1. Launching Systems The goal:
To get this off of the ship and destroy something!!!

2. Launching Systems Requirements 1. Speed 2. Reliability 3. Safety
Purpose: To place a weapon into a flight path
as rapidly as the situation demands.
Requirements
1. Speed
2. Reliability
3. Safety
4. Compatibility
Purpose of the weapon’s launching system is to place the weapon into a flight path as rapidly as the situation demands.
- Need to launch at the optimum moment to be effective
- Must withstand the launch and propulsive forces
General requirements of a launching system are:
1. Speed
2. Reliability - No matter how sophisticated the design, it must be able to reliably repeat the action.
3. Safety - Not only the safety of personnel but the launch platform.
4. Compatibility - Launching system must match the weapon and the platform as well as withstand the rigors of the environment and the function.

3. Functions of a Launching System
Storage Safe and readily accessible until needed.
Transfer Move from storage to launcher and back.
Loading Put into ready to fire position.
Control Direct and point launcher
- Provide Weapons Orders
Launching - Get the weapon away
- Protect ship and people
1. Storage
a. Primary Magazines - storage of ship’s peace time ammo. Below decks, with magazine sprinkler, ventilated and locked.
b. Ready Service Magazine - Storage near the Gun mount. Has sprinkler, is locked and ventilated.
c. Lockers - Stored near weapon to be served. Filled only when weapon is manned and being fired. Lower security, no sprinklers.
2. Transfer
a. Storage to Launcher
b. Limits sustained rate of fire
3. Loading: Weapon loading equipment is needed to place the weapon in firing position on the launcher in a rapid, reliable, and safe manner.
4. Control - direct and point launcher includes
a. Positioning to line of fire, i.e.. this is where the angle-tracking servo system for training and elevation and feedback systems enter.
b. Weapons Orders - Information must be passed from the computers to the weapon including set fuse, navigation information, target information, rounds to fire, etc. i.e.. The fire control problem.
5. Launching
a. Includes the actual launching of the weapon and
b. Launch safety systems
- Prevent from shooting own ship
- Blast deflectors to protect personnel
- Recoil systems to protect equipment

4. Three Types of Launchers
Gravity
Impulse
Reaction
Look familiar to the Methods of Launch slide from the previous lecture?

5. Gravity Type Launchers
Slow-moving aircraft – turbulence
Velocity and Direction from vehicle
Gravity Launch Systems:
1. Normally found on aircraft for obvious reasons.
2. Only used with slow-moving aircraft.
3. Purely gravity release system were used on older airplane. Seldom used. Today due to the aerodynamic forces created by modern high speed aircraft.
4. Today, most aircraft launching systems are a combination of impulse and gravity systems.
5. Torpedoes dropped from a helicopter is an example of a pure gravity
system.

6. Impulse Type Launchers
Gun-type launchers
5”, 16”, CIWS
Ejector-type
Tube launchers: Trident, torpedo, TLAM

7. 5” Gun

8. CIWS

9. Vulcan Chain Gun

10. 16”

11. USMC Sniper

12. USMC Deadly Hammer??????

13. Impulse (cont’d) Ejector -type Launcher
Gases created by a high pressure gas system on the launching platform.
Ejector-type
Tube launchers: Trident, torpedo, TLAM

14. Ejector Type Launching
The principles of the ejector type of impulse launching system are the same as the Gun except the launcher is not intended to get the weapon to the target just get it safely away from the launch platform.
Normally the launcher uses compressed gas which was stored in flasks.
Common examples are torpedo tubes and ballistic missile and cruise missile (Harpoon and Tomahawk) launches from submarines.

15. Reaction Type of Launchers
Rail
Zero Length
Canister
Rail Launchers
Requires a very Long rail for this to make a difference
USN doesn’t have any of these, too large
Zero Length Launchers
Examples: Mk 26, Mk 13, all Aircraft missiles
The only thing it does is get the missile pointed in the right direction!! Nothing to do with guidance!!
Canister
Examples: VLS, Harpoon, ASROC, NATO Box Launcher, ABL (Tomahawk)
It’s a launcher and a storage all in one. No separation of church and state here like there is in just about all other launching systems.

16. Mk 13

17. Mk 26 – “Double Arm Bandit”

18. Mk 26 Again

19. F/A - 18

21. Canister Launchers
Launcher and Storage all-in-one!

22. NATO Sea Sparrow
RAM

23. Harpoon

24. TLAM

25. Questions???