RIM - 162 ESSM The RIM - 162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missile ( ESSM ) is a development of the RIM - 7 Sea Sparrow missile used to protect ships from attacking missiles and aircraft . ESSM is designed to counter supersonic maneuvering anti - ship missile s . ESSM also has the ability to be " quad - packed " in the Mk 41 VLS system , allowing up to four ESSMs to be carried in a single cell . Many countries are using or plan to use the ESSM . The first countries to achieve operational status for ESSM were the United States , Australia , Canada , Germany , Turkey , Greece , Japan , Denmark , the Netherlands , Norway , Spain , and the United Arab Emirates have also integrated or are in the process of integrating the ESSM . Design . Compared to the Sea Sparrow , ESSM has a larger , more powerful rocket motor for increased range and agility , as well as upgraded aerodynamics using strakes and skid - to - turn . In addition , ESSM takes advantage of the latest missile guidance technology , with different versions for Aegis / SPY - 1 , Sewaco / APAR , and traditional target illumination all - the - way . The improved ESSM Block II will be fielded by the US Navy from 2020 . Launchers . The original launcher is Mark 29 Guided Missile Launching System Mod . 4 & 5 ( Mk 29 GMLS Mod 4 & 5 ) , which is developed from earlier models Mk 29 Mod 1 / 2 / 3 for Sea Sparrow . Mk 29 launchers provide on - mount stowage and launching capability for firing up to eight missiles in a self contained environmentally controlled trainable launcher design . Furthermore , ESSM can also be launched from Mk 41 VLS , with up to 4 missile in each cell . Mk 48 . In addition to the Mk 29 GMLS and Mk 41 VLS systems , the other primary launcher is Mk 48 VLS . The 2 - cell module of Mk - 48 makes the system very versatile and enables it to be installed on board in spaces that otherwise cannot be utilized . The weight of a 2 - cell module of Mk - 48 is 1 , 450 pounds ( with empty canisters ) , 725 pounds for exhaust system , and 800 pounds for ship installation interfaces . Each canister of the Mk - 48 VLS houses a single RIM - 7VL ( Vertically Launched ) Sea Sparrow cell or two RIM - 162 ESSM cells , though , with modification , other missiles can also be launched . There are a total of four models in the Mk 48 family , with Mod 0 & 1 housing either 2 RIM - 7VL or 4 RIM - 162 cells , Mod 2 housing either 16 RIM - 7VL or 32 RIM - 162 cells . Mod 0 / 1 / 2 are usually grouped into either a 16 - cell module for RIM - 7VL or a 32 - cell module for RIM - 162 . Mod 3 fits into the StanFlex modules on Royal Danish Navy ships and can house either 6 RIM - 7VL or 12 RIM - 162 cells ; the Danes now use the latter . Mk 56 . The successor of Mk 48 VLS , Mark 56 Guided Missile Vertical Launching Sysem ( Mk 56 GMVLS ) or simply Mk 56 , is latest launcher developed for RIM - 162 ESSM . In comparison to its predecessor , Mk 56 utilize greater percentage of composite material , reducing the weight more than 20 % . Specifications : Operational history . US operational evaluation was conducted in July 2002 aboard . Initial operational capability did not occur until later . In October 2003 , at the USN Pacific Missile Range Facility near Hawaii , Australian frigate conducted a successful firing of an ESSM . The firing was also the first operational use of the CEA Technologies CWI for guidance . In November 2003 , approximately from the Azores , the Royal Netherlands Navy ( RNLN ) frigate HNLMS " De Zeven Provinciën " conducted a live fire test of a single ESSM . This firing was the first ever live firing involving a full - size ship - borne Active Electronically Scanned Array ( i . e . the APAR radar ) guiding a missile using the Interrupted Continuous Wave Illumination ( ICWI ) technique in an operational environment . As related by Jane ' s Navy International : During the tracking and missile - firing tests , target profiles were provided by Greek - built EADS / 3Sigma Iris PVK medium - range subsonic target drones . [ . . . ] According to the RNLN , . . . " APAR immediately acquired the missile and maintained track until destruction " . [ . . . ] These ground - breaking tests represented the world ' s first live verification of the ICWI technique . In August 2004 a German Navy Sachsen class frigate completed a series of live missile firings at the Point Mugu missile launch range off the coast of California that included a total of 11 ESSM missile firings . The tests included firings against target drones such as the Northrup Grumman BQM - 74E Chukkar III and Teledyne Ryan BQM - 34S Firebee I , as well as against missile targets such as the Beech AQM - 37C and air - launched Kormoran 1 anti - ship missiles . Further live firings were performed by the RNLN ' s HNLMS " De Zeven Provinciën " in March 2005 , again in the Atlantic Ocean approximately west of the Azores . The tests involved three live - firing events ( two of which involved the ESSM ) including firing a single SM - 2 Block IIIA at an Iris target drone at long range , a single ESSM at an Iris target drone , and a two - salvo launch ( with one salvo comprising two SM - 2 Block IIIAs and the other comprising two ESSMs ) against two incoming Iris target drones . All ESSM launches from De Zeven Provinciën class frigates and Sachsen class frigates involved ESSMs quad - packed in a Mark 41 vertical launch system . The first " kill " by the RIM - 162D from a United States Navy carrier ' s Mk 29 launcher was achieved during a training exercise by the on 7 October 2008 . On 14 May 2013 , the ESSM intercepted a high - diving supersonic test target , demonstrating the ability to hit high - G maneuvering . No software changes were needed to prove the ESSM ' s enhanced capability .