What is the SM-6 Dual I / Dual II?

[GeneralVikus]

Hey guys,

Simple question here. The 2023 budget Navy weapons justification (https://www.secnav.navy.mil/fmc/fmb/Doc ... N_Book.pdf) refers to only the SM-6 IA and IB, of which only the IA is included in the MYP as the IB is said to be in LRIP. The term 'Dual I' does not appear in this document.

However, the MDA lists the Dual I as a variant of the SM-6, alongside the IA and IB. The Command database also includes a Dual II missile. Can somebody explain to me what exactly SM-6 Dual I and Dual II are?

[tylerblakebrandon]

Just based on a quick Google search and wiki hit

"to successfully intercept a ballistic missile target in the terminal phase, the last few seconds before it would impact; the Dual I upgrade adds a more powerful processor that runs more sophisticated targeting software to hit a warhead descending from the upper atmosphere at extreme speed."

And Dual I correpsonds with SM-6 Block I and Dual II with Block 1a.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RIM-174_Standard_ERAM

https://www.cpf.navy.mil/Newsroom/News/ ... le-target/

https://defbrief.com/2023/04/01/softwar ... -mda-test/

https://www.pacom.mil/media/image-galle ... 003192203/

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... -mda-test/

[GeneralVikus]

From which of these sources did you draw that conclusion? Every one of them copies the same verbatim description of the missile's role presumably from a press release about a test, and talks about the "Dual II with SWUP," i.e. implying that the SWUP is something that's being applied to an existing missile called the Dual II - not that the SWUP and Dual II are one and the same thing. None of these sources make any mention of the designations I or Ia. Wiki has a table which literally links the I with the Dual I and Ia with Dual II, but again provides no information about what the Dual I or Dual II are - are they software packages, or physical modifications to the missiles, or new built subvariants of the respective missiles - if they're upgrades, have they been applied to all missiles of the corresponding variant, or only some?

[rvseydlitz]

I have read somewhere (and I'm sorry cannot remember where) that the "dual" upgrades would be applied going forward to new production but would not be retrofitted to missiles already in the fleet.

I'm not sure if that's accurate, trying to remember where I read it but at my age that's difficult lol.

[GeneralVikus]

I have read somewhere (and I'm sorry cannot remember where) that the "dual" upgrades would be applied going forward to new production but would not be retrofitted to missiles already in the fleet.

I'm not sure if that's accurate, trying to remember where I read it but at my age that's difficult lol.

No need to apologize old man, any data point is useful.

[tylerblakebrandon]

From which of these sources did you draw that conclusion? Every one of them copies the same verbatim description of the missile's role presumably from a press release about a test, and talks about the "Dual II with SWUP," i.e. implying that the SWUP is something that's being applied to an existing missile called the Dual II - not that the SWUP and Dual II are one and the same thing. None of these sources make any mention of the designations I or Ia. Wiki has a table which literally links the I with the Dual I and Ia with Dual II, but again provides no information about what the Dual I or Dual II are - are they software packages, or physical modifications to the missiles, or new built subvariants of the respective missiles - if they're upgrades, have they been applied to all missiles of the corresponding variant, or only some?

Just going off the quote it would appear that DUAL I and II are the processor and software updates needed for ABM capability. It seems that these became part of the standard production and were retrofitted to existing missiles.

SWUP seems to be an additional software only update aimed at better performance to defend against short-to-medium range ballistic missiles in the terminal phase of flight.

https://www.defense-aerospace.com/upgra ... t-in-test/

I'm sure the vagueness is intentional.