From the board of directors of Miriko Arms Foreign Exports, we're pleased to present you a new defensive weapon for your spatial defense needs,
Nicaea Neutron Radiation Interceptor Missile
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DIRECTORY> MISSILE STATS | INTRODUCTION | NEUTRON KILL MECHANISM | AVIONICS | ADDITIONAL INFORMATION | PURCHASE INFORMATION | BLOCK I UPDATE
Missile Stats
Original
Complete Weight : 1,600 kg
Dimensions : 6.2 m (H) x 0.55 m (D)
Warhead : 20 kt Variable Neutron Radiation Complex
Effect Radius : 2 km (Conical, Intense), 12 km (Dispersed, Burst)
Propulsion : Three stage Soltz Solid Rocket Motor + thrust vectoring
Operational Range : 1,900 km
Minimum Safety Range : 50 km
Flight Ceiling : 900 km
Launch Cycle Time: 2 minutes
Guidance : GPS/INS, Command guidance, active Ku-band + digital EO
Launch Platform : Strike length Mk.41 VLS or any other compatible systems
Service Cycle : 12 years
Block I Update
Complete Weight : 2,000 kg
Dimensions : 6.5 m (H) x 0.55 m (D)
Warhead : 30 kt Variable Neutron Radiation Complex
Effect Radius : 4 km (Conical, Intense), 15 km (Dispersed, Burst)
Propulsion : Three stage Soltz Solid Rocket Motor + thrust vectoring
Operational Range : 2,200 km
Minimum Safety Range : 50 km
Flight Ceiling : 1100 km
Launch Cycle Time: 1.1 minute
Guidance : GPS/INS, Command guidance, TCEL, active Ku-band + digital EO
Launch Platform : Strike length Mk.41 VLS or any other compatible systems
Service Cycle : None, recommended every twenty years
Introduction
Nicaea Neutron Radiation Interceptor Missile or can be known as Nicaea or Nicaea NRIM represent Miriko Arms latest defense solution specifically designed to interdict endo and exo-atmospheric threats through utilization of intense neutron generation from an ordinary thermonuclear device. Nicaea can trace its roots back to Haize Technocracy-era where when everything else fails, fight nukes with nukes. Such conclusion was also attributed to proliferation of multiple independent re-entry vehicles (MIRVs) in the early 80s where individual kinetic interceptors cannot reliably operate against massed MIRV attacks and where economy of scale of nukes stacked odds to ordinary hit-to-kill technology.
However, due to the collapse of the Technocracy in early 2000s, Nicaea concept was no longer pursued until now; we at Miriko Arms had realized the high ambient threat scenario in the world today calls for an effective and decisive solution. Haishan's rapid advancement of technologies breathed new life to the old concept, transforming Nicaea as a viable option for today's warfighters by enabling highly effective neutron radiation kill mechanism to be miniaturized in a compact missile with the necessary avionics and interdiction range. As reiterated earlier, Nicaea represent endgame solution to efficiently interdict spatial threats through liberal application of neutron blast at a range where conventional systems had faltered or failed against ballistic threat projected by your adversaries.
Neutron Kill Mechanism
Upon warhead activation, relativistic neutron will collide with the target akin to billards,
knocking out atoms and causing disorder on the atomic scale as depicted in the picture above.
For electronics, these neutron-induced defects could render them inoperable.
Unlike conventional anti ballistic missiles which utilized hit-to-kill technology which can be equated to hit a speeding needle with another needle with closing velocities at excess of 5+ km/s, Nicaea preuse a simple concept of simply blasting a threat with gratuitous shower of neutron radiation. The NRIM essentially use a compact thermonuclear device, known as Variable Neutron Radiation Complex (VNRC) which is similar to any other thermonuclear devices in exception that it does not have neutron tamper layer, i.e depleted uranium as the latter, effectively trading nuclear blast yield with production of fast neutrons. As its name implies VNRC have a dial-neutron-yield which can be set prior to launch to conform to current operation limitations, ranging from 2 km radius intense irradiation or a wider and much dispersed irradiation of 12 km radius.
As these fast neutrons can posses energetic states up to 1.5 mega-electron volts and are highly penetrating, it allows the VNRC to effectively project a cone of neutron radiation to damage the target at range or proximity without needing to physically hit the spatial threat in the first place. These fast neutrons can effectively penetrate most materials and radioactively-activate a portion of such materials, releasing even more radiation on the target. Given most semiconductors are prone to radiation-induced damages and VNRC proximity blast effect, this enables Nicaea to interdict multiple spatial threats at range simultaneously, minimizing operational costs for your military units.
Even if the neutron radiation is rendered ineffective by enemy shielding attempts, the kill mechanism can be additionally utilized to aid in target discrimination and identification in event of MIRV attack as it's highly likely that your adversaries would only plate their true offensive equipments with anti-neutron shielding rather than their deployed decoys or penetration aids, whereby neutron irradiation will make it plausible for your intelligence systems to differentiate and track the real threat. The low yield of VNRC shouldn't be used as an indicator of its potential halting power given it's just an indicator for the explosive power of the warhead, not the intensity of neutron radiation that it will produce.
Avionics
The NRIM utilize multiplicity of MEMS-based time and measurement units while backed with several fiber ring laser gyroscopes for inertial navigation while utilizing command guidance until shortly before interception. This method enables Nicaea to posses high resistance to enemy jamming attempts in its travel to the target. Nicaea uses a collection of Ku-band active seekers to adaptively sense the target and automatically set the range for its warhead activation without interference from the human controller but in spirit of Miriko-Arms' "tunable characteristics", Nicaea users can manually set VNRC activation through the command guidance link. The missile is additionally equipped with dynamic digital acquisition system to aid terminal guidance and verification in conjunction of the Ku-band active seeker.
As Nicaea can be considered as a tactical nuclear weapon, the electronics carried by the missile is suitably protected against weapons of similar nature; Nicaea posses carbon nanotube sheath to effectively shut down hostile EMP attacks from affecting the missile guidance systems while its antenna systems are coupled with frequency selective surfaces and intelligent resistors to minimize front-door electromagnetic attacks. We took a step further by providing exclusive lightweight interweaved boron and tungsten-impregnated polymer shield layers on NRIM avionics to reduce onset of radiation-induced damages caused by similar nuclear-driven weapons.
Additional Information
Nicaea is currently designed to interface with strike length Mk.41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) and Aegis BMD although may be also fitted on VLS with similar features as Mk.41. We're currently working to provide Nicaea solution in other forms than VLS thus should such endeavor prove successful, the design will be subsequently updated. Due to the operational nature of VNRC, it's important that the missile should be serviced once every 12 years to replenish its tritium stock in an appropriate facility. In-atmospheric usage will result in reduced neutron irradiation range and effectiveness due to presence of air molecules although as a side effect, NRIM activation may trigger secondary radiation effects from atmospheric gasses and aerosols in vicinity.
Purchase Information
Domestic Production License or similar permutations thereof is not currently offered for Nicaea NRIM. The unit is currently distributed by Triumvirate Enterprises and Wolf Armaments, retailed at minimum starting price of NSD 15 million though weapon price is subject to distributor discretion and Nicaea stock availability.
Block I Upgrade
In order to further improve anti-orbit capabilities enabled by Nicaea robust neutron kill mechanism, we have decided to release a comprehensive upgrade package for NRIM. Nicaea users that had bought the missile previously are offered the upgrade free of charge, upon request. The first shift in ensuring tactical effectiveness of NRIM Block I is an addition of Tactical Cooperative Engagement Link or simply TCEL for short. The jam-resistant TCEL enables any NRIM Block I that are in boost or mid course phase to communicate with warfighter's representative assets accordingly through full duplex, high-throughput encrypted Ka-band data link for targeting or mission update in real time.
To put this in perspective, TCEL allows minimal guidance from the launcher in case of strict EMCON (emission control) mode and allow the warfighter's other assets to guide the NRIM Block I instead. The data link also provide an additional layer of redundancy in the user's mid course ballistic kill chain; should the main ballistic missile defense radar of the launcher ship have been damaged in combat and cannot guide the missile through the primary command data link, the missile can be still launched and guided by the warfighter's other assets, realizing persistent anti-orbit defense and complicating enemy attempts to disrupt such defenses.
Another significant upgrade entailed in the Block I update is addition of high divert altitude control system consisting of banks of solid rocket thrusters. These optimally distributed thrusters enable high terminal agility for the missile neutron warhead, especially against maneuvering threats. Combined with TCEL, the system enables the user to optimize expected position of NRIM neutron blast to hit maximal amount of targets or fine tune its irradiation effect for NRIM user's tactics.
These two upgrades are then paired with NRIM software upgrade; via the same TCEL link, multiple launched NRIM Block I could 'talk' to each other and share information for endgame optimization should the 'talk' feature is enabled prior to launch. This of course provide the warfighter operational flexibility by letting the missiles organize themselves against multiple spatial threats at cost of fine-grained command control from the launcher(s). This expanded communication capabilities are then topped with a L-band based (by default) Identification-Friend-or-Foe (IFF) interrogator on NRIM Block I, in order to reduce chances of friendly fratricide and the IFF system can be specifically tailored for the warfighter's specific parameters upon request.
Another enhanced capability upgrade is incorporation of a slightly longer booster stack which pushes NRIM range from 1,900 km to 2,200 km. What's more important however, the addition of new energetic fuels increases the maximum interception altitude of NRIM up to 1,100 km to increase margins of warfighter's ballistic defense against intelligent threats that may opt for high ballistic trajectory route. The improved rocket motor is additionally tailored into Class 1.3 Insensitive Munition Hazard, to essentially feature greater onboard safety for the launcher and durability in stressful environment for long periods of time.
The last update made for Block I NRIM is changes in VNRC core design; instead of utilizing decaying tritium booster, the new VNRC complex uses specific inclusions of lithium-deuteride fuel and new arrangement of explosion tampers in order to maximise neutron production. This optimization also result in higher VNRC neutron flux overall, enabling intense neutron irradiation mode to extend up to 4 km or 15 km for dispersed neutron burst.
VNRC optimized redesign however unfortunately result in warhead weight and size increase, for added benefit of simplified maintenance of the missile. The cost of Block I NRIM remained the same as before, given we're committed to provide today modern warfighters with unparalleled combat capabilities.