DARPA Long Range Anti-ship Missile (LRASM)

Photo: Black circle shows where DARPA's LRASM prototype hit target in testing.

pic.twitter.com/lH2xe7EY4J
 

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New Autonomous Anti-Ship Missile Hits Its First Target

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Office of Naval Research successfully launched
[/size]the first prototype of a long-range anti-ship missile that can autonomously detect and hit targets, it was announced Sept 6. [/size]Current cruise missiles follow a pre-planned route based on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information, said Artie Mabbett, DARPA’s program manager for the long-range anti-ship missile, or LRASM. If adversaries have sophisticated air defense systems, those missiles might not hit their target, necessitating additional strikes.

LRASM, however, has autonomous capabilities that will allow the missile to reroute itself based on what it's sensing as it flies toward its target, he said.

"What we've done is we've taken a basic waypoint following cruise missile concept … and we've essentially added brains to it. We've put in the capability so that it can autonomously now detect, attack and engage the targets of interest without having to be dependent on lots of a prior knowledge,” Mabbett told reporters in a Sept. 5 conference call.

During the
Aug. 27[/size] test, a B-1 bomber released the missile, which first followed a pre-planned trajectory and then switched to autonomous mode. The missile was able to find and hit the mobile ship target, a 260-foot unmanned vessel that was operated by remote control.[/size]
"There were three vessels in the target area, all with representative emitters,” Mabbett said. “The purpose of the test really was to stress the sensor suite to be able to detect all of the threats, but only engage the one that we told it to engage."

DARPA and ONR want the missile to be launched from both aircraft and surface ships. The organizations plan to conduct two tests of a surface-launched version next summer, as well as two more tests this year of the air-launched missile, he said.

If successful as a vertically launched system from a surface ship, DARPA could also further develop LRASM and create a submarine-launched version, he said.

Mabbett would not comment specifically whether the missile would be tested in an electronic warfare environment, but DARPA’s news release stated the missile would reduce dependence on ISR, network links and GPS navigation, which would be beneficial in such conditions.

The organizations are working closely with the Navy to determine whether there is interest in the long-range, anti-ship missile becoming part of the service’s arsenal, Mabbett said. One option is that LRASM could be considered for the “offensive anti-surface warfare” weapons portfolio that is ramping up over the next couple of years, he added.

Lockheed Martin’s missile and fire control division manufactures LRASM, which is based upon its non-autonomous joint air to surface standoff missile extended range system (JASSM-ED), a subsonic cruise missile currently used by the Air Force. BAE Systems is the prime contractor for LRASM’s new onboard sensor suite.

The prototype missile used an inert warhead during the test, but in combat it would deliver the same WDU-42/B penetrator as JASSM-ED.

DARPA initially planned to develop a second variant, LRASM-B, which would fly at high altitudes and at supersonic speeds. The agency abandoned LRASM-B in 2012 to focus on the current concept, which is based on an off-the-shelf system and seen as less risky.

Although the system is designed for maritime environments, the Air Force is carefully watching the program and has provided assets to DARPA and ONR, Mabbett said. “They are the carrier for JASSM in the U.S. arsenal, so they have a significant interest in the enhanced capabilities we're adding to their baseline program.”

http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/blog/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=1253
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Anti-Ship Missile Prototype Successfully Conducts First Solo Test Flight

Anti-Ship Missile Prototype Successfully Conducts First Solo Test FlightSeptember 06, 2013Free-flight LRASM transition test verified flight characteristics and assessed key subsystems and sensors
Adversaries’ sophisticated air defense systems can make it hard for contemporary air- and surface-launched anti-ship missiles to hit their targets at long range. To engage specific enemy warships from beyond the get to of counter-fire systems, warfighters may require launching multiple missiles or employing overhead targeting assets such as radar-equipped planes or Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites—resources that may not always be available. To help address these challenges, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Personnel of Naval Research (ONR) are collaborating on the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) program, which successfully launched its first prototype on August 27.

Designed for both surface and air launch,LRASM seeks to develop an autonomous, precision-guided anti-ship standoff missile based on the successful Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range (JASSM-ER) system. LRASM aims to incorporate sensors and systems to make a stealthy and survivable subsonic cruise missile www.psyopwar.com with reduced dependence on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms, network links and GPS steering in electronic combat environments. The program also focuses on precision lethality in the face of advanced countermeasures.

“This fully functional test is a significant step in providing the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force with a next-generation anti-ship missile capability,” said Artie Mabbett, DARPA program manager for LRASM. “This test is the culmination of the five-year development and integration of advanced sensors in an All-Up-Round (AUR) missile. It also represents the first time we’ve integrated advanced sensors and demonstrated the entire system, resulting in performance that substantially exceeds our contemporary capabilities.”

DARPA designed the free-flight transition test (FFTT) demonstration to verify the missile’s flight characteristics and assess subsystem and sensor performance. Beyond the primary objectives of the free-flight transition, the test vehicle also detected, engaged and hit an unmanned 260-foot Mobile Ship Target (MST) with an inert warhead.

A B-1 bomber from the 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron conducted the mission from Dyess AFB, Tex., to the Point Mugu Sea Test Range off the coast www.psyopwar.com of southern California. Once in position, the B-1 released the LRASM, which followed a pre-plotted route towards the target. Approximately halfway to its destination, the weapon switched to autonomous guidance, in which it autonomously detected the moving MST and guided itself to hit the desired location on the target. A F/A-18 fighter from the Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 31 in Plates Lake, Calif., followed the weapon during the flight.

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control (LMMFC) is the prime contractor for the demonstration of the LRASM weapon. BAE Systems’ Information and Electronic Systems Integration division is the prime contractor for the design and delivery of LRASM’s onboard sensor systems.

http://www.psyopwar.com/anti-ship-missile-prototype-successfully-conducts-first-solo-test-flight/
 
;D ;D ;D

Lockheed Martin Successfully Launches First LRASM Boosted Test Vehicle From MK 41 Vertical Launch System

ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 17, 2013 – Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] successfully launched the first Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) Boosted Test Vehicle (BTV) from a MK 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) canister at White Sands Missile Range, N.M.

During the company-funded test, the MK41 VLS successfully launched the LRASM BTV. The BTV, which includes the proven Vertical Launch Anti-Submarine Rocket (VL/ASROC) Mk-114 rocket motor, ignited successfully, penetrated and exited through the canister cover and performed a guided flight profile similar to a tactical configuration.

The flight test was part of an ongoing Lockheed Martin-funded Offensive Anti-Surface Weapon effort, independent of the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) LRASM program, focused on shipboard integration of LRASM’s surface launched variant.

Building on the recent push-through testing which proved the missile’s ability to break through the canister cover with no damage to the missile, the BTV launch is also an important risk reduction milestone critical to demonstrating LRASM’s surface launch capability.

LRASM is an autonomous, precision-guided anti-ship standoff missile leveraging the successful Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range (JASSM-ER) heritage, and is designed to meet the needs of U.S. Navy and Air Force warfighters.

“This successful flight test reduces the risk of LRASM and VLS integration,” said Scott Callaway, LRASM surface launch program manager at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “The test also validates the Mk-114 rocket motor’s capability to launch LRASM and the missile’s ability to cleanly exit the canister without damaging the missile coatings or composite structure.”

The BTV flight was the first time a Mk-114 rocket motor was used to launch LRASM. The Mk-114 rocket motor is currently deployed as the rocket motor for the VL/ASROC, so this flight test verified that the Mk-114’s robust design can be used for heavy payloads with minimal software changes to the Digital Autopilot Controller.

Armed with a proven penetrator and blast-fragmentation warhead, LRASM cruises autonomously, day or night, in all weather conditions. The missile employs a multi-modal sensor, weapon data link and an enhanced digital anti-jam Global Positioning System to detect and destroy specific targets within a group of ships.

LRASM is in development with DARPA and the Office of Naval Research. Lockheed Martin’s offering has both surface launched and air launched variants to prosecute sea-based targets at significant standoff ranges.

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control is a 2012 recipient of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for performance excellence. The Malcolm Baldrige Award represents the highest honor that can be awarded to American companies for achievement in leadership, strategic planning, customer relations, measurement, analysis, workforce excellence, operations and business results.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 116,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products, and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2012 were $47.2 billion.

Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited)

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/press-releases/2013/september/mfc-091713-lm-successfully-launches-first-lrasm-boosted.html
 
RAND report of land based anti-ship missiles somewhat related as I am assuming a potential LRASM on a land based mobile launcher is possible?

http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR1321.html

Also it is time to abrogate the INF Treaty as far as lmiting conventional intermediate range missiles based on land. The US is placing itself at a huge disadvantage not being able to base a system in Guam or even Hawaii or other Islands that have US bases.
 
Lockheed Martin Conducts Second Successful LRASM Flight Test

ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 14, 2013 – Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) recently achieved another successful flight test, with the missile scoring a direct hit on a moving maritime target.

The test was conducted in support of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Office of Naval Research (ONR) program.

Flying over the Sea Range at Point Mugu, Calif., a U.S. Air Force B-1B bomber from the 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, released the LRASM, which navigated through all planned waypoints receiving in-flight targeting updates from the Weapon Data Link. After transitioning to autonomous guidance, LRASM identified the target using inputs from the onboard sensors. The missile then descended for final approach, verified and impacted the target.

“This test, combined with the success of the first flight test in August, further demonstrates the capabilities and maturity of LRASM,” said Mike Fleming, LRASM air launch program manager at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “The new sensors and legacy JASSM-ER components all performed well during the flight and the missile impacted the target as planned.”

LRASM is an autonomous, precision-guided anti-ship standoff missile leveraging the successful Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range (JASSM-ER) heritage, and is designed to meet the needs of U.S. Navy and Air Force warfighters in a robust anti-access/area-denial threat environment. JASSM-ER, which recently completed its operational test program, provides a significant number of parts and assembly-process synergies with LRASM, which results in cost savings for the U.S. Navy and Air Force (air- and surface-launched) Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare programs.

The tactically-representative LRASM is built on the same award-winning production line in Pike County, Ala., as JASSM-ER, demonstrating manufacturing and technology readiness levels sufficient to enter the engineering, manufacturing and development phase to satisfy an urgent operational need.

After a competition in 2009, Lockheed Martin’s LRASM was selected to demonstrate air- and surface-launched capability to defeat emerging sea-based threats at significant standoff ranges.

Armed with a proven 1,000-pound penetrator and blast-fragmentation warhead, LRASM employs a multi-mode sensor, weapon data link and an enhanced digital anti-jam global positioning system to detect and destroy specific targets within a group of ships.

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/press-releases/2013/november/mfc-111413-conducts-second-successful-lrasm-flight-test.html
 

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Published on Nov 1, 2013

http://www.navyrecognition.com/index....

Our interview on LRASM with a Lockheed Martin representative during AUSA 2013.
LRASM (Long Range Anti-Ship Missile) is an autonomous, precision-guided anti-ship standoff missile leveraging the successful Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range (JASSM-ER) heritage, and is designed to meet the needs of U.S. Navy and Air Force warfighters.

LRASM is in development with Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Office of Naval Research. Lockheed Martin's offering has both surface-launched and air-launched variants to prosecute sea-based targets at significant standoff ranges.


http://youtu.be/etb_Vzl-9Dk
 
Model of Lockheed Martin LRASM-B manufactured by Azle Models

Source:
http://www.azlemodels.com/slideshow/photos-5/slideshow-2/page21.html
 

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LRASM Prototype Scores 2nd Successful Flight Test

December 03, 2013

An unmanned target ship demonstrates the effects of the second successful flight test of a Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) prototype, conducted November 12 off the coast of Southern California. The test reinforced the results of LRASM’s first successful free-flight transition test (FFTT) on August 27, which verified the prototype’s flight characteristics and assessed subsystem and sensor performance. Both tests achieved all of their objectives after the prototypes used their respective onboard sensors to detect, engage and hit the moving 260-foot target ships with inert warheads.
 

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Triton said:
Model of Lockheed Martin LRASM-B manufactured by Azle Models

Source:
http://www.azlemodels.com/slideshow/photos-5/slideshow-2/page21.html

Neat find, if you look under the 'other military' there is a picture of what looks like a Lockheed air to air missile(?) called 'Blade' Any idea what that is?
 
Looks like a HARM-Version?
But there is a white AAM(?) with special wings having toothes on the back edge. Interesting.
 
;D

Lockheed Martin Successfully Tests LRASM MK 41 Vertical Launch System Interface

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 15, 2014 – Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] recently demonstrated and validated that its Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) can be launched from any MK 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) by only modifying the software to existing shipboard equipment.

During the company-funded test, LRASM and Tactical Tomahawk Weapons Control System (TTWCS), MK 41 VLS and Mk-114 booster hardware with modified software executed simulated missions and provided all electrical interfaces and data transfers needed to prepare and launch LRASMs.

LRASM is an autonomous, precision-guided anti-ship standoff missile leveraging the successful Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range heritage, and is designed to meet the Offensive Anti-Surface Weapon needs of U.S. Navy and Air Force warfighters.

“This recent test demonstrates the low-risk and low-cost of launching LRASM from a ship, and was made possible by a cross-company team effort,” said Glenn Kuller, vice president of advanced and special programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “This program success helps pave the way for rapid fielding of a surface launch capability, meeting our warfighters’ critical needs.”

Lockheed Martin has invested $30 million to reduce risk and accelerate LRASM Initial Operational Capability on U.S. Navy DDGs. Multiple Lockheed Martin businesses are involved in this effort. Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control has overall responsibility for the LRASM program. Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training manufactures the MK 41 VLS for the DDG 51 platforms and the Mk-114 booster hardware. Lockheed Martin Information Systems and Global Solutions collaborates with several Navy laboratories to develop and integrate TTWCS.

In September 2013, Lockheed Martin successfully launched the first LRASM Boosted Test Vehicle from a MK 41 VLS launcher at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. During the test, MK 41 VLS successfully ignited the LRASM Mk-114 rocket motor, and the LRASM Boosted Test Vehicle penetrated and exited through the canister cover and performed a guided flight profile similar to a tactical configuration.

In 2014, there will be two DARPA-funded surface-launch demonstrations with a LRASM vertically launched from the Desert Ship at White Sands Missile Range, transitioning to controlled flight and target area impact.

LRASM is in development with the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) and the Office of Naval Research. Lockheed Martin’s offering has both surface-launched and air-launched variants to prosecute sea-based targets at significant standoff ranges.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 116,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products, and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2012 were $47.2 billion.

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/press-releases/2014/january/mfc-011514-lockheed-martin-successfully-tests-lrasm-ml-41_vertical_launch_system_interface.html
 
donnage99 said:
Wonder what that does to the stealth coating

Shoudn't be too bad. Most of the exhaust goes out the plenum and doesn't actually contact the missile. And of course, the video is very slowed down, so the actual time of exposure is much shorter.
 
Pentagon steps up plan for long-range anti-ship missile
2:27 p.m. EDT March 18, 2014
The Pentagon is making another deposit in its surge to build an arsenal of long-range missiles aimed at breaking down the defenses of potential adversaries, such as China and Iran.
Friday, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) filed a request for permission to extend the research for the long-range, anti-ship missile for two years worth $175 million to Lockheed Martin, which has led the research into the missile development since 2009.
That follows the Obama administration's defense budget request this month for 224 long-range Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) missiles worth $353 million. Those missiles use much of the same technology as the anti-ship missile would, military records show.
Both missiles are meant to counter what are called anti-access, area-denial weapons developed by China and other nations that are meant to make it difficult for U.S. ships to get too close to their shores. The Pentagon's quadrennial defense review, which was released this month, cites the JASSM and anti-ship missiles as key components of the plan to minimize the anti-access, area-denial threats.
DARPA conducted two successful tests of the missile last August and November, records show.
By 2018, the military hopes to deploy the anti-ship missiles on a B-1 bomber and on an F-18 the following year, DARPA records show. DARPA plans to finish its research work and transfer the program to the Navy in fiscal year 2016, which starts Oct. 1, 2015.
Switching contractors from Lockheed Martin could cost $132 million and set the program back 60 months, the DARPA document shows.
The missile "fills the most urgent air-launched requirement, significantly reduces Joint Force war fighting risks and positions [the Pentagon] to address evolving surface warfare threats," DARPA says.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/nation/2014/03/18/long-range-anti-ship-missile-development/6565691/
 
We need to spin up the W80 production line. (That is to say, find an empty patch of dirt and start from scratch effectively.) LRASM/JASSM would make a logical, if short-ranged, weapon who's numbers could be rapidly increased. With the W80 being so much lighter than the normal warhead maybe they could repackage the guts of the missile and get more range.
 
Resuming production of the W80 would certainly be a good first step, but the USN also really needs a naval version of the AGM-129 for a long range stealthy 'left hook', ideally combined with a licence produced ANS or similar for a medium range high speed 'uppercut'.
 
Grey Havoc said:
Resuming production of the W80 would certainly be a good first step, but the USN also really needs a naval version of the AGM-129 for a long range stealthy 'left hook', ideally combined with a licence produced ANS or similar for a medium range high speed 'uppercut'.

AGM-129 is retired and wouldn't fit in the MK41 VLS. RATTLRS or Fasthawk would have been perfect. :'( I wonder how much more range you could get with a stretched JASSM that used a stubby Tomahawk booster.
 
Weaponized GQM-163a perhaps?
 

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marauder2048 said:
Weaponized GQM-163a perhaps?
With a 10lb warhead in a missile totally unoptimized for the VLS, and no range? No thanks.
 
marauder2048 said:
Weaponized GQM-163a perhaps?

Coyote was specificially designed without the capacity for weaponization. As is, it's too short-ranged, doesn't have a seeker, and doesn't have the payload capacity for a warhead.

Remember, Coyote is something like the USN's third or fourth try at building an acceptable supersonic target. At least a couple of the earlier efforts foundered because they tried to design in a growth path to weaponization, which drove up cost and complexity. SO they went as simple as possible
 
I thought I read that they were going to incorporate an RF seeker in order to test the Passive RF seeker in RAM Blk II?

In any event, I was more thinking of a range extended Coyote being used as a penetration aid for LRASM but perhaps the
loss of a VL cell for a penaid isn't worth it.
 
DOT&E said there was a need to put an "Open Loop Seeker" from the BQM-34 on Coyote by FY17 but it's not clear if that has happened yet.

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/gqm163-ssst-a-tricky-coyote-to-match-wits-with-defenses-03155/

Note the "Open Loop" part of that system description. Real missile seekers are closed-loop -- they steer the missile toward the target based on seeker input. "Open loop" implies that it isn't doing the steering part. My interpretation is that it's not exactly a guidance system. I'd guess that this is just an emitter that acts like a seeker and locks onto a target, but rather than steering the missile it just passes the seeker picture back to the controllers who might be able to alter the trajectory by remote control.
 
http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/the-us-just-tested-stealthy-long-range-anti-ship-missile-12227
 
http://www.scribd.com/doc/261254777
 

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Nothing since the third successful test back in Feb. Around the same time Lockheed said that it was working on a sub-launched version for the Increment 2 competition (no surprise).

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/press-releases/2015/february/mfc-021815-lrasm-completes-3rd-successful-flight-test.html
 
There might be another Lockheed-funded test of the VLS LRASM later this year, if that's the sort of thing you're looking for.
 
Newly released picture: A LRASM missile is seen moments before impacting a target at sea during a November 2013 flight test. It was the second LRASM test, the missile was launched from a B-1B.

Newly released picture: September 2014 "CTV-1" flight test demonstrating integration with Tactical Tomahawk Weapons Control System (TTWCS) and Mk41 VLS. This test also demonstrated vertical launch egress, boost phase, booster separation and transition to cruise.

Newly released picture: Successful boosted test vehicle flight demonstrating LRASM missile egress, flight with existing Mk-114 ASROCK booster and Mk41 VLS canister design.

LRASM & Mk41 VLS scale model on display at Sea Air Space 2015

From : http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2610
 

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Navy League 2015: Lockheed Martin, USN in LRASM contract negotiations



Lockheed Martin and the US Navy (USN) are negotiating a production contract for the company's Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), Hady Mourad, Lockheed Martin's tactical missiles advanced programmes director, told IHS Jane's during a 13 April interview at the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space conference.

"We're negotiating that right now," said Mourad. "Hopefully we'll be on contract later this year."

The semi-autonomous missile is expected to limit reliance on datalinks in order to avoid jamming while also countering the growing maritime threats in anti-access/area-denial environments. It will provide the Pentagon with far greater stand-off range than existing weapons.

After LRASM prototypes completed two successful flight tests in 2013, LRASM transitioned from a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) technology demonstration programme to a formal USN programme of record in February 2014. In March 2014 the USN said it would acquire LRASM to meet its air-launched Increment 1 requirement for the offensive anti-surface weapon (OASuW) programme. Initial integration is planned on the US Air Force's (USAF's) Boeing (Rockwell) B-1 Lancer, followed by the USN's Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

Since it is based on the USAF's legacy Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), Mourad noted, the LRASM programme will leverage an existing production line in Troy, Alabama. He added that Lockheed Martin will invest in expanding that facility to accommodate the potential LRASM deal. "When it becomes a programme of record for the navy, that's when we will need more capacity," he said.

Meanwhile, the navy is conducting an analysis of alternatives for OASuW increment 2. Mourad said Lockheed Martin will bid if the Pentagon decides to go forward with that effort. "We feel confident that we have the right solution for what the navy is looking for," he said, adding that the company is working on integrating LRASM onto submarines. "We're also doing work with submarines; looking to launch from a canister," he said. "We are investing in developing that capability."

A competition for OASuW Increment 2 could open as soon as 2017. Raytheon, expected to be Lockheed Martin's principal rival for OASuW Increment 2, has been studying the use of technologies from its Tomahawk cruise missile and its AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) for OASuW. The company has already competed engineering studies for a multimission Tomahawk weapon, using the existing Tactical Tomahawk Block IV weapon system infrastructure to meet a so-called Interim OASuW requirement.

http://www.janes.com/article/50654/navy-league-2015-lockheed-martin-usn-in-lrasm-contract-negotiations?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
 
Ugh. Raytheon needs to forget about Tomahawk / JSOW and come up with a clean sheet. Same with LM for Phase 2. If I were the USN I'd drop-kick 'em right out the door for even suggesting them. Tomahawk is over 40 years old. Nearly half a century. All are subsonic. The US is woefully behind just about everybody when it comes to antiship missiles and putting lipstick on a half century old missile isn't the way to fix that problem.
 
The Navy is waiting for the Hypersonics programs to produce a workable configuration, then they'll jump into developing and fielding a hypersonic missile. But for now, off the shelf solutions like TacTom upgrades and LRASM are affodable and known quantities.
 
Moose said:
The Navy is waiting for the Hypersonics programs to produce a workable configuration, then they'll jump into developing and fielding a hypersonic missile.

Considering how many failed high speed programs litter the US landscape, most killed practically in the cradle, I have zero confidence that they'll be able to make the jump from subsonic to hypersonic without doing a lot of leg work.
 
sferrin said:
Moose said:
The Navy is waiting for the Hypersonics programs to produce a workable configuration, then they'll jump into developing and fielding a hypersonic missile.

Considering how many failed high speed programs litter the US landscape, most killed practically in the cradle, I have zero confidence that they'll be able to make the jump from subsonic to hypersonic without doing a lot of leg work.

SM-6 (especially as it evolves through the planned increments) should be a credible ASBM threat to most surface combatants.

The Navy should also get over its allergy to liquid mono/bi-propellants missiles; there's no iron rule that says that hypersonics have to be air-breathers.
 

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