bring_it_on
I really should change my personal text
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Colonial-Marine said:So LREW is yet another technology demonstrator program? As with the T3 program the results may be impressive but I'm left wondering when we will see actual new missiles? I feel that by now we should have at least had AMRAAMs with dual/multi-pulse motors in service.
LREW was always designed as such and the contract was till 2018. There does not appear to be a follow on though it could have well informed the current SACM transition or something in the classified realm. The USAF is experimenting when it comes to a next generation weapon for the 2030 time-frame and it appears the SACM effort has now morphed into a larger weapon still looking at some of the same performance parameters listed in the ppt posted above. I think they will continue to develop and experiment into the early 2020s and we'll probably something being put into a concrete program towards the middile of next decade. With the 5th gen fleet growing the AF probably thinks that an AMRAAM range extension is not a pressing concern but the legacy fleet, particularly the Navy's Hornets and Super Hornets can use this so they may have to take a look at one more AMRAAM iteration if they think the technology required to get to a 2030 weapon is going to take a bit of work still.
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,17332.msg347941.html#msg347941