Ракета малой дальности RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile

Small, lightweight, infrared homing surface to air missile
the earlier weapon named Ram

The RIM 116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) is a small, lightweight, infrared homing surface to air missile in use by the German, Japanese, Greek, Turkish, South Korean, Saudi Arabian, Egyptian, Mexican, UAE, and United States navies. It was originally intended and used primarily as a point defense weapon against anti ship missiles. As its name indicates, RAM rolls as it flies. The missile must roll during flight because the RF tracking system uses a two antenna interferometer that can measure phase interference of the electromagnetic wave in one plane only. The rolling interferometer permits the antennas to look at all planes of incoming energy. In addition, because the missile rolls, only one pair of steering canards is required. , it is the only U. S. Navy missile to operate in this manner. The Rolling Airframe Missiles, together with the Mk 49 Guided Missile Launching System (GMLS) and support equipment, make up the RAM Mk 31 Guided Missile Weapon System (GMWS). The Mk 144 Guided Missile Launcher (GML) unit weighs and stores 21 missiles. The original weapon cannot employ its own sensors prior to firing, so it must be integrated with a ship's combat system, which directs the launcher at targets. On U. S. ships, it is integrated with the AN/SWY 2 Ship Defense Surface Missile System (SDSMS) and Ship Self Defense System (SSDS) Mk 1 or Mk 2 based combat systems. SeaRAM, a launcher variant equipped with independent sensors derived from the Vulcan Phalanx CIWS, is being installed on Littoral Combat Ships and certain s.

The RIM 116 was developed by General Dynamics Pomona and Valley Systems divisions under a July 1976 agreement with Denmark and West Germany (the General Dynamics missile business was later acquired by Hughes Aircraft and is today part of Raytheon). Denmark dropped out of the program, but the U. S. Navy joined in as the major partner. The Mk 49 launcher was evaluated on board the destroyer David R. Ray in the late 1980s.

The RIM 116 is in service on several American and 30 German warships. All newly laid German Navy warships will be equipped with the RAM, such as the modern s, which mount two RAM launchers per ship. The Greek Navy has equipped the new Super Vita–class fast attack craft with the RAM. South Korea has signed license production contracts for their navy's KDX II, KDX III, and s.

The U. S. Navy plans to purchase a total of about 1,600 RAMs and 115 launchers to equip 74 ships. The missile is currently active aboard s, s, s, s, ships, s, s, and littoral combat ships (LCS).

The original version of the missile, called Block 0, is based on the AIM 9 Sidewinder air to air missile, whose rocket motor, fuze, and warhead are used. Block 0 missiles were designed to initially home in on radiation emitted from a target (such as the active radar of an incoming anti ship missile), switching to an infrared seeker derived from that of the FIM 92 Stinger missile for terminal guidance. In test firings, the Block 0 missiles achieved hit rates of over 95%.

The Block 1 (RIM 116B) is an improved version of the RAM missile that adds an overall infrared only guidance system that enables it to intercept missiles that are not emitting any radar signals. The Block 0's radar homing capabilities have been retained.

The Block 2 (RIM 116C) is an upgraded version of the RAM missile aimed at more effectively countering more maneuverable anti ship missiles through a four axis independent control actuator system, increased rocket motor capability to 6.25–inch diameter, an improved passive radio frequency seeker and upgraded components of the infrared seeker, and advanced kinematics. On 8 May 2007, the U. S. Navy awarded Raytheon Missile Systems a $105 million development contract. Development was expected to be completed by December 2010. LRIP began in 2012. 51 missiles were initially ordered. On 22 October 2012, the RAM Block 2 completed its third guided test vehicle flight, firing two missiles in a salvo and directly hitting the target, to verify the system's command and control capabilities, kinematic performance, guidance system, and airframe capabilities. Raytheon was scheduled to deliver 25 Block 2 missiles during the program's integrated testing phase. The Block 2 RAM was delivered to the U. S. Navy in August 2014, with 502 missiles to be acquired from 2015 to 2019. Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for the Block 2 RAM was achieved on 15 May 2015. In early 2018 the U. S. State Department approved the sale of RIM 116 Block II to the Mexican Navy for use on their future Sigma class design frigates, the first of which was jointly built by Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding and launched in November 2018.

In 1998, a memorandum of understanding was signed by the defense departments of Germany and the United States to improve the system so that it could also engage so called "HAS", Helicopter, Aircraft, and Surface targets. As developed, the HAS upgrade just required software modifications that can be applied to all Block 1 RAM missiles.

The Dutch Ministry of Defence announced on 14 January 2021 that it wants to purchase the Rolling Airframe Missile to upgrade several of its ships, including the landing platform docks HNLMS Rotterdam and HNLMS Johan de Witt, the support ship HNLMS Karel Doorman and its new anti submarine warfare frigates.