AMO onboard as SBX undergoes upgrades

AMO onboard as SBX undergoes upgrades

Sea-based radar is key component of U.S. missile defense

Capt. Edward Pillert, master of the SBX, and Second Mate Ben Graffius were onboard the SBX as it underwent scheduled upgrades in Hawaii. The vessel is operated by Interocean American Shipping and manned in all licensed positions by American Maritime Officers.

The sea-based X-band radar platform (SBX), a mobile component of the U.S. missile defense system, has been the subject of extensive media coverage over the past month as it underwent scheduled maintenance and planned upgrades at BAE Systems Hawaii Shipyards.

The mission details and components of the self-propelled semi-submersible rig and the radar system it supports have been kept somewhat quiet since the vessel was assembled in the spring of 2005. That changed this month when U.S. Army project managers for the sea-based radar brought local, national and international media onboard for interviews and a tour of the SBX.

A crucial element of the developing U.S. missile defense system, the vessel is operated by Interocean American Shipping Corporation under a charter from the U.S. Missile Defense Agency and is manned in all licensed positions by American Maritime Officers. Including the contract civilian mariners, the SBX typically carries a crew and operating team of 90 people and can carry as many as 100. The team includes technicians from defense contractors Boeing and Raytheon.

Capt. Edward Pillert points out that, in the case of the SBX, shiphandling has become rocket science.

The vessel's officers are an integrated part of SBX team operations, which include tracking ballistic missiles and discriminating between airborne weapons and other objects. The mobile radar is capable of tracking an object the size of a baseball from thousands of miles away and can distinguish between nuclear warheads and decoy objects at great distances.

"We can see which way a baseball is spinning from 2,000 miles away," said Capt. Pillert, master of the SBX. "It's very interesting and challenging. In the places we go, we're engaged in dynamic positioning-we're required to keep the platform in a single-point position for the radar system."

The SBX, which measures about 380 feet in length and 280 feet in height, typically draws about 30 feet while transiting underway. When dynamically positioned, ballasting is used to increase the vessel's draft to more than 70 feet and thrusters on the rig's legs are used for precise corrections to hold a position.

"The vessel was built to withstand a 100-year storm," Capt. Pillert said. "It was designed for the North Sea environment."

The SBX has successfully demonstrated its ability to operate in the harsh winter conditions of the northern Pacific Ocean during two tests of the ballistic missile defense system, according to the Missile Defense Agency.

In Hawaii a second crane was being installed on the SBX for loading and offloading supplies and personnel, the helicopter pad was being improved and a fast rescue boat and davit system was being added. The rig has also been fitted to receive satellite television for the crew.

The SBX was due to depart Hawaii in August for missile defense testing and will return for additional upgrades sometime this fall. When the work on the SBX has been completed, the platform will sail for its homeport in Adak, Alaska.

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