BAE Systems, AUSTIN, Texas: BAE Systems, supported by Rheinmetall Waffe Munition, successfully demonstrated the Multi-Ammunition Softkill System (MASS) shipboard decoy launcher system aboard the U.S. Army Theater Support Vessel Spearhead (TSV-1X).
The demonstration, managed by Army Watercraft Systems, took place at the U.S. Navy Pacific Missile Range Facility off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii.
The Army's TSV is a 319-foot wave-piercing catamaran. The vessel is part of an Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) to provide high-speed transport for troops and equipment across inter-theater seaways. MASS is part of the TSV Electronic Warfare Self-Protection Demonstration, an effort to demonstrate self-protection capabilities for the TSV.
In the Hawaiian tests, the MASS launcher was demonstrated in conjunction with electronic warfare sensors, including BAE Systems' Common Missile Warning System. “MASS, operating in conjunction with the electronic warfare sensor suite, is well-suited for applications where high-speed vessels operate close to shore and are subjected to a wide range of close-proximity threats,” said Gary Morris, BAE Systems' director of Business Development Sensor Integration.
When fully integrated with the ship's electronic warfare sensors, MASS automatically responds to threats such as radar, laser, infrared, and electro-optical guided bombs or missiles deploying various types of decoys.
MASS is designed and manufactured by Rheinmetall Waffe Munition, Germany. BAE Systems has a licensing agreement to market and produce the launcher system for U.S. military forces. MASS is in current use on vessels of several Western European navies.
BAE Systems is an international company engaged in the development, delivery, and support of advanced defense and aerospace systems in the air, on land, at sea, and in space. The company designs, manufactures, and supports military aircraft, combat vehicles, surface ships, submarines, radar, avionics, communications, electronics, and guided weapon systems.
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