , Wright , and various supplier companies, the company was immediately the country's largest aviation firm and built more than 142,000 aircraft engines for the U.S. military during World War II . It no longer makes aircraft but does make many related components, particularly actuators , aircraft controls , valves , and it provides surface-treatment services. It supplies equipment to

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2156-540: Is a supplier of data acquisition systems and networks, data recorders, and telemetry ground stations for both defense and commercial aerospace markets. At the beginning of 2013, Curtiss-Wright acquired Exlar Corporation for $ 85 million in cash. Exlar, a private company, is a designer and manufacturer of highly engineered electric actuators used in motion control solutions in industrial and military markets. The acquired business will operate within Curtiss-Wright's Motion Control segment. In October 2013, Curtiss-Wright completed

2254-454: Is anticipated to yield a 100% free cash flow conversion rate, underscoring the robust liquidity position. This strengthened financial position can be leveraged for profitable and revenue-generating strategies. As well as manufacturing engines, a range of electrically actuated constant speed three- and four-bladed propellers were manufactured under the name Curtiss Electric . Albert Kahn Associates designed several industrial buildings for

2352-568: Is expected to perform much better than the Patriot did in the Gulf War. On 29 July 2004 Israel and the United States carried out a joint experiment in the US, in which the Arrow was launched against a real Scud missile. The experiment was a success, as the Arrow destroyed the Scud with a direct hit. During December 2005 the system was deployed successfully in a test against a replicated Shahab-3 missile. This feat

2450-614: Is for terminal phase interception. The current Phase-1 of the Indian ABM system can intercept ballistic missiles of range up to 2,000 km and the Phase-2 will increase it up to 5,000 km. Iran used Arman and S-300 missile systems for ballistic missile defense. The Arrow project was begun after the U.S. and Israel agreed to co-fund it on 6 May 1986. The Arrow ABM system was designed and constructed in Israel with financial support by

2548-916: Is not designed to hit midcourse ICBMs, which can reach terminal phase speeds of mach 8 or greater. The THAAD interceptor has a reported maximum speed of mach 8, and THAAD has repeatedly proven it can intercept descending exoatmospheric missiles in a ballistic trajectory. The U.S. Army Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system was developed by the Missile Defense Agency . It combines ground-based AN/FPS-132 Upgraded Early Warning Radar installations and mobile AN/TPY-2 X-band radars with 44 exoatmospheric interceptors stationed in underground silos around California and Alaska, to protect against low-count ICBM attacks from rogue states. Each Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) rocket carries an Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV) kinetic kill interceptor, with 97% probability of intercept when four interceptors are launched at

2646-645: Is the Sky Bow III (TK-3) . Since North Korea started developing its nuclear weapon program, South Korea has been under imminent danger. South Korea started its BDM program by acquiring 8 batteries of the MIM-104 Patriot ( PAC-2 ) missiles from the United States. The PAC-2 was developed to destroy incoming aircraft and is now unreliable in defending a ballistic missile attack from North Korea, as they have developed further their nuclear program. As of 2018, South Korea decided to improve its defense system by upgrading to

2744-498: Is to propose an architecture and technology maturation concept study for an endo-atmospheric interceptor to counter new, highly sophisticated emerging threats. HYDIS² is centered around the MBDA's Aquila hypersonic missile interceptor concept and will involve a consortium of 19 partners and over 30 subcontractors from 14 European countries. France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands have already confirmed their support and commitment, by signing

2842-535: The Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System . Japan is currently modifying another 4 destroyers so that they can take part of their defense force against ballistic missiles, bringing the total number to 8 ships. The Moscow ABM defense system was designed with the aim of being able to intercept the ICBM warheads aimed at Moscow and other important industrial regions, and is based on: In several tests,

2940-608: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is developing a new Prithvi interceptor missile code-named PDV. The PDV is designed to take out the target missile at altitudes above 150 km (93 mi). The first PDV was successfully test fired on 27 April 2014. According to scientist V K Saraswat of the DRDO, the missiles will work in tandem to ensure a hit probability of 99.8 percent. On 15 May 2016, India successfully launched AAD renamed Ashwin from Abdul Kalam Island off

3038-543: The Fakel 5V61 (known in the west as Galosh), was developed to carry the larger warhead and carry it much further from the launch site. Further development continued, and the A-35 anti-ballistic missile system , designed to protect Moscow, became operational in 1971. A-35 was designed for exoatmospheric interceptions, and would have been highly susceptible to a well-arranged attack using multiple warheads and radar black-out techniques. A-35

SAM-A-19 Plato - Misplaced Pages Continue

3136-580: The Kapustin Yar , and intercepted by a V-1000 launched from Sary-Shagan . The dummy warhead was destroyed by the impact of 16,000 tungsten-carbide spherical impactors 140 seconds after launch, at an altitude of 25 km (82,000 ft). The V-1000 missile system was nonetheless considered not reliable enough and abandoned in favour of nuclear-armed ABMs. Retired V-1000 was used to develop 1Ya2TA sounding rocket , capable of launching 520 kg scientific payload to an altitude of 400 km. A much larger missile,

3234-526: The Nike Zeus missile; in February 1959, before construction had begun on the prototype SAM-A-19 missiles, the project was canceled; the Nike Hercules surface-to-air missile would be adopted as an interim ABM. As of 2003, the official histories of Project Plato were still classified. As the Plato missile was designed to fly at speeds of Mach 6 to 8, a relatively unknown area, most of the Plato work after 1956

3332-647: The PAC-3 , which has a hit-to-kill capability against incoming missiles. The main reason that the South Korean anti-ballistic defense system is not very developed is because they have tried to developed their own, without help from other countries, since the beginning of the 1990s. The South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has confirmed that it has test launched the L-SAM system in February 2022. This particular missile has been in development since 2019 and

3430-472: The US Air Force and nuclear weapons establishments who suggested it would be much simpler to build more nuclear warheads and guarantee mutually assured destruction . Zeus was eventually cancelled in 1963. In 1958, the U.S. sought to explore whether airbursting nuclear weapons might be used to ward off ICBMs. It conducted several test explosions of low-yield nuclear weapons – 1.7kt boosted fission W25 warheads – launched from ships to very high altitudes over

3528-798: The US Army Signal Corps started basic research into two radar systems for ABM use. In January 1946 the Commanding General of the Army Ground Forces (AGF) established a requirement for a study program on the V-2 problem. In early February, the Joint Committee on New Weapons and Equipment, the "Stillwell Board" run by Joseph Stilwell , restated the antimissile requirement in its report on a Proposed National Program for Guided Missiles. By 1 April Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson had signed off on

3626-627: The Wright J65 . It powered models of the Martin B-57 , and several U.S. fighter aircraft. Subsequent derivative engines were late and did not find substantial markets. Curtiss-Wright briefly licensed rights to the Wankel rotary engine from NSU in 1958 as a possible aircraft power plant. For this project, Curtiss-Wright relied on the design leadership of NSU-Wankel engineer Max Bentele . In 1954, United Airlines bought four Curtiss-Wright flight simulators at

3724-399: The commercial , industrial , defense , and energy markets. It makes parts for commercial and naval nuclear power systems, industrial vehicles, and oil - and gas -related machinery. Curtiss-Wright formed on July 5, 1929, the result of a merger of 12 companies associated with Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company of Buffalo, New York , and Wright Aeronautical of Dayton, Ohio . It

3822-605: The AAF. Both projects moved to the Air Force when that force was created out of the Army Air Force in 1948. The Air Force cancelled Thumper in 1949, citing the overlap with the more advanced Wizard, and re-directed remaining funds to their GAPA anti-aircraft project. Wizard continued largely as a technology study with no actual hardware development. Throughout this period the Army remained concerned about ballistic missile attack, as well as

3920-649: The Army was nowhere near ready to deploy the Plato system. In something of a panic, the Army canceled Plato in favor of upgrades to the existing Hawk and Hercules missiles. This would be a stop-gap measure only, a true solution to the TBM problem was still needed. Despite the cancellation of Plato, the requirement for a definitive ABM system remained, and the Army started the Field Army Ballistic Missile Defense System project in September 1959. Studies of FABMDS were run through May 1960, and proposals for

4018-694: The Aster 30 Block II, which can destroy ballistic missiles up to a maximum range of 3,000 km (1,900 mi). It will incorporate a kill vehicle warhead. Involving France, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands , the HYDIS² (HYpersonic Defence Interceptor Study) was announced on June 20, 2023 and is a project led by MBDA . It was selected in March 2023 and is partially funded by the European Defense Fund (EDF). Its aim

SAM-A-19 Plato - Misplaced Pages Continue

4116-559: The Aster 30 missile and on 1 December 2011 a successful interception of a Black Sparrow ballistic target missile. The Horizon-class frigates in French and Italian service, the Royal Navy 's Type 45 destroyers , and the French and Italian FREMM-class frigates are all armed with PAAMS (or variants of it) integrating Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles. France and Italy are developing a new variant,

4214-597: The Chinese Defence Ministry, the missile launch is defensive in character and is not aimed against any countries. Experts hailed China's technological breakthrough because it is difficult to intercept ballistic missiles that have reached the highest point and speed in the middle of their course. Only two countries, including the US, have successfully conducted such a test in the past decade. On 4 February 2021, China successfully conducted mid-course intercept anti-ballistic missile test. Military analysts indicates that

4312-742: The Curtiss-Wright Airplane Division, which manufactured airframes ; the Wright Aeronautical Corporation, which produced aircraft engines ; and the Curtiss-Wright Propeller Division, which manufactured propellers . After 1929, most engines produced by the new company were known as Wrights. Existing aircraft continued using the Curtiss name, while new designs used either the Curtiss or Curtiss-Wright name, depending on which location they were designed by, with

4410-530: The German V-1 and V-2 program of World War II . British fighters destroyed some V-1 "buzz bombs" in flight, although concentrated barrages of heavy anti-aircraft artillery had greater success. Under the lend-lease program, 200 US 90 mm AA guns with SCR-584 radars and Western Electric / Bell Labs computers were sent to the UK. These demonstrated a 95% success rate against V-1s that flew into their range. The V-2,

4508-584: The Israeli defense contractor Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the American defense contractor Raytheon , designed to intercept tactical ballistic missiles, as well as medium- to long-range rockets and slower-flying cruise missiles, such as those possessed by Hezbollah , fired at ranges from 40 km to 300 km. It is designed with the aim of intercepting the newest generation of tactical ballistic missiles, such as Iskander . Since 1998, when North Korea launched

4606-544: The Netherlands, Finland and Germany. Competing against HYDIS², the EU HYDEF (European Hypersonic Defence Interceptor) also covers the concept phase to develop an endo-atmospheric interceptor and is related to TWISTER. Selected in July 2022, it is also partially funded by the EDF. It is coordinated by Spain's SENER Aeroespacial Sociedad Anonima , while Germany's Diehl Defence is serving as

4704-597: The U.S. Patriot missiles. China has acquired and is license-producing the S-300PMU-2/S-300PMU-1 series of terminal ABM-capable SAMs. China-produced HQ-9 SAM system may possess terminal ABM capabilities. PRC Navy's operating modern air-defense destroyers known as the Type 052C Destroyer and Type 051C Destroyer are armed with naval HQ-9 missiles. The HQ-19, similar to the THAAD , was first tested in 2003, and subsequently

4802-476: The U.S. and other states (although most strategic arms reduction treaties were between the Soviet Union and U.S., not NATO). The German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier , a Social Democrat, expressed severe concerns about the way in which the U.S. had conveyed its plans to its European partners and criticised the U.S. administration for not having consulted Russia prior to announcing its endeavours to deploy

4900-480: The U.S. military have demonstrated the feasibility of destroying long and short range ballistic missiles. Combat effectiveness of newer systems against 1950s tactical ballistic missiles seems very high, as the MIM-104 Patriot (PAC-1 and PAC-2) had a 100% success rate in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The U.S. Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System (Aegis BMD) uses RIM-161 Standard Missile 3 , which hit

4998-404: The United States by a multibillion-dollar development program called "Minhelet Homa" (Wall Administration) with the participation of companies like Israel Military Industries , Tadiran and Israel Aerospace Industries . During 1998 the Israeli military conducted a successful test of their Arrow missile. Designed to intercept incoming missiles travelling at up to 2-mile/s (3 km/s), the Arrow

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5096-580: The acquisition of 901D Holdings, LLC (901D) for $ 132 million in cash. Designing and manufacturing electronic systems, subsystems, and shipboard enclosures, 901D is a contributor to major U.S. Navy shipbuilding programs including both nuclear and non-nuclear powered vessels. In February 2020, Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE: CW) completed the acquisition of Dyna-Flo Control Valve Services Ltd. ("Dyna-Flo") for $ 81 million in cash. In January 2022, Curtiss-Wright Corporation (CW) announced an agreement to acquire assets from Safran Aerosystems Arresting Company (SAA),

5194-475: The acquisition of Keronite Group Limited, involving a cash transaction of $ 35 million. This strategic move is expected to enhance Curtiss-Wright's capabilities in Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation ("PEO") surface treatment services. Operating within Curtiss-Wright's Aerospace & Industrial segment, the acquisition is projected to have a neutral impact on the company's earnings in the initial year. It

5292-521: The acquisition of the Parvus Corporation, a business unit of Eurotech S.p.A ., for $ 38 million. Parvus is a leading designer and manufacturer of rugged small form factor computers and communications subsystems for the aerospace, defense, homeland security, and industrial markets. Curtiss-Wright acquired military communications equipment supplier Pacific Star Communications for $ 400 million, on November 2, 2020. Curtiss-Wright Corporation finalized

5390-463: The agreement. The shift of civilian aircraft to jets left the company with little of its old business, and during the 1960s it shifted to components for aircraft and other types of equipment, such as nuclear submarines , a business that continues today. In 2002, Curtiss-Wright acquired Penny & Giles , a supplier of black boxes and sensing devices (Hybrid linear, hybrid rotary and VRVT sensors). In 2003, Curtiss-Wright acquired Systran Corporation,

5488-493: The aim of creating a missile capable of intercepting the V-2. But defences against Soviet long-range bombers took priority until 1957, when the Soviet Union demonstrated its advances in ICBM technology with the launch of Sputnik , the Earth's first artificial satellite. The US Army accelerated development of their LIM-49 Nike Zeus system in response. Zeus was criticized throughout its development program, especially from those within

5586-609: The atmosphere) interceptor system, intercepted a Prithvi-II ballistic missile. The PAD missile has the secondary stage of the Prithvi missile and can reach altitude of 80 km (50 mi). During the test, the target missile was intercepted at a 50 km (31 mi) altitude. On 6 December 2007, the Advanced Air Defence (AAD) missile system was tested successfully. This missile is an endo-atmospheric interceptor with an altitude of 30 km (19 mi). First reported in 2009,

5684-498: The case, but Argus returned key data about a related effect, the nuclear electromagnetic pulse (NEMP). Other countries were also involved in early ABM research. A more advanced project was at CARDE in Canada, which researched the main problems of ABM systems. A key problem with any radar system is that the signal is in the form of a cone, which spreads with distance from the transmitter. For long-distance interceptions like ABM systems,

5782-564: The coast of Odisha . As of 8 January 2020, the BMD programme has been completed and the Indian Air Force and the DRDO are awaiting government's final approval before the system is deployed to protect New Delhi and then Mumbai. After these two cities, it will be deployed in other major cities and regions. India has structured a five-layer missile shield for Delhi as of 9 June 2019: PAD and PDV are designed for mid-course interception, while AAD

5880-427: The first true ballistic missile, has no known record of being destroyed in the air. SCR-584's could be used to plot the trajectories of the missiles and provide some warning, but were more useful in backtracking their ballistic trajectory and determining the rough launch locations. The Allies launched Operation Crossbow to find and destroy V-2s before launch, but these operations were largely ineffective. In one instance

5978-405: The go-ahead to begin deployment of such a system on 17 August 1956. Their test system, known simply as System A, was based on the V-1000 missile, which was similar to the early US efforts. The first successful test interception was carried out on 24 November 1960, and the first with a live warhead on 4 March 1961. In this test, a dummy warhead was released by a R-12 ballistic missile launched from

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6076-416: The government gave the development of the Whittle jet engine to GE , the company concentrated on reciprocating engines and propeller production for military transport and civilian airliners. With the twilight of the big piston aircraft engine, Curtiss-Wright needed a new design direction, and in 1950, Curtiss-Wright licensed the Sapphire jet engine from Armstrong Siddeley in the U.K and manufactured it as

6174-418: The inherent inaccuracy of the radar makes an interception difficult. CARDE considered using a terminal guidance system to address the accuracy concerns, and developed several advanced infrared detectors for this role. They also studied a number of missile airframe designs, a new and much more powerful solid rocket fuel, and numerous systems for testing it all. After a series of drastic budget reductions during

6272-664: The largest peacetime aircraft order ever given by the Army Air Corps. Curtiss-Wright also sold the P-36 abroad, where they were used in the early days of World War II . During World War II , Curtiss-Wright produced 142,840 aircraft engines, 146,468 electric propellers, and 29,269 airplanes. Curtiss-Wright employed 180,000 workers, and ranked second among United States corporations in the value of wartime production contracts, behind only General Motors . Aircraft production included almost 14,000 P-40 fighters, made famous by their use by Claire Chennault 's Flying Tigers in China, over 3,000 C-46 Commando transport aircraft, and later in

6370-421: The late 1950s the research ended. One offshoot of the project was Gerald Bull 's system for inexpensive high-speed testing, consisting of missile airframes shot from a sabot round, which would later be the basis of Project HARP . Another was the CRV7 and Black Brant rockets, which used the new solid rocket fuel. The Soviet military had requested funding for ABM research as early as 1953, but were only given

6468-434: The main plant at the Buffalo airport. During divestiture of the airframe division, the lab was given to Cornell University along with a cash gift to finish the construction of a transonic wind tunnel. Cornell Aeronautical Labs, or CAL as it was known, was eventually spun off from the university as a private company, Calspan Corporation , which has been responsible for numerous innovations in flight and safety research. After

6566-455: The need for some form of defensive system. In an 8 February 1950 memo to the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Army admitted that there "was no guided missile or other device in sight for protection against enemy supersonic guided missiles" and that the problem was "the extreme technical difficult in meeting or overtaking a missile travelling at supersonic speed.". In light of this, an existing Signal Corp radar project and other development

6664-449: The order of dozens of miles, neither of which appeared possible. This was, however, just before the emergence of high-speed computing systems. By the mid-1950s, things had changed considerably, and many forces worldwide were considering ABM systems. The American armed forces began experimenting with anti-missile missiles soon after World War II, as the extent of German research into rocketry became clear. Project Wizard began in 1946, with

6762-437: The overall technical lead. They are heading a consortium of partners and subcontractors from various EU countries. India has an active ABM development effort using indigenously developed and integrated radars, and indigenous missiles. In November 2006, India successfully conducted the PADE (Prithvi Air Defence Exercise) in which an anti-ballistic missile, called the Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) , an exo-atmospheric (outside

6860-415: The program, and at the end of May the Stilwell Board published a requirement for an antimissile with a 100,000 yard range. In March 1946 the Air Forces started Project Thumper (also known as MX-795) to consider the problem of defending against ballistic missiles like the V-2, using the "collision intercept" method. General Electric won the contract for Thumper, which is the first known ABM effort. Thumper

6958-403: The project, which was defined as being fully mobile and capable of undertaking four simultaneous intercept with a 95% probability of kill (PK); in September 1961, General Electric 's submission was judged the best of the proposals. The proposed FABMDS was a large, solid-fueled missile, capable of intercepting theatre and medium-range ballistic missiles ; 20 feet (6.1 m) in length with

7056-492: The public. A military spokesman said that tests had been done on two sites, one of them a business park in central Tokyo, and Ichigaya – a site not far from the Imperial Palace. Along with the PAC-3, Japan has installed a US-developed ship-based anti-ballistic missile system, which was tested successfully on 18 December 2007. Japan has 4 destroyers of this type capable of carrying RIM-161 Standard Missile 3 and equipped with

7154-711: The rapid development of jet engine technology and near-supersonic flight, this technological lag resulted in Curtiss losing a number of critical postwar military aircraft orders. The final nail in the coffin was the choice of the Northrop F-89 Scorpion over the XF-87 Blackhawk . After the F-87 was cancelled in October 1948, Curtiss-Wright shut down its entire Aeroplane Division and sold the assets to North American Aviation . Curtiss-Wright continued to occasionally venture back into

7252-467: The realization that sufficient quantities of aluminum aircraft alloys would be available for war production, plans for large-scale C-76 production were rejected. The Louisville plant was converted to C-46 Commando production, delivering 438 Commandos to supplement the roughly 2,500 C-46s produced at Buffalo. The C-46 cargo aircraft was fitted with two powerful radial engines and could fly at higher altitudes than most other Allied aircraft. Consequently, it

7350-510: The realm of designing aircraft, such as the TDU-12/B Skydart target drone and the X-19 tilt-rotor, but none of these amounted to anything and by the early 1960s Curtiss-Wright was no longer an aircraft manufacturer. While this marked Curtiss-Wright's departure from preeminence in the aviation industry, one notable spin-off involved Curtiss-Wright's flight research laboratory, founded in 1943 near

7448-402: The southern Atlantic Ocean. Such an explosion releases a burst of X-rays in the Earth's atmosphere, causing secondary showers of charged particles over an area hundreds of miles across. These can become trapped in the Earth' magnetic field, creating an artificial radiation belt. It was believed that this might be strong enough to damage warheads traveling through the layer. This proved not to be

7546-499: The target. Since 2004, the United States Army plans to replace Raytheon 's Patriot missile (SAM) engagement control station (ECS), along with seven other forms of ABM defense command systems, with Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) designed to shoot down short, medium, and intermediate range ballistic missiles in their terminal phase by intercepting with a hit-to-kill approach. Northrop Grumman

7644-649: The tense situations with China, Taiwan developed the Sky Bow (or Tien-Kung ), this surface-to-air missile can intercept and destroy enemy aircraft and ballistic missiles. These system was created in partnership with Raytheon Technologies , using Lockheed Martin ADAR-HP as inspiration to create the Chang Bai S-band radar system. The missiles have a range of 200 km and was designed to take on fast moving vehicles with low radar cross-section. The latest variant of this system

7742-456: The test and dozens done before reflects China's improvement in the area. Rumored midcourse missiles: The Aster is a family of missiles jointly developed by France and Italy . The Aster 30 variants are capable of ballistic missile defense. An export customer, the United Kingdom also operates the Aster 30 Block 0. On 18 October 2010, France announced a successful tactical ABM test of

7840-439: The third quarter of 2022. The strategic acquisition of SAA is part of Curtiss-Wright's efforts to enhance growth prospects and diversify its product portfolio. With an anticipated positive impact on CW's earnings, the $ 240 million transaction is projected to contribute to a robust free cash flow conversion rate exceeding 100%, signaling a favorable liquidity position for the company in the future. In November 2022, CW has finalized

7938-570: The war, over 7,000 SB2C Helldivers . Its most visible success came with the P-40, variously known as the Tomahawk, Kittyhawk, and Warhawk, which were built between 1940 and 1944 at the main production facilities in Buffalo, New York . During the war, a second large plant was added at Buffalo, followed by new plants at Columbus, Ohio ; St. Louis, Missouri ; and Louisville, Kentucky . Engine and propeller production

8036-511: Was also proposed. Despite the development of missiles, the programme was slowed down due to financial and political reasons. It was finally closed down during 1980 under a new leadership of Deng Xiaoping as it was seemingly deemed unnecessary after the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty between the Soviet Union and the United States and the closure of the US Safeguard ABM system. In March 2006, China tested an interceptor system comparable to

8134-508: Was at plants in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. In May 1942, the U.S. government assigned Curtiss-Wright a defense production factory for wartime aircraft construction at Louisville, Kentucky , to produce C-76 Caravan cargo aircraft, which was constructed mostly of wood, a non-priority war material. After difficulties with the C-76, including a crash of a production model in mid-1943, as well as

8232-486: Was concerned with aerodynamic and thermodynamic studies. Plato studies continued until February 1959, when very little progress had been made. Reports early that year demonstrated a rapid buildup of short- and medium-range missiles and rockets in the Warsaw Pact forces. Although first identified as a threat over a decade earlier, it took considerable time for the expected problem to actually evolve. In spite of this long delay

8330-695: Was considered compromising to the effectiveness of the system against missile targets, and the FABMDS program was canceled. It was replaced by the Army Air Defense for the 1970s (AADS-70) program, which became Surface-to-Air Missile-Development (SAM-D) and eventually produced the MIM-104 Patriot missile system. Anti-ballistic missile An anti-ballistic missile ( ABM ) is a surface-to-air missile designed to counter ballistic missiles (missile defense). Ballistic missiles are used to deliver nuclear , chemical , biological , or conventional warheads in

8428-506: Was defunded. The Army continued to press for such a system and launched numerous research projects to develop working solutions. In addition to the radar work at the Signal Corps, in 1950 they started a study to see if the Bomarc missile might fill the role. Initial specifications for a mobile "Anti-Missile Missile" system for defense against ballistic missile attack were defined in 1951; This

8526-479: Was developed. FABMDS was in turn canceled due to mobility concerns, and replaced by SAM-D, today's Patriot . As part of a sweeping review of post-war requirements, on 20 June 1945 the Army Ground Forces Equipment review listed the requirement for "High velocity guided missiles… capable of… destroying missiles of the V-2 type, should be developed at the earliest practicable date." In July of that year,

8624-498: Was especially true in the first two years of the war. Curtiss' failure to research and develop more advanced wing and airframe designs provided an opening for North American , Bell , Lockheed, Northrop, and other U.S. aircraft manufacturers to win contracts from the Army and Navy for more advanced aircraft designs. The P-60 , the firm's last prop-driven fighter design, was merely an extrapolation of its 1930s P-36 Hawk , offering no advantage over other designs already in service. With

8722-568: Was established from 1969 for the purpose of developing Project 640. The project was to involve at least three elements, including the necessary sensors and guidance/command system, the Fan Ji (FJ) missile interceptor, and the XianFeng missile-intercepting cannon. The FJ-1 had completed two successful flight tests during 1979, while the low-altitude interceptor FJ-2 completed some successful flight tests using scaled prototypes. A high altitude FJ-3 interceptor

8820-536: Was followed by a September 1952 contract with the Aerophysics Development Corporation of Curtiss-Wright to study the overall system, and a November 1952 contract with the Signal Corps to once again consider the radar problem. On 20 October 1952 when an Army G-4 meeting reiterated the need for such a system and initiated Project Plato to coordinate the various studies. When the Aerophysics report

8918-731: Was followed in April by a similar contract awarded to the Michigan Aeronautical Research Center (MARC) under the name Project Wizard (MX-794). A funding crisis in 1947 caused both projects to see reduced interest, and in the summer they were turned into long-term studies, with General Electric receiving $ 500,000 a year and the MARC $ 1,000,000 a year. The Army Air Force and Ordnance Department had earlier split up programs based on whether they were "airplane like" or "rocket like", but Thumper and Wizard broke this rule and were developed under

9016-541: Was headquartered in Buffalo, New York . With $ 75 million in capital (equivalent to $ 1.33 billion in 2023), it became the largest aviation company in the United States. By September 1929, Curtiss-Wright had acquired the Moth Aircraft Corporation (which primarily built de Havilland Moth aircraft under licence) and the Travel Air Manufacturing Company . There were three main divisions:

9114-532: Was later revealed that Wright company officials at Lockland had conspired with civilian technical advisers and Army inspection officers to approve substandard or defective aircraft engines for military use. Curtiss-Wright failed to make the transition to design and production of jet aircraft , despite several attempts. During the war, the company expended only small amounts on aircraft research and development, instead concentrating on incremental improvements in conventional aircraft already in wartime production. This

9212-552: Was repeated on 11 February 2007. The Arrow 3 system is capable of exo-atmosphere interception of ballistic missiles, including of ICBMs . It also acts as an anti-satellite weapon. Lieutenant General Patrick J. O'Reilly, Director of the US Missile Defense Agency , said: "The design of Arrow 3 promises to be an extremely capable system, more advanced than what we have ever attempted in the U.S. with our programs." On 10 December 2015 Arrow 3 scored its first intercept in

9310-590: Was returned on 15 May 1953 it gave them further impetus to research the radar systems, considered to the real problem, and sent out another contract to Bendix Aircraft in June 1953 to consider this. Their report returned in 1955 with the conclusion that the radar was possible. Studies by Sylvania Electric Products in 1953 and the Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory in 1954 led to the conclusion, in May 1956, that such

9408-637: Was selected as the prime contractor in 2010; the Army spent $ 2.7 billion on the program between 2009 and 2020. IBCS engagement stations will support identification and tracking of targets using sensor fusion from disparate data streams, and selection of appropriate kill vehicles from available launcher systems. In February 2022 THAAD radar and TFCC (THAAD Fire Control & Communication) demonstrated their interoperability with Patriot PAC-3 MSE missile launchers, engaging targets using both THAAD and Patriot interceptors. Procurement of MIM-104 Patriot and indigenous Tien-Kung anti-ballistic missile systems. With

9506-598: Was upgraded during the 1980s to a two-layer system, the A-135 . The Gorgon (SH-11/ABM-4) long-range missile was designed to handle intercepts outside the atmosphere, and the Gazelle (SH-08/ABM-3) short-range missile endoatmospheric intercepts that eluded Gorgon. The A-135 system is considered to be technologically equivalent to the United States Safeguard system of 1975. Curtiss-Wright The Curtiss-Wright Corporation

9604-755: Was used extensively in the China-Burma-India Theater . From 1941 to 1943, the Curtiss Aeronautical plant in Lockland, Ohio , produced aircraft engines under wartime contract, destined for installation in U.S. Army Air Forces aircraft. Wright officials at Lockland insisted on high engine production levels, resulting in a significant percentage of engines that did not meet Army Air Forces (AAF) inspection standards. These defective engines were nevertheless approved by inspectors for shipment and installation in U.S. military aircraft. After investigation, it

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