The American aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin presented a unique solution - the EAPS kinetic interceptor missile, which is capable of completely changing the armament of air defense. In the creation of "EAPS" the designers used a miniature technology "hit-to-kill" - strike to kill. Outwardly, "EAPS" looks like a miniature copy of an anti-aircraft missile, about one meter long, 5 centimeters in diameter and weighing three kilograms. The kinetic mini-missile is designed to destroy many types of air and flying targets in a direct collision:
- anti-aircraft missiles;
- unguided rockets;
- anti-tank missiles;
- artillery shells of various calibers;
- aerial bombs;
- mortar mines.
A kinetic mini-missile interceptor as part of the latest air defense system was tested on 2012-26-05 at the White Sands test site in New Mexico. The tests were carried out in collaboration with the RDECOM / AMRDEC Technology, Weapons and Engineering Innovation Center. During the tests, the kinetic interceptor was launched in an upright position, after which it performed a series of flight maneuvers to test aerodynamics in motion, verify the correct operation of the control system and data collection. According to the developers, in the very near future, a full-scale test (for flying targets) of the new air defense system will be carried out.
For the American air defense units of the ground forces, this development is an invaluable contribution at this time - after all, today they have only one such system for countering unguided and guided missiles. This artillery system "C-RAM", created on the basis of the ship's anti-aircraft gun "Phalanx". The main disadvantages of "C-RAM":
- large dimensions, the system is made on the chassis of a four-axle truck;
- insufficient range of application for today;
- causing collateral damage by ammunition that did not hit the target.
The newest system with a kinetic mini-missile interceptor "EAPS" does not have the above disadvantages and intercepts ammunition and missiles at a safe range from the protected unit. The applied fire control system ensures the destruction of the target with a direct hit. Today, only the anti-missile defense missiles of the United States "SM-3" can "boast" of this.
EAPS is designed as a small forward-based mobile air defense system. The chassis used is not listed, but it is likely "HMMWV". The small size of the rocket and, accordingly, the launcher, in principle, will make it possible to install / rearm any armored vehicle that are used in the ground units of the United States Army. Such a decision can dramatically increase the protection of armored vehicles and personnel of infantry units from enemy artillery and mortar fire. Here it should be borne in mind that the new system will not be able to provide protection against massive artillery fire or against the use of multiple launch rocket systems by the enemy.
The main purpose of the EAPS system is to intercept and destroy single targets such as a projectile / mine, create a kind of umbrella over the protected unit, which will weaken the fire effect on the unit. To obtain target designation of a kinetic interceptor mini-missile, modern counter-battery radars of the AN / TPQ-36 type can be used.
