Mark 41 vertical launching system. The Mark 41 vertical launching system (Mk 41 VLS) is a shipborne missile canister launching system which provides a rapid-fire launch capability against hostile threats. The vertical launching system (VLS) concept was derived from work on the Aegis Combat System.

History
Refinement of the initial concept of Aegis system in the 1960s continued through the 1960s and 1970s, and the Mk 41 was conceived in 1976. Originally, the system was only intended to fire the RIM-66 Standard missile, but the height of the Mk 41 was increased to accommodate the larger Tomahawk missile. The prototype for the launcher was tested and evaluated on board . The first operational launcher was installed aboard .

Combat history

On 12 October 2016,  was targeted by missiles fired from Yemeni territory while operating in the Bab-el-Mandeb strait. Mason was not hit by the two missiles, which were fired from near the city of Al Hudaydah. While the Navy is not certain whether the first incoming missile was intercepted or it just fell into the sea, officials claim Mason successfully intercepted the second missile at a distance of about , marking the first time in history a warship destroyed an inbound anti-ship missile with a SAM in actual self-defense and the first time the Mk41 VLS did so.

Specifications

Mark 41 (Mk 41)

The missiles are pre-loaded into "canisters", which are then loaded into the individual "cells" of the launcher. A cell may have 1, 2, or 4 missiles. Several models of missiles are integrated into the Mk 41 and Mk 57 systems through the Host Extensible Launch System (ExLS) developed by Lockheed Martin.

Launcher cells are fitted to ships in 8 cell modules (2 rows of 4) that share a common uptake hatch (exhaust system) sited between the two rows. The Mk 41 VLS adopts modular design concept, which result in different versions that vary in size and weight due to different "canisters" in various modules. The height (determining missile length) of the launcher comes in three sizes:  for the self-defense version,  for the tactical version, and  for the strike version. The empty weight for an 8-cell module is  for the self-defense version,  for the tactical version, and  for the strike version. Ticonderoga cruisers and Arleigh Burke destroyers up to DDG-78 have a Strikedown module fore and aft, which consists of five cells and a collapsible crane for assisting with replenishment at sea. As replenishment of large missiles at sea was later seen as impractical and dangerous, Strikedown modules fell out of use on newer ships.

The Mk 41 is capable of firing the following missiles (height and pack count indicated where possible):

Surface-to-air 
 RIM-66 Standard MR ( height)
 RIM-156 Standard ER（ height)
 RIM-161 Standard Missile 3 (strike height)
 RIM-174 Standard ERAM / SM-6 (strike height)
 RIM-7 Sea Sparrow (SD height, 4-pack)
 RIM-162 ESSM (SD height, 4-pack, incompatible with older versions of 8-cell modules)
 CAMM (CAMM, CAMM-ER, CAMM-MR) (SD height, ExLS; 4-pack for CAMM and CAMM-ER, likely 2-pack for CAMM-MR)
 RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (Block 2) (SD height, ExLS 4-pack)

Surface-to-surface 
 RGM-109 Tomahawk (strike height)
 Joint Strike Missile (TAC height)
 RGM-179 JAGM (SD height, ExLS 4-pack)
 LRASM (BTV) with a Mk-114 booster rocket (strike height)

Anti-submarine 
 RUM-139 VL-ASROC (TAC height)

Decoy 
 Nulka (SD, ExLS 4-pack)

Mark 57 (Mk 57) PVLS

The Mk 57 Peripheral Vertical Launch System (PVLS) used on the s is composed of much larger VLS cells capable of venting much larger volume and mass of exhaust gasses (mass flow rate), but is an evolution of the smaller unarmored Mk 56 VLS. The Mk 57 PVLS are designed to be installed on the ship periphery with armor on the inboard boundary, instead of in centralized magazines used in the Mk 41.

Developed by Raytheon, Mk 57 provides backward compatibility with existing missiles while allowing new missiles with significantly increased propulsion and payloads.  While allowing for larger missiles than the Mk 41, the primary improvement of Mk 57 is its exhaust gas management system which can accommodate new missile designs having up to 45 percent greater rocket motor mass flow rate than that of Mk 41. The unique symmetric geometry of the U-shaped gas management system facilitates the egress of gases, while minimizing flow into adjacent cells and reversed flow into the active cell. Another advantage is the elimination of the water deluge system, which is used to cool the missile canister in the event that the missile restraint bolts do not release after rocket motor ignition.  Elimination of the water deluge system significantly reduces maintenance and personnel requirements, and protects against accidental missile wet-down.

Variants

MK 41 Mod 0, s, two 61 cell Vertical Launcher Mk 158 Mod 0 or Mod 1, forward and aft.
MK 41 Mod 1, s, 61 cells forward.
MK 41 Mod 2, s, DDG-51 to DDG-78, one 29 cell Vertical Launcher Mk 159 Mod 0 forward, one 61 cell Vertical Launcher Mk 158 Mod 0 aft.
MK 41 Mod unknown, Constellation-class frigates, 32 cells.
MK 41 Mod unknown, Álvaro de Bazán-class frigates (Spain), 48 cells.
MK 41 Mod unknown, Deveselu Military Base
MK 41 Mod 3, s (Germany), 16 cells.
MK 41 Mod 5, s (Australia, New Zealand), 8 cells
MK 41 Mod 7, Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, DDG-79 to DDG-91, one 32 cell Vertical Launcher Mk 177 Mod 0 forward, one 64 cell Vertical Launcher Mk 176 Mod 0 aft.
MK 41 Mod 8, s (Turkey), 8 or 16 cells
MK 41 Mod 9, s (Netherlands), 40 cells 
MK 41 Mod 10, s (Germany), 32 cells
MK 41 Mod 15, Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, DDG-92 and up, one 32 cell Vertical Launcher Mk 177 Mod 3 forward, one 64 cell Vertical Launcher Mk 176 Mod 2 aft.
MK 41 Mod 16, s (Australia), 8 cells
MK 70 Mod 1, containerized four-cell launcher
Long-Range Missile (LMSL) Battery, containerized single cell launcher on a US Marine Corps ROGUE- Fires JLTV vehicle

Operators

 Adelaide-class frigate - (8 cells) (Retired)
Anzac-class frigate - (8 cells)
  - (48 cells)
  - (32 cells)

  - (29 cells) (Retired)
 River-class destroyer - (24 cells)

  - (8 cells)

  - (32 cells)

  - (8 or 16 cells)

 Sachsen-class frigate - (32 cells)
 Brandenburg-class frigate - (16 cells)
 F126 frigate (16 cells)

  - (96 cells)
  - (96 cells)
  - (90 cells)
  - (16 cells)
  - (16 cells)
  - (32 cells)
  - (32 cells)
  - (32 cells)
  - (16 cells)
  - (8 cells)

 De Zeven Provinciën-class frigate - (40 cells)

  - (8 or 16 cells)

  (KDX-II) - (32 cells)
  (KDX-III) - (80 cells)

  - (48 cells)
 F110-class frigate - (16 cells)

 Kaohsiung-class tank landing ship - (Test ship)

 Naresuan-class frigate - (8 cells)
 Bhumibol Adulyadej-class frigate - (8 cells)

  - (8 cells)
 Barbaros-class frigate - (16 cells)

Type 26 frigate - (24 cells)
Type 31 frigate - (32 cells)

 Spruance-class destroyer - (61 cells, installed on 24 of 31 vessels) (Retired)
 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer - (90 or 96 cells)
 Ticonderoga-class cruiser - (122 cells)
  - (80 Mk 57 cells) 
 Constellation-class frigate - (32 Mk 41 cells) 
 DDG(X) class destroyer - (At minimum up to 128 cells (4x32 module configuration), dependent on number of hypersonic missiles carried as per current US Navy design proposal)

Other American VLSs 
Smaller ships may use a Mk 48 VLS to launch the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow and later the RIM-162 ESSM. Each canister hosts one RIM-7 or two RIM-162s, and each module consists of two canisters: the smaller modules provide more versatility. The Mk 56 VLS is a later, lighter evolution based on modules of 4 ESSM canisters.

US Submarines use a Mk 45 VLS.

Gallery

See also
 GJB 5860-2006 – A vertical launching system of People's Liberation Army Navy
 K-VLS – A vertical launching system of Republic of Korea Navy
 Poliment–Redut vertical launching system – A vertical launching system of Russian Navy, navalized version of S-350
 3S-14 – A vertical launching system of Russian Navy for cruise, anti-ship and anti-submarine missiles
 Sylver – A vertical launching system designed by DCNS
 Typhon missile launcher – A vertical launching ground system

References

External links 

FAS - Mk 41
Lockheed Martin - Mk 41 VLS Factsheet 

Naval guided missile launch systems of the United States
Military equipment introduced in the 1980s
Vertical launch systems