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Aegis Modernization Program

Executive Summary
• The Navy is modernizing the Aegis Weapon System (AWS)
installed on Baseline 3 USS Ticonderoga (CG 47) class
cruisers and the Flight I USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51)
destroyers to the AWS Advanced Capability Build 2012
(Baseline 9A and 9C, respectively). New construction DDGs,
beginning with USS John Finn (DDG 113), will be equipped
with Baseline 9C as well.
• Testing completed to date is insufficient to make a
determination of operational effectiveness or suitability for
Aegis Baseline 9A or 9C.
• In accordance with National Defense Authorization Act of
2008, Section 231, DOT&E submitted Early Fielding Reports
in July and November 2015 for each baseline incident in
response to the Navy’s deployment of USS Normandy and
USS Benfold, and prior to the completion of operational
testing. Testing on Baseline 9A and 9C ships to date suggest
that area air defense performance against subsonic and • The Navy fielded the Navy Integrated Fire Control – Counter
supersonic high-diving targets is consistent with historical Air (NIFC-CA) From-the-Sea (FTS) Increment I capability
performance against comparable threats; however, during with the deployment of the first E-2D and Baseline 9-equipped
operational testing, the Navy has not yet demonstrated Carrier Strike Group in FY15. NIFC-CA FTS Increment I
performance against more stressing presentations. developmental test events in FY13 and FY14 demonstrated
• In February 2015, the Navy commenced Baseline 9A a basic capability, but its effectiveness under operationally
operational testing on USS Chancellorsville (CG 62). realistic conditions is undetermined.
One planned live fire event was deferred due to target • As discussed in the July 2015 Aegis Baseline 9A Early
availability, and two of four additional planned at-sea events Fielding Report, DOT&E is concerned with results from
were not completed because of test execution problems. the cruiser cybersecurity evaluation and performance in the
These unexecuted operational test events are currently Surface Warfare mission area. Follow-on cybersecurity and
scheduled for late 1QFY16. Surface Warfare operational testing will be required.
• From November 2014 through April 2015, as part of
Combat System Ship Qualification Trials, the Navy System
conducted integrated developmental and operational testing • The Navy’s Aegis Modernization program provides updated
in the air defense and Undersea Warfare mission areas on technology and systems for existing Aegis-guided missile
USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53), USS Benfold (DDG 65), cruisers (CG 47 class) and destroyers (DDG 51 class). This
and USS Barry (DDG 52). Data from these events will planned, phased program provides similar technology and
supplement data collected during dedicated operational testing systems for new construction destroyers.
for Baseline 9C. The Navy is scheduled to begin Baseline • The AWS, carried on DDG 51-guided missile destroyers
9C operational testing on USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53) in and CG 47-guided missile cruisers, integrates the following
FY16. components:
• The lack of an adequate modeling and simulation (M&S) suite - AWS AN/SPY-1 three-dimensional (range, altitude, and
of the Aegis Combat System, as well as the lack of an Aegis azimuth) multi-function radar
equipped Self-Defense Test Ship (SDTS) where the ship’s full - AN/SQQ-89 Undersea Warfare suite that includes the
self-defense kill chain can be tested, precludes assessment of AN/ SQS-53 sonar, SQR-19 passive towed sonar array
the Baseline 9 Probability of Raid Annihilation requirement. (DDGs 51 through 78, CGs 52 through 73), and the
• The Navy will not fully assess Aegis Integrated Air and SH-60B or MH-60R helicopter (DDGs 79 Flight IIA
Missile Defense (IAMD) until a validated M&S test bed and newer have a hangar to allow the ship to carry and
is developed and validated. The test bed is planned to be maintain its own helicopter)
available by FY20, but there is no agreed upon strategy to - Close-In Weapon System
validate the model to support assessment of the close-in, - A 5-inch diameter gun
self-defense battlespace. A limited IAMD assessment will be
made during Baseline 9C operational testing on DDGs.

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- Harpoon anti-ship cruise missiles (DDGs 51 through 78, • Area and self-defense Anti-Air Warfare in defense of the
CGs 52 through 73) Strike Group
- Vertical Launch System that can launch Tomahawk land • Anti-Surface Warfare and Anti-Submarine Warfare
attack missiles, Standard surface-to-air missiles, Evolved • Strike Warfare, when armed with Tomahawk missiles
Seasparrow Missiles, and Vertical Launch Anti-Submarine • Simultaneous offensive and defensive warfare operations
Rocket missiles • Operations independently or in concert with Carrier or
• The AWS on Baseline 3 USS Ticonderoga (CG 47) class Expeditionary Strike Groups and with other joint or coalition
cruisers and Flight I USS Arleigh Burke destroyers is being partners
upgraded to Baseline 9A and 9C, respectfully. Baseline 9 will
provide the following new capabilities: Major Contractors
- Full Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) integration • General Dynamics Marine Systems Bath Iron Works – Bath,
- IAMD, to include simultaneous air defense and ballistic Maine
missile defense missions on Aegis destroyers equipped • Huntington Ingalls Industries (formerly Northrop Grumman
with the new Multi-Mission Signal Processor Shipbuilding) – Pascagoula, Mississippi
- NIFC-CA FTS capability • Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and
• Starting with USS John Finn (DDG 113), the AWS on new Sensors – Moorestown, New Jersey
construction Aegis-guided missile destroyers is Baseline 9C.

Mission
The Joint Force Commander/Strike Group Commander
employs AWS-equipped DDG 51-guided missile destroyers and
CG‑47‑guided missile cruisers to conduct:

Activity
• The Navy conducted Baseline 9A cruiser operational testing Baseline 9C’s ability to simultaneously engage cruise missiles
on USS Chancellorsville in 2QFY15. One planned live fire and ballistic missiles.
event was deferred due to target availability, and two of four • The Navy conducted all testing in accordance with the
additional planned at-sea events were not completed because DOT&E-approved test plans.
of test execution problems. These unexecuted operational test
events are currently scheduled for late 1QFY16. In FY15, Assessment
the Navy also conducted a cybersecurity assessment and • Baseline 9A and 9C testing completed to date was
maintenance demonstration. not sufficient to support an assessment of operational
• In July 2015 and November 2015, DOT&E submitted effectiveness or suitability prior the FY15 USS Normandy
two Early Fielding Reports on Aegis Baseline 9A and 9C, and USS Benfold deployments. In accordance with National
respectively. Defense Authorization Act of 2008, Section 231, DOT&E
• The Navy conducted integrated developmental and submitted Early Fielding Reports for each baseline. Testing
operational testing in the Undersea Warfare mission area on Baseline 9A and 9C ships to date suggest that area air
on USS John Paul Jones and USS Benfold as part of each defense performance against subsonic and supersonic
ship’s Combat System Ship Qualification Trials in 1QFY15 high-diving targets is consistent with historical performance
and 2QFY15, respectively. Data from these events will against comparable threats; however, the Navy has not
supplement data collected during dedicated operational testing yet demonstrated performance against more stressing
for Baseline 9C. The Navy is scheduled to begin Baseline presentations during operational testing. Operational testing,
9C operational testing on USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53) in to include more stressing presentations, is planned to continue
FY16. through FY16.
• The Navy successfully conducted a live fire IAMD event • The Navy will not fully assess Aegis IAMD until an AWS
against threat representative cruise and ballistic missile M&S test bed is developed and validated. The test bed is
surrogates on USS John Paul Jones in November 2014. The under development and is planned to be available by FY20;
event, as conducted, included a less-stressing scenario than however, there is no agreed upon strategy to validate the model
planned in the Aegis Modernization Test and Evaluation to support assessment of the close-in, self-defense battlespace.
Master Plan, and it resulted in only one, vice two, SM‑3 A limited Baseline 9C IAMD operational assessment suggests
missiles being fired simultaneously with an SM-2 air defense that DDGs can simultaneously support limited air defense and
missile. This was the only live fire event available to assess ballistic missile defense missions, within overall radar resource

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constraints. This assessment is supported by a successful live remaining cruiser and destroyer operational testing will
fire event, managed by the Missile Defense Agency, which provide opportunities to confirm these issues have been
included simultaneous live firing of SM-2 and SM-3 missiles mitigated.
against threat representative targets in an IAMD engagement. • During both integrated and operational test events, instability
• Results to date of 12 live flight tests events on Baseline of the Aegis operator consoles adversely affected the conduct
9A and 9C ships suggest that area air defense performance of test events. The Navy is addressing these issues and
against single subsonic and supersonic high-diving targets is remaining cruiser and destroyer operational testing will
consistent with historical performance against comparable provide opportunities to confirm these issues have been
threats. mitigated.
• Although not presented for operational testing, the Baseline 9A • Aegis Baseline 9C has incorporated software changes to
Surface Warfare performance, specifically counter high-speed address performance against certain stressing air defense threat
surface threats in littoral waters, as demonstrated during presentations; however, the effects of these changes remain
developmental testing, indicated no improvements over undemonstrated by testing. Developmental testing of these
previous Aegis baseline operational test results. For both changes is planned for late 1QFY16.
Baseline 9A and 9C, these results indicate that AWS does not
fully meet desired Surface Warfare performance levels. Recommendations
• As appropriate, and until the full capability may be • Status of Previous Recommendations. The Navy has not
operationally tested, DOT&E will provide periodic capability addressed the following previous recommendations from
assessments to inform Navy and OSD leadership, as well as FY14. The Navy still needs to:
Congress, on the progress of T&E of the IAMD mission area. 1. Continue to improve Aegis ships’ capability to counter
• Until an Aegis-equipped SDTS is available for testing, it is high-speed surface threats in littoral waters.
neither possible to characterize the self-defense capabilities of 2. Synchronize future baseline operational testing and
the Aegis cruisers and destroyers, nor possible to accredit an reporting with intended ship-deployment schedules to
M&S suite to determine if the ships satisfy their Probability of ensure that testing and reporting is completed prior to
Raid Annihilation requirements. deployment.
• The Navy’s NIFC-CA FTS Increment I test events conducted 3. Provide the necessary funding to support the procurement
to date are sufficient to demonstrate basic capability; however, of an advanced air and missile defense radar and
these demonstrations were not conducted under operationally Aegis-equipped SDTS that is needed to support Aegis
realistic conditions or against aerial targets representative of Modernization, advanced air and missile defense radar,
modern threats. Additionally, the scenarios conducted were DDG 51 Flight III, and Evolved Seasparrow Missile
not sufficiently challenging to demonstrate the NIFC-CA Block 2 operational testing.
FTS requirements defined in the Navy’s September 2012 4. Characterize Aegis Baseline 9A/C and NIFC-CA FTS
NIFC-CA FTS Testing Capability Definition Letter. Further Increment I capability against operationally realistic
testing is planned for FY16; these tests, too, will not be anti-ship cruise missile threats as soon as possible.
sufficiently challenging to allow an operational effectiveness 5. Submit a Test and Evaluation Master Plan for DOT&E
determination. approval that describes and resources adequate operational
• The Navy’s combined Baseline 9 and SM-6 FOT&E test testing of future NIFC-CA FTS increments before such
events to date have been successful with no SM-6 integration capabilities are deployed.
issues revealed. 6. For Baseline 9A, develop and deploy necessary
• The Navy’s Aegis Baseline 9A cybersecurity testing revealed cybersecurity corrective actions and verify correction with a
significant problems, which are classified. The nature of these follow-on operational cybersecurity test.
problems is such that they could pose significant risk to the • FY15 Recommendation.
cybersecurity for the FY15 deployment. Details can be found 1. The Navy needs to complete the planned FOT&E events as
in DOT&E’s Early Fielding Report dated July 2015. detailed in the approved test plan as soon as practical.
• Changes made to the radar software presented unexpected
issues during the initial phase of the Aegis cruiser at-sea
operational test. The Navy is addressing these issues and

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