NationStates Jolt Archive

The Empire of Layarteb today that research and development on the XMIM-188A Crow. This site deployable anti-air missile will also have good anti-ballistic missile protection. It utilizes hit-to-kill technology coupled with a 300 pound blast fragmentation warhead.

The 18 foot missile is 1 foot wide and has a wingspan of some 2 feet. Weighing 4,250 pounds, the missile can engage targets between 80 and 250,000 feet between ranges of 1 and 350 miles. Propelled by a chemical rocket using a gel fuel (this is secret IC by the way), the missile can fly at Mach 6.0 and pull up to 100Gs by using 216 small solid rocket motors in the forward body.

Guidance is provided by a number of methods. The most primary is active X-band radar, which uses an AMRAAM style attack method in that it does not alert the target until its terminal phase. Additionally, the missile can track using imaging infra-red, which provides no RWR warning whatsoever. A passive seeker is also optional for use against bombers and large fighters. It allows for full datalink and an anti-stealth system uplink (secret IC). Lastly, for ultra close engagements, the missile can use millimeter wave radar.

The missile is set for flight testing within the week. A single site has been erected somewhere along the east coast of Layarteb for a test shot over the Atlantic Ocean. The site consists of some 12 launchers and necessary guidance antennae and radar masts. Each launcher holds up to 7 missiles on a rotary style system that allows for rapid fire and easy reload through an automatic loader feed system. The automatic loader feed system is essentially a trailer behind each TEL that holds up to 28 reloads. Therein, there are 35 missiles per unit for firing. Reloading of the tubes takes mere seconds. After all 7 missiles have been fired, the assembly lowers and spins, picking up the next 7 missiles as it goes along. Each tube takes only 8.14 seconds to reload, 57 seconds total for a full reload.

http://www.theforsakenoutlaw.com/Graphics/Nation-States/Other/xmim188.jpg
Static test firing photo

OOC: The location of this site is secret. Obviously if you are monitoring my coast you'll see the missile launch so I won't go "OH BS" to that but as far as knowledge of the site prior to launch, yes.

The sky was gray that morning. A storm was barrelling towards the Dnalkrad coast in the north. It was just ater 0745, fifteen minutes to go before the test launch. A drone fighter with the RCS of a BGM-109 Tomahawk, some 0.538 square feet. Only stealth aircraft were smaller in RCS. The drone was of decent size, between a missile and a small fighter jet. Future tests would involve firing against actual stealth aircraft, F-117 and F-22 fighters.

The drone was aloft at 35,000 feet, flying at 500 knots north to south. Officials were so confident of the test that they made the conditions much strict than they should have been for a first test firing against a target. Usually the drone would be at 10,000 feet, 300 knots, and flying towards the site. These conditions were definitely not pretty. Flying out about 200 miles from the site, the drone kept its course, reaching its southern waypoint and heading back north, flying just along the coast of Layartebian New Jersey.

The missile site was quiet, the command bunker at the site was the source of all the activity. It, like all the others, was buried at the site, twenty-five feet into the ground, concrete poured on top of it and around the sides of it, ten feet thick at the minimum. It was a small bunker for a small site. All that was really needed was the control interface, communications interface, and the crew quarters, which consisted of bunks, a kitchen, a mess hall, and a general lounge.

Cameras on the surface showed the entirity of the site in the control interface. The site was manned by three crews, each getting eight hours on, sixteen hours off. In total, there were forty men on each shift but that didn't include security, which consisted of another thirty personnel. Given that everyone in the bunker was armed and trained to defend the site, the security personnel were only necessary for really bad problems that might arise.

The orders went through to the communications interface and then to the watch officer, the man overseeing all operations at the site for those eight hours. Radar was tracking the target and the uplink to the anti-stealth system showed the target as clear as day. A single missile would be fired, in Active X-Band Radar mode.

The missile for the test flight was serial number 1052-0001-188-A-05-02-1, the very first production missile. The numbers were key. The first four was the factory number. The second four was the lot number. The next three were the identification number and the letter after that the version. The next two were the year, the next two the month, and the last one, the ID number. Every missile was tracked and cataloged. It was a heavy process but it kept more than 250,000 people employed at any given point in time. The sun wasn't even visible, hidden behind more clouds that ever imagined.

At 0755, the missile was locked onto the target and the tracking computer went to work, doing more than seventeen hundred calculations in a mere nanosecond. The supercooled, hyperfast processors of each site were costly, $65,000 per processor, $1.5 million per computer. All-in-all, the guidance and control interface of each site cost $14.0 million dollars. The entire site would cost some $350 million.

At precisely 0800, the missile was fired. The battery commander, the person directly in charge of the firing, lifted the little red cover on the switch for the missile. There were so many switches it was impossible to remember them all. His little cheat sheet and post-its told him exactly what was what. The computer screen showed the missile, it's tracking coordinates, the TEL it was to be fired from, and just about every other parameter necessary. All conditions were "GO" and he flipped the silver switch up. It took probably a nanosecond or less for the signal to travel through the lines to the TEL.

The rocket booster ignited immediately. For three seconds, the missile stayed in place, the booster burning to its hottest. Then the locks released and the missile ejected away at close to two times the speed of sound, at a near 60° climb to 85,000 feet. The trail of smoke from the battery was long and thin but stayed in the air as the missile left visual range. The tracking system on the control interface showed the missile moving away at four times the speed of sound, at an altitude of approximately 60,000 feet. The anti-stealth system tracked it as well and the missile hurtled towards the target, moving finally at its top speed, Mach 6 or 1.24 miles per second. That was a flight time of less than three minutes.

Flying at that speed and at 85,000 feet, the lofted trajectory of the XMIM-188A Crow gave it the extended range of some 350 miles. Future flight tests would utilize all systems and further utilize it to its maximum range. Some twenty launches were still scheduled before the system would be certified as operational.

Inside the battery command bunker, continuous updates from the bunker to the missile were made, allowing the onboard computer of the missile to make the appropriate course changes. The midcourse guidance allowed the missile to remain anonymous on RWR systems and therefore made it impossible for the enemy to know that there was a missile tracking them.

As the missile hurtled through the gray sky, leaving no smoke trail, and using up its propellant slowly, the drone humed back and fourth, five hundred knots and not a single knot more or less. Mach 6.0 was the terminal velocity of the missile. Even if the warhead went dud, something that was guaranteed one out of every one hundred thousand missiles, the sheer energy of the missile would make the target disintigrate.

The guidance system went for a direct hit, not a proximity hit, but a proximity fuse was installed, just incase.

Finally, at twenty miles, the missile entered its terminal phase and the seeker went active. Sixteen seconds wasn't a lot of time for the pilot to react, lucky this was a drone. The RWR computer on the drone was being monitored at a test station nearby. It was yelling out bells as the radar of the missile bounced off the drone and returned to the missile. It swooped down at a 45° angle and had an intercept point plotted.

Then it hit. The missile collided with the plane at a speed of 4,450 miles per hour. The force of the impact was enough to destroy the drone but the blast fragmentation warhead that went off only one hundred feet prior to impact had been like a shotgun. It's fragmentation pellets moved faster than the missile, impacting the plane at 5,000 miles per hour, with a wide enough dispersion that it litterally tore the aircraft apart. The 300 lb. HE warhead behind it was the second phase. It blew up on impact, combined with the force of the strike of the missile. There was nothing left of the drone bigger than a finger nail clipped when that was over.

Inside the bunker they cheered. All those monitoring the test cheered. The drone was between the size of an F-16 and a cruise missile but it had the radar signature of a cruise missile. The test was more than a success it was a revolution in air defense. Now came the fun parts...

http://www.ceip.org/programs/npp/NMD.jpg
Missile impact of the Crow on target drone.

tag

ooc: Will this missile be open for purchase?

tag

ooc: Will this missile be open for purchase?

Nein.

.:. Bump .:.

The second and third tests were successful. An AGM-86C CALCM missile had been downed at a range of 150 miles, while at an altitude of 500 feet. In the third test, a submarine-launched ballistic missile was destroyed in its boost phase at a range of 80 miles. Now was the fourth test. This test was the ultimate proving test, thus far. The target was an F-117 flying at a range of 300 miles, towards the site. Simple radar detection would flash the target but not give any lock. This would have to be done through anti-stealth guidance.

The test would be done at 0200 and 10 minutes prior to the launch, the target was locked. The anti-stealth system tracked the F-117 as it came in at 25,000 feet and 450 knots, a radar signature of only a few hundreths of a square foot. Radar didn't pick it up and it was too far out for infrared sensors.

At 0200, the battery commander flipped the switch and the missile ignited, holding in its tube for three seconds, sending blue and green flames out the rear of the launcher. Then, the clamps released and the missile streaked for the sky, 60° up to 85,000 feet.

The missile flew for six and a half minutes, using its datalink guidance to the anti-stealth system, leaving NO warning on RWR whatsoever. It impacted at Mach 6.0, as usual, and turned the F-117 into cinders, nothing left bigger than a toothpick.

So far they were 4 for 4. Test 5 would be against an F-22A at maximum range, 350 miles, hitting on the port/starboard side of the fighter.

OOC: Someone has expressed to me the concern over plasma fuel and MT usage. Here are some links I dug up.

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2004/06/arvinmeritor_cl.html
http://www.newstarget.com/000670.html
http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=44324

http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/plasma_propulsion_000616.html
http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1185537.htm
http://archives.cnn.com/2000/TECH/space/06/15/plasma.rocket/

The second grouping is more adhering to this topic but the others show that it is not a new concept.

OOC: Someone has expressed to me the concern over plasma fuel and MT usage. Here are some links I dug up.

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2004/06/arvinmeritor_cl.html
http://www.newstarget.com/000670.html
http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=44324

http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/plasma_propulsion_000616.html
http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1185537.htm
http://archives.cnn.com/2000/TECH/space/06/15/plasma.rocket/

The second grouping is more adhering to this topic but the others show that it is not a new concept.
Wouldnt that make each missile really rather expensive? Other than that this missile looks nice.

Wouldnt that make each missile really rather expensive? Other than that this missile looks nice.

Yes it would and they are expensive.

The F-22A target was flying some 328 miles from the site. It was moving at eight hundred knots north to south, once again its side facing the site rather than coming to or away from it. The site locked onto the F-22 and its minute RCS through the anti-stealth system. Finally, at 0600, the missile was fired. As it neared the target, moving at Mach 6.0, the drone operator threw in a minor problem. "When the missile goes active, have the F-22 execute a 9G evasive manuever." The F-22 did just that and the missile, on its slant down to the F-22 turned with it. The F-22 only delayed its destruction by a few seconds. The missile scored a proximity hit this time. It's blast fragmentation effect sent the shrapnel throughout the center of the F-22 and its blast warhead followed, sending the F-22 into a spinning fireball.

Test 6 would be done using the IIR guidance at a range of 40 miles, against a supersonic target at 50,000 feet, flying on a side course.

ooc: It's a shame, wasting a perfectly good F-117 and F/A-22.... If you have too many, I'll gladly take them....;)

ooc: It's a shame, wasting a perfectly good F-117 and F/A-22.... If you have too many, I'll gladly take them....;)
OOC: He's not wasting them, he's making sure his SAM system actually works.

Nah those F-22s and F-117s are the oldest ones of my fleet. I use them, build new ones at less cost.

The sixth through eleventh tests were even more of a success than the others. The eighth tested the reattack capability of the missile and it was a resounding success. The tenth went against a drone pulling 16Gs, reattack capability once again played a vital role as the missile missed the target on the first attack. The eleventh test was used against a low altitude, Mach 4, missile. The test missile failed to score a direct hit but did explode the missile through proximity.

Now came the twelfth test, the surface-to-surface capability. A drone ship was placed out two hundred and fifty miles, moving at twenty knots. The missile wouldn't have to climb to 85,000 feet on this test but rather it could attack in one of two ways, skimming the sea or flying at 40,000 feet. For this test it would be going out at 40,000 feet, thereby increasing its effective range well past 350 miles but the actual distance wouldn't be known until the full calculations were done.

The test was at 1200 and the missile lifted off from its TEL and reached 40,000 feet in mere twelve seconds, then began its flight to the target. The missile fuse was set for a delay. It would explode inside the target rather than proximity. The sheer kenetic energy alone would decimate the target.

The flight was short, considering the time to get up to 85,000 feet was not necessary. Radar tracked the missile flying all the way out to the target, using its IIR seeker to make the final attack, rather than the radar. The missile came down at a 60° angle and impacted the deck of the ship, punching right through, exploding underneath the deck. Parts of the missile kept going downward, shredding the hull of the ship, exploding right out from the bottom of it. A P-3C Orion II observing the ship reported a single comment, "She's sinking! What the hell was that thing!"

Yet another success for a program that seemed too good for it's purpose...the next test would be the most crucial test since the first. It would be against an incomming ICBM MIRV warhead.

OOC COuple of issues

The first three links you gave were more or less totally irrelevent. The other three... while the technology is interesting, it's not well suited to what you're doing. First of all, it would be fantastically expencive. We're talking ten million dollars for a single missile. Secondly, it would be bulky. You need to contain tihe fuel in magnetic fields, and then need to build the casing around the magnets... it's not practical, especially since the exhaust will be 'millions of degrees celcius'. You're going to need to make it multistage, and sti;; you're probably going to set fire to everything in the vicinity. Third, this was designed for deep space apps... we have no idea if the tech will work in atmosphere... that I'm willing to wave, since we don't know it won't work either. But the missile runs too hot, is too small, and too cheap.

I also have the same complaint I have whenever I see a mach 6 vehicle or missile. It gets bloody hot at that speed... the composites required to protect it are very expencive and rare, and goodluck getting a radar system to survive either it or the intence magnetic fields required to contain the fuel. And saying that there will be no warning is a little odd, considering this will show up like a beacon on any IR system.

I also don't understand your anti-stealth systems. Stealth can be beaten, but I like to see people describe how they do it =)

Appart from my technical quibbles, the thread is beautiful. Nice weapons testing =) Good RP.

See the thing was that I developed a gel based fuel way back when that was basically the fuel. But I figured that it wouldn't be much different from plasma so I'll just go back to the gel-based concept.

SIgh, and I suppose it's irrational to complain about Mach 6 missiles when people have Mach 4 fighters and bombers... sigh. Moderntech is turning into post modern.

SIgh, and I suppose it's irrational to complain about Mach 6 missiles when people have Mach 4 fighters and bombers... sigh. Moderntech is turning into post modern.

It's not a scramjet though. Look at the AIM-54, that's Mach 5. Look at the RIM-161A Standard SM-3 LEAP that moves at Mach 8. The THAAD moves at Mach 8.44. The Israeli Arrow moves at Mach 9. The SA-10 moves Mach 5.6 to 6.3ish. The SA-20 probably moves in the same area. Hell the SA-20 can intercept targets moving at 4.8km/s or Mach 14.5!

OOC: The SA-20 is said to go that fast and intercept, but has not been proven, so your last comment is not taken seriously by me. The Isreali Arrow and AIM-54 are slightly exaderated. The Phoenix can go about mach 4.3 at high altitudes. The Arrow can go just slightly faster, but not above mach 5. And the LEAP goes mach 6.4, proven, so that claim is a little off.

But, I would support this missle 100%, a great design, but extremely expencive, around 20m each from me just scanning each post.

Also, how exactly dos the gel-like fuel work? To me it would be a less-expanding liquid fuel propellant that takes up slightly more space. Is there a URL to show me where this was developed in RL, or feasible information showing how it is a good choise for this mission.

OOC: The SA-20 is said to go that fast and intercept, but has not been proven, so your last comment is not taken seriously by me. The Isreali Arrow and AIM-54 are slightly exaderated. The Phoenix can go about mach 4.3 at high altitudes. The Arrow can go just slightly faster, but not above mach 5. And the LEAP goes mach 6.4, proven, so that claim is a little off.

But, I would support this missle 100%, a great design, but extremely expencive, around 20m each from me just scanning each post.

Also, how exactly dos the gel-like fuel work? To me it would be a less-expanding liquid fuel propellant that takes up slightly more space. Is there a URL to show me where this was developed in RL, or feasible information showing how it is a good choise for this mission.

The gel fuel works much in the same way as solid but it's pressed and compacted tighter. It's really an amorphic solid.

AIM-54A: Mach 4.3
AIM-54C: Mach 5.0
RIM-161: 6,000 mph (Mach 8.09)
Arrow 2: Mach 9

Last one is the S-400 (SA-20). Granted I don't believe it either but it's what is and they do do mathematical calculations and usually get close to what they want, albeit it's usually garbage but they did good with the SA-10 so.

http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/missile_systems/surface_missiles/arrow/Arrow.html
http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/m-161.html
http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/m-54.html
http://www.missilethreat.com/systems/s-400.html

Forgot the SA-12 DOH!!!

http://www.missilethreat.com/systems/s-300v.html

2.4 km/sec or Mach 7.24

This thing only does 4,450 mph or 1.989 km/sec

It's not a scramjet though. Look at the AIM-54, that's Mach 5. Look at the RIM-161A Standard SM-3 LEAP that moves at Mach 8. The THAAD moves at Mach 8.44. The Israeli Arrow moves at Mach 9. The SA-10 moves Mach 5.6 to 6.3ish. The SA-20 probably moves in the same area. Hell the SA-20 can intercept targets moving at 4.8km/s or Mach 14.5!

Yes, at least it's not a scramjet. And while they can reach those velocities, that's in upper atmosphere as a final stage for terminal attacks... you're claiming high velocity right from the begining! The Arrow II MINIMUM attack altitude is 10km. Ten thousand meters. And maximum range is only 90km... So you see the problem.

Yes, at least it's not a scramjet. And while they can reach those velocities, that's in upper atmosphere as a final stage for terminal attacks... you're claiming high velocity right from the begining! The Arrow II MINIMUM attack altitude is 10km. Ten thousand meters. And maximum range is only 90km... So you see the problem.

It reaches Mach 6.0 at 85,000 feet not initially.

From the first test

The rocket booster ignited immediately. For three seconds, the missile stayed in place, the booster burning to its hottest. Then the locks released and the missile ejected away at close to two times the speed of sound, at a near 60° climb to 85,000 feet. The trail of smoke from the battery was long and thin but stayed in the air as the missile left visual range. The tracking system on the control interface showed the missile moving away at four times the speed of sound, at an altitude of approximately 60,000 feet. The anti-stealth system tracked it as well and the missile hurtled towards the target, moving finally at its top speed, Mach 6 or 1.24 miles per second. That was a flight time of less than three minutes.

Flying at that speed and at 85,000 feet, the lofted trajectory of the XMIM-188A Crow gave it the extended range of some 350 miles. Future flight tests would utilize all systems and further utilize it to its maximum range. Some twenty launches were still scheduled before the system would be certified as operational.

My mistake, I missed that... the point is you shouldn't be able to throttle it to that degree without using a multistage rocket. Your missile has an increadible maximum range, can engage targets at low altidude and high altitude, and is single stage. And anti-stealth. It's trying to do too many things, or is going to be very very expencive and large.

My mistake, I missed that... the point is you shouldn't be able to throttle it to that degree without using a multistage rocket. Your missile has an increadible maximum range, can engage targets at low altidude and high altitude, and is single stage. And anti-stealth. It's trying to do too many things, or is going to be very very expencive and large.

You need to read more thoroughly.

First off the MIM-104B Patriot had SSM capability. The MIM-104 can engage targets down as low as 197 feet for the PAC-2 GEM+ and PAC-3. The RIM-156 can engage targets as low as 148 feet. Mine is down to 80 feet but I never said I could hit anything that low yet, that's saved for future tests.

The RIM-161 has a range of 270 nautical miles or 310 miles. Mine is 350 miles. Secondly, the RIM-161 has an insane altitude, as it should for it's purpose (100 miles)! Mine has a ceiling of 47 miles, which is less than half the Standard SM-3 LEAP. Now I never alluded anything to the rocket being a single stage once nor to multistage. I haven't talked anything about staging yet and have that saved for the final details. If you must know it is a 3 stage rocket but I was saving that for the end. Now as far as anti-stealth, it's a guidance system, a datalink usable guidance system. That means it is guided from the ground, not its actual internal guidance which is the Active X-Band radar, the IIR, and the passive seeker (built into the active radar). Now stop making shit up and go away.

Whoops... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. I'll delete my posts if you want. I know other missiles have SSM capabilities and that wasn't what I was bemused at. It was the combination of all the other features... and I simply assumed that you would have mentioned staging in the earlier, excelent posts, since the tests would have involved the missile seperating.

Again, I appologise, and reiterate my offer to delete my posts. I know I can come on a little aggressively, and I've been trying to stop... but it's a hard habit to break, and some people appriciate the criticism. Only trying to clarify things. For what it's worth, now that you've explained things, it seems like quite a well thought out system... probably a bit beyond my tech range, but I certainly wouldn't complain if it was used on me. I especially like the ground guidence, you have to understand that I am fed up to HERE with people who post uber1337destroyanythingyouhave missiles that are unspoofable. This isn't one, and I'm sorry I bothered you.

II don't feel I was pulling it out of no-where... generally if people don't mention that a rocket is multistaged, it isn't. As for the missile's capabilities, they are, when taken all together, beyond what's available today, and I still feel it's too small. But... poetic license.

Whoops... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. I'll delete my posts if you want. I know other missiles have SSM capabilities and that wasn't what I was bemused at. It was the combination of all the other features... and I simply assumed that you would have mentioned staging in the earlier, excelent posts, since the tests would have involved the missile seperating.

Again, I appologise, and reiterate my offer to delete my posts. I know I can come on a little aggressively, and I've been trying to stop... but it's a hard habit to break, and some people appriciate the criticism. Only trying to clarify things. For what it's worth, now that you've explained things, it seems like quite a well thought out system... probably a bit beyond my tech range, but I certainly wouldn't complain if it was used on me.

No you can keep the posts there, they'll help explain to future peoples, just stop making shit up that you obviously are pulling out of no where.

Lucky number thirteen. The target was an LGM-118A Peacekeeper coming in on its re-entry. It was already launched, fired from Layartebian Venezuela. It was carrying ten MK-21 MIRV warheads, each of them unarmed though. The missiles weighed the same as the armed MK-21s and behaved the same. The test was a night-time test and the missile would be in Magnum Mode, meaning that it decided which guidance to use, active radar or IIR. More out of none they would probably be using the IIR. A computer program in the control interfence ran the velocity of the incoming warheads and the planned velocity of the MIM-188. Unfortunately, the missile lacked the ability to engage the LGM-118 before it released its warheads but it could nail them as they came down. The planned intercept altitude was between 150,000 feet an 225,000 feet. The missiles would be launched by the computer for this situation, all the watch commander had to do was engage the automatic firing mode.

He did and they waited for the launch sequence. A countdown meter showed the time to launch, twenty seconds. The missiles would be intercepting well inside of their range, cutting it close. It had already proven itself nailing a theater ballistic missile when it engaged and destroyed a MacArthur IRBM.

When the meter reached zero, the missiles were fired, sitting on their TELs until they reached maximum thrust. Then they released, streaking upwards, gaining speed rapidly. Magnum Mode was engaged at 20,000 feet and the missiles used the data from the control interface to decide the best attack mode. Eight of the ten missiles would be going at the MIRVs with IIR guidance and the other two would be using their active radar.

They streaked upwards and began their first phase. The first stage removed itself from the missile and the second stage reignited, pushing the missile even faster, to Mach 4.0. As the MIRV warheads came down at unimaginable speeds, the missiles locked on. They were able to filter out the decoys and go for the MIRVs themselves.

This was a delicate mode. If the missile impacted the warhead they would be fine. If they missed, they would have little to no chance of reattack as the speed of the MIRVs far exceeded their top speed. So, because of that, the missile had a built in safeguard. If the point of intercept was missed, 0.001 seconds after the miss, the missile would detonate its 300 lb. warhead. Hopefully, it would tag the warhead.

The spacing of the MIRVs was all different. Four of them were coming down some twenty-five seconds ahead of the others. These would be intercepted at 156,054 feet. One of the three missiles was using active radar and it would be the first to intercept. It missed. The safeguard system went off and managed to destroy the warhead but threw fragments everywhere, fragments that would be coming back down to the surface. The other three missiles hit directly.

The next three would be tagged at 194,000 feet. Unfortunately, these three missiles all missed but of them two nailed their warheads on the safeguard system.

The last three would be nailed at an altitude of 215,290 feet. All three of them scored direct hits.

Of the ten warheads there were six direct hits and three safeguard hits. One warhead was left unscathed and impacted the target. Had it been loaded with explosive, it would have been a 300 kiloton miss. That would have meant the destruction of the target.

That meant a 75% hit rate on the ICBM warheads, nothing they didn't expect but nothing they wanted. They wanted over 80%. Modifications would have to be made!

Tests were being halted for the time being. The unexpected, poor showing from the MIRV test required some fine tuning to the guidance computers of the missiles. The test would be done again, adding another expensive test to the docket. The missiles would remain wth Magnum Mode but they would use IIR for terminal. Secondly, the safeguard system was to be improved only slightly. Reattack was still out of the question so they had to beef up the single attack. In addition, some calibration was required on the missiles considering the misses. Now they just hoped that it wouldn't throw the hits off.

The fourteenth test would be one of the final ones. There were six more tests, including this one. This one was going to be used to test the passive seeker of the missile. It had, thus far, gone untested. A fighter-sized target in the way of an F-26A Typhoon (EF-2000), would be flying towards the coast at low altitude, 500 feet, and 700 miles per hour. The missile would lock onto the F-26 around 85 miles and be fired at 60 miles.

The test was another night test. These were the easier of all of them. There was just one problem with this night test. The waves from the Nor'Easter was making the sea state churn up heavily. It was providing excellent clutter for the missile. The passive seeker scanned the sky. Nothing was being spotted at 100 miles, what was to be expected. As the fighter approached faster and faster, the range to the target decreased. At 85 miles, a faint signal was registered. "Sir, we've got a faint signal." The screen operator said to the Watch Commander. "Yeah it's definitely it. Nothing too great though."

"Roger that. Keep a watch. When we've got a forty percent signal let me know."

"Yes sir." The signal ratio slowly increased from ten percent upwards to forty percent, at 62 miles. "Sir we've got forty percent. Sixty-two miles to target."

"Roger that. Launch."

"Yes sir!" He pushed a button and smiled. "Bird's away!" The missile ignited and lifted off three seconds later. The missile climbed to 20,000 feet and began searching for the target. It was using its own internal guidance. Due to the passive radar guidance, it left no RWR warning.

The missile approached quickly, a 5,150 mile per hour closure velocity. The missile, streaking towards the target at 20,000 feet, finally got a lock onto the target 25 miles away from it. The missile immediately locked on and began it's terminal dive only 10 miles later. The drone's RWR setting showed no indication of the missile. Finally, the missile hit, splattering the F-26 all over the ocean.

"We have an impact sir. Good hit."

"Roger that. Transmit results..."

The last test was to be on a clear day but it was snowing instead. The target was another LGM-118A Peacekeeper and its 10 MIRV warheads. These ten missiles would be, hopefully, the last batch fired in testing. The program was ahead of schedule still but it was quicklying falling to a neutral gain. The missile was fired from Venezuela on time and travelled north.

It's MIRV warheads detached and now there were ten targets, the hundreds of decoys being filtered out. On time, the ten missiles were fired. Nine went to IIR mode, one to Active Radar.

The final results were as follows:

Direct Hits: 7
Proximity Hits: 2
Miss: 1
Score: 80%

It was an improvement and tweaking would still be required...

Once again, the LGM-118 test was scheduled. However, this time, the Magnum mode was not to be used for this purpose. The missiles would all track using IIR. The final results were desireable:

Direct Hit: 8
Proximity Hit: 2
Miss: 0
Score: 90%

That was something that was desirable indeed. The missile system was ready...

The meeting was scheduled at 2100. It was a meeting of just the Joint Chiefs and the Minister of Intelligence. The aim of the meeting concerned the XMIM-188 Crow surface-to-air missile system. The General of the Space Division opened up the meeting.

"Gentlemen, as you are aware, the situation is most promising. This SAM system is top-rate and test results are conclusive. However, there are two issues I would like to draw to the table. First and foremost, this is a fixed site. That means once we fire once, the location of the site will be known and targetted, in the event of an attack. Therefore, significant mobile systems will be required to defend each site. I propose the following to defend each site. For anti-aircraft artillery we should use a combination of M163A3 EADS, FC-1B and FC-1D Layarteb 88s, and Predator ADUs. For minor SAM systems, we'll need to employ the Predator ADU, Wizard MANPADs, M2011A3 ADUs, and M2012A2 ADUs. We'll naturally need to employ certain ones in certain places but as you can see the necessity is there." He stopped.

"Precisely what we will need. In addition, we should probably establish them further inland and use their range to defend, perhaps up to 250 miles from the coast? This would allow us to place them one hundred miles in land, making all aircraft have to go through lesser but equally destructive SAM systems to get there. But still the main threat is the AGM-88 HARM missile and such like it. The AGM-88 HARM can engage targets as far away as 93 miles. That means that aircraft will be 7 miles inland before they can fire. Granted using the AGM-88 at that range presents a host of problems, mainly the face that the missile will go straight to its pre-briefed target, we still need to take that into account. We will need to reduce our radar emissions from the site but somehow not lose any signficance, this means relying more on the anti-stealth system." The General of the Air Force said.

"We'll need more money into it. The ASDS needs another trillion dollars in upgrades as does our SOSUS net. We're going to have to beef that up a little." The Minister of Intelligence said, looking down at a sheet of paper.

"Precisely. Now with that resolved I bring the second issue. The missile has the capacity of a 300 lb. warhead with hit-to-kill technology. I propose the B version, the one that has thus been scrapped due to cost. We remove the hit-to-kill technology, downgrade the seeker to just X-Band radar, and substitute the warhead and the space with a nuclear warhead. Range should not change nor should velocity if we adopt the correct model. With the alotted space we can fit a warhead of up to 175 kilotons. With that much power we could create a fireball some 260 meters in diameter with total fatalities for 1,500 meters, probably effecting aircraft as far away as 4,100 meters. That would give us a significant destructive radius for hordes of incomming bombers. At such, the warhead will weigh 285 pounds. We could, in theory, with the propper design and the space and weight changes, accomodate up to 782 pounds of warhead, allowing us for a warhead in the blast range of up to one megaton. That would create a fireball some 530 meters in diamter with total fatalities for 2,700 meters and effects as far away as 7,200 meters. We could use this as a surface-to-surface attack mode of the missile against naval fleets. Over the horizon targetting systems would allow us to place the one megaton warhead as far away as maximum range. The power of that warhead against a carrier would be phenominal."

"Interesting General. Perhaps we were hasty when we turned down the design. I know the Emperor himself wishes to see this weapon as fully powered as can be. Perhaps dual versions, B for the 175 kiloton and C for the 1 megaton. Shall we propose the idea then?" The Admiral of the Navy said, thinking of the possibilities against naval vessels.

"Yes. We have a cabinet meeting tonight at 0300, we'll talk about it then." The Minister of Intelligence said.

It would be all too easy to have the Emperor approve such a weapon...

The Emperor looked over the latest figures. "You want to put two more versions into service. A 175 kiloton and a 1 megaton version. What would they be for, if I might ask?"

"Sir," the Minister of Intelligence said, "the 175 kiloton warhead would be useful against bombers and other incoming aircraft. The 1 megaton warhead would be most useful against aircraft carriers and other ships that venture within range. As you are aware, the surface-to-surface capability of the missile allows us to take out targets as far away as 375 miles. A 1 megaton warhead would be useful in taking out ships and other fleets coming within range of our coast."

"Very well. I shall approve this. What will be the ratio?"

"Of coastal sites we will have 84 missiles at the ready. 4 will be at 175 kilotons, 4 will be at 1 megaton, and the rest conventional. Of other sites it will be 8 at 175 kilotons and the rest conventional."

"Alright. Proposal approved. Have the LDC get to it right away."

"Yes sir!"

This meeting would be the final meeting in terms of the XMIM-188. The LDC had come through and designed the B version with a 175 kiloton warhead and a C version with a 1 megaton warhead. Both of these versions would remain classified as would the details on the standard MIM-188A Crow. The sites would be camoflauged and placed to protect all major cities, military targets, and coastal zones. They would be building some 260 sites, initially, and at a cost of $350M per site it was definitely a lot of money, $91B initially. A further 800 sites would be needed throughout time, costing another $280B making the total cost of the program, including the testing and initial site to $400B, an expensive but certainly worthwhile program...

Final Notes: This RP is over. The sites are being constructed with the utmost secrecy. The details on the missile remains secret IC. If anythnig these sites will appear as PATRIOT sites but with minor differences, the IRST and different radar as well as the TELs. In so far as acknowledgement, the official stance is that these are further PATRIOT sites with more advanced TELs and a new radar array.