USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) concluded a series of live-fire exercises to assess the ship’s newly installed AEGIS Weapon System (AWS) Baseline 9A, Sept. 5.
Chancellorsville is the first cruiser to receive the AWS Baseline 9A upgrade and its associated computing infrastructure and Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) capabilities.
“The Baseline 9 upgrade gives us an incredibly potent capability not only in terms of raw fire power for air defense, but also in the command, control and communications capability to better direct the air war for all ships and aircraft in the strike group,” said Capt. Curt Renshaw, Chancellorsville’s commanding officer. “The improved networking also allows us to extend our air defense battle space, particularly with the Navy Integrated Fire Control-Counter Air system combined with the extended range of the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) Surface to Air Missile.”
Renshaw also explained that the Baseline 9A upgrade extends beyond air defense.
“Baseline 9A makes our whole system open architecture, adding a degree of flexibility due to the ability to more readily accept capability upgrades,” said Renshaw.
The two week at-sea period highlighted the resumption of Chancellorsville combined Combat System Ship Qualification Trials (CSSQT) and Integrated Testing (IT), following a repair period in late 2013. Chancellorsville successfully completed the Air Defense and Surface Warfare phase of CSSQT/IT consisting of multiple live missile and gun firings against unmanned targets.
The tests were the culmination of a multi-week period of operational and maintenance training to prepare the crew to successfully prosecute the live fire events. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division (NSWC PHD), led the test team working directly with the crews of Chancellorsville and USS Sampson (DDG 102), which assisted in the testing, planning and execution of the events.
The AEGIS Baseline 9A program is being developed and tested by the Program Executive Office, Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS).
PEO IWS is affiliated with the Naval Sea Systems Command. The organization is focused on developing, delivering and sustaining operationally dominant combat systems for Sailors and Marines.