U.S. NAVY WEAPONS AND SYSTEMS

by an enemy. It also assists in the detection and targeting of hostile forces while making detection and targeting of friendly forces more difficult for the enemy. · LOGISTICS. Logistics is the resupply of combat consumables to combatant forces during operations. It may often be a major factor in determining the success or failure of an operation. A principal aim of naval logistics is to make the operating forces as independent as possible of overseas bases. Sealift provides most supplies needed to support U.S. naval forces and other U.S. combatant and allied forces. The U.S. maritime mobility forces consist primarily of ships of the Military Sealift Command, various ships held in reserve, and the U.S. merchant marine. U.S. NAVY WEAPONS AND SYSTEMS Since the Civil War, when armored, steam- propelled warships first were combat-tested, the U.S. Navy has used the latest technology in all naval warfare applications. For more than 40 years, the U.S. Navy has developed systems and tactics to protect itself from air attacks. Since the end of World War II, several generations of antiship missiles have emerged as an air threat to the fleet. These antiship missiles can be launched from under the sea, from the surface of the sea, and from aircraft above the sea. Many can be launched several hundred miles away. The attacks can be coordinated so that several missiles arrive almost simultaneously, and some of the missiles have a nuclear capability. A survivable Navy in the modern world must have the latest surveillance techniques, information processing capabilities, and platforms that can effectively deliver weapons wherever needed. AEGIS The shipboard integrated AAW combat weapons system (Aegis) is the most capable surface- launched missile system the Navy has ever put to sea. The system was designed as a total weapons system with capabilities that range from detection to destruction of enemy targets. The system can perform search, track, and missile-guidance functions simultaneously with a track capacity of over 100 targets. It can defeat an extremely wide range of targets. It can defeat very high- to very low-altitude antiship cruise missiles and manned aircraft, flying at both supersonic and subsonic speeds. Aegis is reliable even in the most severe of environmental conditions, both natural and man- made. Aegis can operate simultaneously in all modes of warfare: antiair, antisubmarine, and antisurface. The system can also perform force coordination. The surface Navy’s Aegis provides area defense for the battle group. It also provides a clear air picture for more effective deployment of F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 Hornet aircraft. It F-14 Tomcat. 1-12