US Navy Launches LRASM, Super Hornet Integration Testing

The US Navy began initial integration testing of its Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) onto the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Aug. 12 at Patuxent River’s Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 facility.
 

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http://news.usni.org/2015/10/21/u-s-navy-considering-adding-anti-ship-missiles-back-to-submarine-force
 
U.S. Navy Started AGM-158C LRASM Anti-Ship Missile Flight Tests on F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

The U.S. Navy began initial flight testing of its Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) with a F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Nov. 3 at Patuxent River’s Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 facility.

The program's flight test team is conducting the first phase of airworthiness testing using this mass simulator vehicle to evaluate inflight structural loads of the LRASM on the F/A-18 E/F.

When operational, LRASM will provide flexible, long-range, advanced, anti-surface capability against high threat maritime targets.

LRASM is set to be fielded on the B-1B Bomber in 2018 and the F/A-18 E/F in 2019.

http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3249
 
SNA 2016: Lockheed Martin Announces Top Side Configuration for Surface Launched LRASM

At the Surface Navy Association's (SNA) National Symposium currently held near Washington DC, Navy Recognition learned that Lockheed Martin is working on a "top side" (deck mounted) configuration for its Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) in addition to the vertically launched (from Mk-41) variant. The vertical launched LRASM was already successfully tested in September 2014.

"Lockheed Martin is preparing to compete for OASuW Increment II competition in 2017" Scott Callaway, Surface Launched LRASM Program Director, told us during SNA 2016.

In its deck mounted configuration, a LRASM launcher has the exact same footprint as a Harpoon launcher. It looks similar in form and shape as well: The LRASM missile fits inside a cylindrical canister positioned at an angle (just like the existing Harpoon launchers). The deck mounted LRASM shares the same MK 114 ASROCK booster as in the vertical launch variant. Lockheed Martin has already evaluated the console size requirements to accommodate LRASM and confirms the console would fit on the LCS frigate variant.

Navy Recognition also learned that LRASM could potentially come with land attack capability. While this capability is not part of the current (OASuW increment I) set of requirements (increment II requirements have not been released yet), we were told that a software update would provide LRASM with such capability. This is because LRASM is based on the AGM-158 JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile) standoff land attack cruise missile.

Scott Callaway concluded by telling us "Lockheed Martin is ready now for an at sea testing of LRASM in top side or Mk-41 VLS configuration".

In the meantime, the U.S. Navy's NAVAIR (Naval Air Systems Command) announced the end of the first phase of inflight loads testing for the air launched LRASM program. With load testing completed, the U.S. Navy will now focus on noise and vibration tests.

We learned during SNA 2016 that jettison and live fire testing is planned to begin in 2017 with the B-1 and F/A-18E/F. Testing will continue until the early operational capabilities declaration in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

The LRASM is a long-range subsonic cruise missile designed for better range and survivability than current anti-ship weaponry. It is carried with the wings and tail stowed and then deployed once released from the aircraft. This missile development program is a joint effort of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Naval Air Systems Command and the United States Air Force.

http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3454
 

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http://aviationweek.com/defense/lockheed-pushes-lrasm-navy-looks-rearm

Lockheed responded to a Navy request for information on frigate over-the-horizon missiles in 2015 and a request for proposals is expected later this year, says Callaway. This is the nearest-term of three budget lines for new missiles. The others are next-generation surface-warfare capability, or OASuW Increment 2, and later the next-generation land-attack capability, to replace Tactical Tomahawk.
 
Carter highlights defense budget at advanced weapons testing facility

NAVAL AIR WEAPONS STATION CHINA LAKE, Calif. — In a weapons testing facility deep in the heart of the Mojave Desert, the U.S. Navy is testing a weapon it hopes will help it keep the edge over China in the Pacific: a long range anti-ship missile known as the "LRASM."

Pronounced "le-rah-sim," the LRASM is a stealthy anti-ship cruise missile that was ordered in 2013 by then-Pacific Command Commander Adm. Samuel J. Locklear as an urgent capability against Chinese ships.

It is at this naval facility that the LRASM, manufactured by Lockheed, has successfully conducted its first phase of testing to hit a simulated maritime target versus a fixed, hardened target the missile is usually intended for.

It will be ready to deploy in 2018, said an engineer in charge of the testing.

The LRASM is just one of several weapons Defense Secretary Ash Carter saw during a visit to the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake this week, in order to illustrate his 2017 Pentagon budget priorities.

The Pentagon will spend almost $1 billion on the LRASM over the next five years or so, Carter told reporters ahead of the budget rollout next Tuesday.

He also said the Pentagon will also spend $2 billion during that time to bring the Navy's existing Tomahawk missile stockpile to 4,000 and improve their lethality.

It will also spend $418 million over the future years defense program, or FYDP, on anti-radiation homing missiles, he said.

"Big money for munitions — that's important," Carter said at the facility.

"These are large investments in the strategic future at the high end, aimed at making sure that our systems have the greatest capability, the greatest lethality...of anybody else," he said.

Carter previewed the administration's 2017 defense budget request on Tuesday, which will focus on maintaining the edge in high-end technology against near-peer competitors, namely Russia and China.

"Russia and China are our most stressing competitors," Carter said in his budget preview speech earlier Tuesday.

"They have developed and are continuing to advance military systems that seek to threaten our advantages in specific areas, and in some cases, they are developing weapons and ways of war that seek to achieve their objectives rapidly, before they hope we can respond," he said.

"While we do not desire conflict of any kind with any of these nations — and let me be clear, though they pose some similar defense challenges they are very different nations and situations — we also cannot blind ourselves to the actions they appear to choose to pursue," he added.

Carter also viewed a "small glide munition" -- a lightweight precision missile at the naval facility, which was built as a testing site for the Manhattan Project.

About 10 of the missiles carried by one drone could carry the same firepower as a whole squadron of B-17s, said Greg Wheelock, the director of energetics at the facility's Naval Air Warfare Center.

"I can't describe everything we saw here today, but that's actually a sign, we like to surprise people, and so some of our opponents will find themselves surprised when this stuff gets into the field, which is going to be very soon," Carter said, referring to the classified nature of some of the programs.

"They all are in that same direction of high end capability, and increasing and really multiplying the capability of our individual ships and aircraft and actually submarines for that matter also, so that we not only have the best platforms, but they have the highest end capability," he said.

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/268026-carter-highlights-defense-budget-at-advanced-weapons-testing-facility
 
LRASM Presses On

—John A. Tirpak

5/17/2016

​Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control division has received a $321.8 million cost-plus-incentive-fee contract from the Navy to complete design, software and test of the joint-service Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), a variant of the Air Force’s stealthy AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM). The contract funds completion of design and test work to support fielding the missile on the Air Force B-1B bomber in 2019 and on the F/A-18 in 2020. Lockheed Martin has also demonstrated that the missile can be launched from Navy shipborne vertical launch system (VLS) tubes. Work still to be done includes captive carry, noise and vibration characterization, and safety of flight issues. The contract, awarded May 13, also provides some funding to set up production alongside the existing JASSM/JASSM-ER lines. The program so far has received contracts worth more than $900 million. Company officials have said that the combination of USAF, foreign, and Navy orders will reduce the unit cost of all three variants of the missile, and that the demand has driven an increase in production capacity at the company’s Troy, Ala., plant.
 
http://www.seapowermagazine.org/stories/20160527-lrasm.html
 
bobbymike said:
LRASM Presses On

—John A. Tirpak

5/17/2016

​Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control division has received a $321.8 million cost-plus-incentive-fee contract from the Navy to complete design, software and test of the joint-service Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), a variant of the Air Force’s stealthy AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM). The contract funds completion of design and test work to support fielding the missile on the Air Force B-1B bomber in 2019 and on the F/A-18 in 2020. Lockheed Martin has also demonstrated that the missile can be launched from Navy shipborne vertical launch system (VLS) tubes. Work still to be done includes captive carry, noise and vibration characterization, and safety of flight issues. The contract, awarded May 13, also provides some funding to set up production alongside the existing JASSM/JASSM-ER lines. The program so far has received contracts worth more than $900 million. Company officials have said that the combination of USAF, foreign, and Navy orders will reduce the unit cost of all three variants of the missile, and that the demand has driven an increase in production capacity at the company’s Troy, Ala., plant.

COST PLUS?!?! Why isn't Sen. McCain all over this. ;)
 
fredymac said:
As far as I know, nobody has tried to put a surveillance satellite into geostationary orbit (discounting “Goresat”) due to the low resolution that would result. The only solution is a bigger telescope which is what the Darpa Moire project might accomplish (see the separate thread on that topic).
There was a proposal in the 1970s (IIRC) to put a ~1.5 metre telescope into geostationary orbit for earth observation purposes. Unfortunately I can't find the document online (it may have been a casualty of the NTRS flap a few years ago), but the general idea was that a 'staring' earth observation satellite would complement lower orbit satellites by providing continuous cover of a wide area (i.e. the entire United States) at lower resolution. I think it may have been a case of 'here's a cool idea - now what can we do with it' though.
 
http://www.space-airbusds.com/en/news2/real-time-video-from-space-go-3s-satellite.html
 
LowObservable said:
http://www.space-airbusds.com/en/news2/real-time-video-from-space-go-3s-satellite.html

And they have all those SIGINT satellites in geosynchronous orbit that could cue something like that.
 
From the article:

"Placed in a geostationary orbit 36,000 kilometres above Earth, the GO-3S satellite will consist of a platform carrying a very large telescope, with a 4.2-metre diameter aperture. This is even larger than the Herschel telescope (3.5 metres in diameter)"

The Hubble was only 2.4 meters in diameter. Basically talking about a 2/3 scale version of the JWST telescope because carrying a monolithic mirror 4.2 meters in diameter (not including mounting structure) would be fairly challenging. The Herschel telescope was a super thin Silicon Carbide mirror (low weight) and operated at very long IR wavelengths. I suspect the optical surface quality was too aberrated to work down in the near or mid IR bands. Polishing SiC to optical quality is still difficult even today. At geosynchronous orbit, a 4.2 meter diameter will get you a 13 meter resolution at visible wavelengths. Of course, high contrast objects below this limit still show up. Given the cost involved in such an endeavor, I doubt a GO-3S satellite will be launching anytime soon. A holographic membrane telescope would eliminate the weight/packaging problems and I would guess if we ever see a geosynchronous surveillance satellite, it will use that technology (and be scaled even larger for higher resolution).
 
sferrin said:
LowObservable said:
http://www.space-airbusds.com/en/news2/real-time-video-from-space-go-3s-satellite.html

And they have all those SIGINT satellites in geosynchronous orbit that could cue something like that.
Although my evidence is lacking other than hints from USAF generals of robust space targeting satellites I do find Russia and China moving aggressively in the ASAT space compelling in of itself.
 
bobbymike said:
sferrin said:
LowObservable said:
http://www.space-airbusds.com/en/news2/real-time-video-from-space-go-3s-satellite.html

And they have all those SIGINT satellites in geosynchronous orbit that could cue something like that.
Although my evidence is lacking other than hints from USAF generals of robust space targeting satellites I do find Russia and China moving aggressively in the ASAT space compelling in of itself.

I'd think Navstar (GPS) satellites would be their top priority.
 
Reaching out: over-the-horizon weapon systems


A number of other companies are known to have responded to NAVSEA's RfI. Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control has confirmed to IHS Jane's that it submitted information outlining a canister-launched variant of its AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM). Being developed and integrated under a fast-track programme to meet the air-launched Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (OASuW) Increment 1 programme requirement, LRASM is a highly autonomous, precision-guided anti-ship stand-off weapon that leverages the basic design of the AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range (JASSM-ER), but introduces additional sensors and systems specific to the offensive anti-surface warfare mission. It has been conceived to be able to penetrate sophisticated shipborne defences and with reduced dependence on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms, network links, and GPS navigation.Originally initiated in 2008 by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Office of Naval Research, the programme has now been transitioned to the LRASM Deployment Office (LDO): a partnership of DARPA, the USN (through NAVAIR), and the US Air Force (USAF). The Department of Defense's FY 2015 budget confirmed plans to move forward with sole-source acquisition of LRASM to meet the OASuW Increment 1 programme requirement. The LDO plans to deliver an early operational capability (EOC) on the USAF's B-1B Lancer bomber from FY 2018; EOC on the USN's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is to follow in FY 2019. LRASM pre-production missiles have already been the subject of three successful flight tests from the B-1B. NAVAIR activity to support LRASM integration on the F/A-18E/F began at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in August 2015.

Having previously performed two successful vertical launch demonstrations, Lockheed Martin has invested in the design of a topside (or deck-mounted) launcher configuration that is designed to allow for easy integration on multiple surface ships as part of the 'Distributed Lethality' construct. The missile configuration for this topside launcher is identical to the LRASM surface-launch missile previously flight tested.

Lockheed Martin has invested in the design of a topside (or deck-mounted) launcher configuration that is designed to allow for easy integration of its LRASM missile on multiple surface ships as part of the 'Distributed Lethality' construct.
(Lockheed Martin)
 

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Is there any picture of the JASSM or the JASSM-ER during pole testing?
 
Navy's Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile clears critical design review


The Navy's new anti-ship missile program, being developed under an accelerated acquisition path, has cleared its critical design review, and officials are now preparing to assess whether the weapon is ready to enter initial production later this year.

The service's Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (OASuW) Increment 1 program office and Lockheed Martin are developing the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) to meet an urgent operational need from U.S. Pacific Command. The missile is expected to be fielded on Air Force B-1B bombers by the end of 2018 and on Navy F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets by the end of 2019. The missile is a modified version of Lockheed's Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range, which has been fielded on Air Force aircraft since 2014.

In June, the Navy's LRASM program office held the critical design review for the missile, and the Navy expects to complete all actions directed from the meeting by the end of July, Capt. Todd Huber, director for the LRASM program, wrote in a July 14 email to Inside Defense.

The next major event in the program is the production readiness review, on track for the first quarter of fiscal year 2017, according to Huber. The production review coincides with "Knowledge Point 4" of the program, which will support the procurement decision for the Air Force's initial missiles, according to budget justification documents. The accelerated project uses a series of knowledge points, rather than the traditional program milestones, to support decisions regarding significant events, according to the budget justification.

"The knowledge points are similar to acquisition milestone reviews, but occur more frequently," the documents state.

A Lockheed spokeswoman confirmed the successful critical design review and said the program is on track.

"Lockheed Martin and the LRASM Deployment Office successfully conducted our planned Critical Design Review last month," company spokeswoman Melissa Hilliard wrote in a July 18 email to Inside Defense. "This review was a key milestone in maturation and fielding of the LRASM system, leading up to the on-schedule Early Operational Capability on the USAF B-1B in 2018 and USN F/A-18E/F in 2019."

A Government Accountability Office report on LRASM found the Navy has leveraged JASSM-ER's design to reduce risk in the accelerated program. The anti-ship missile's design is 88 percent common with JASSM-ER, according to the March 31 report.

But the audit, performed in January, raised questions about the maturity of the critical technologies used in the LRASM program. Only one -- algorithms for electro-optical sensing -- had been demonstrated in a relevant environment, according to GAO. The other five -- a radio frequency sensor, autorouter software, low-altitude control, multi-target track and simultaneous time-of-arrival algorithms -- were deemed immature at the time of GAO's review.

In the July 14 email, Huber said the program anticipates all of LRASM's critical technologies will have achieved Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL-6) by the end of July.

A technology reaches TRL-6 when it's been tested in a relevant environment, according to a NAVAIR fact sheet on Technology Readiness Levels. Level six "represents a major step up in a technology's demonstrated readiness," the fact sheet states, and "examples include testing a prototype in a high-fidelity laboratory environment or in simulated operational environment."

Senate appropriators, meanwhile, would add $50 million to the Navy's $250 million request for LRASM development in FY-17. The report on the Senate Appropriations Committee's defense spending bill, passed by the full committee on May 26, states: "The Navy recently concluded an updated program cost estimate and [notes] that the Navy's fiscal year 2017 budget request places the OASuW Increment 1 early operational capability fielding schedule at risk by several months."

In order to "meet the shortfall identified by the Navy," the report continues, the committee is adding $50.6 million to the Navy's request for $250 million in FY-17 to continue developing LRASM, while also recommending no funding for the second increment of OASuW "to minimize program risk."

Huber told Inside Defense in the July 14 email that the program is on schedule.

"Integration efforts and flight testing are underway and will continue over the next few years at various contractor and government test sites nationwide to clear LRASM for flight operations," he wrote.
 
LRASM Scores in Navy Test Ship Launch



Lockheed Martin has completed the third of three test shots to prove that their air-launched Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) can be fired from a surface ship on the move, company officials told USNI News on Wednesday.

The Monday test at the Navy’s Point Mugu Sea Range, California took the same weapon Lockheed developed for a DARPA program to be launched against ships from fighters and bombers and loaded it into the same launch system for the service’s guided missile destroyers and cruisers.

“We’re doing it to demonstrate that LRASM can be integrated onto a ship with software changes only and it won’t be a huge bill to put LRASMs in the surface fleet,” Scott Callaway — LRASM Surface-Launch director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control — told USNI News.

Lockheed refurbished a Mk 41 Vertical Launch System cell for the test, combined the test the 500 nautical mile range LRASM with an additional booster and tied it to a Tactical Tomahawk Weapon Control System (TTWCS+) for guidance – all installed on Navy’s Self Defense Test Ship, the former USS Paul Foster.“We were able to demonstrate and execute that tactical, operational type mission through launch of the missile, separation of the booster and transition to a cruise portion of the flight,” Callaway said.
“And then we flew a series of waypoints at the mid-level cruise altitude for the first portion of the mission and then we descended down a low altitude and demonstrated our low altitude flight algorithms down to a tactical flight altitude.”

The test follows two MK 41 LRASM tests at the Navy’s Desert Ship tests at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico in 2013 and 2014.

“We have already demonstrated that we could execute the mission with the Mk 41 electronics and that we had a canister that worked and we gone through booster separation – so we had done everything except for launching from a moving ship,” Callaway said.

The successful Monday test, funded by the company, comes ahead of two key Navy weapons efforts to refresh the service’s anti-ship weapons – the over the horizon missile for the Littoral Combat Ship program and the Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (OASuW) Increment II.

LRASM was originally developed for the air launched OASuW I as part of a DARPA program in response an urgent operational need issued by U.S. Pacific Command for a new air-launched anti-ship missile in 2009 as part of a $1 billion development program.

“Increment two was supposed to be a competition for both air and surface platforms. So we’ve been investing to reduce the risk of our surface-launched variant to compete for increment two,” Callaway said.
Lockheed is also, “working on maturing a deck-mounted launcher concept that would enable LRASMs to be integrated into those non-VLS platforms and that’s kind of what’s next for us – maturing that launcher and demonstrating that next year.”
 
Lockheed Martin eyes new capabilities for LRASM following first at-sea test



Key Points
The LRASM was successfully launched from the VLS of a moving ship off the California Coast
Lockheed Martin is exploring a top deck launcher to enable ships without VLS to use LRASM
Lockheed Martin successfully conducted the first end-to-end surface-launched demonstration of its Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM).

The missile used in the 18 July test at Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme, California, was the same surface-launch variant Lockheed Martin successfully tested in 2014, Scott Callaway, LRASM surface-launch programme director for Lockheed Martin, told IHS Jane's on 22 July.

"That test demonstrated launch from a MK 41 canister, demonstrated booster separation, and then transition to cruise," Calloway said.....

Although the most recent demonstration was the last of the planned VLS tests, Lockheed Martin has plans for demonstrating additional capabilities for LRASM in 2017.

"Some of the additional capability we are considering demonstrating next year are things like land attack capability, which we inherit from the JASSM ER (Joint Air-to Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range)," Calloway said.

The company is also looking at the possibility of extending LRASM's range.

Lockheed Martin is also developing a top side launcher that would be able to be mounted on the deck of ships that don't have VLS, Calloway noted.

"We have a design for that launcher but we have not built or tested it yet," he said.
 
seruriermarshal said:
So they will install LRASMs to LCSs ?

That is what Lockheed wants to do. Not sure if this demo will be funded or not.
 
seruriermarshal said:
So they will install LRASMs to LCSs ?

I'm sure Lockheed are would like to, but it's far from settled.

There is a desire (not sure it's a formal requirement yet) for an over-the-horizon antiship missile to equip LCS. So far, there have been test launches with NSM and Harpoon, but no decision on when a competition or decision might be made on an actual procurement.
 
About the range for LRASM, it is probably hugely flight profile dependent, so 500nm max and much less for highly defended targets?
 
Also worth noting that there are more options than LCS for an LRASM (or NSM, or Missile X) launched from deck canisters. The Distributed Lethality folks would love to put it on LPDs as well as possibly on support ships, and even ships with VLS might benefit from using them and keeping those 8 VLS cells available for something else.
TomS said:
seruriermarshal said:
So they will install LRASMs to LCSs ?

I'm sure Lockheed are would like to, but it's far from settled.

There is a desire (not sure it's a formal requirement yet) for an over-the-horizon antiship missile to equip LCS. So far, there have been test launches with NSM and Harpoon, but no decision on when a competition or decision might be made on an actual procurement.
There's a requirement to demonstrate OTH missiles on "vanilla" LCS, hence the NSM and Harpoon testing happening now, however the LCS-Frigate Variant program has a firm requirement to equip the FF with an OTH missile. It seems likely that any missile picked for the FF would spread to more of the LCS fleet, funding permitting, both for the class' own sake and to feed Distributed Lethality.
 
Moose said:
... even ships with VLS might benefit from using them and keeping those 8 VLS cells available for something else.

If they can find the deck area. The DDG-51s are really tight for topsides space. I suppose it could replace Harpoon on the Flight I and IIs. The others don't really have room anywhere, so they need a VLS-launched missile to give them any AShM capability.

Moose said:
There's a requirement to demonstrate OTH missiles on "vanilla" LCS, hence the NSM and Harpoon testing happening now, however the LCS-Frigate Variant program has a firm requirement to equip the FF with an OTH missile. It seems likely that any missile picked for the FF would spread to more of the LCS fleet, funding permitting, both for the class' own sake and to feed Distributed Lethality.

Thanks for clearing that up. So, there should be a formal RFI out for the FF missile in the next couple of months, right? (I see "before the end of FY16") And it's supposed to be for a non-developmental item, which would exclude LRASM.
 
LRASM seems like overkill for the LCS... NMS or Harpoon is much more fitting for light craft.

Why is ISR so short ranged from LCS, only 50nm?
 
DrRansom said:
LRASM seems like overkill for the LCS... NMS or Harpoon is much more fitting for light craft.

Why is ISR so short ranged from LCS, only 50nm?

50 nmi radius ~ MQ-8C with 300 lbs of payload @ 80 kts/8,000 ft AGL provides for nearly 11 hours of time on station.
 
marauder2048 said:
DrRansom said:
LRASM seems like overkill for the LCS... NMS or Harpoon is much more fitting for light craft.

Why is ISR so short ranged from LCS, only 50nm?

50 nmi radius ~ MQ-8C with 300 lbs of payload @ 80 kts/8,000 ft AGL provides for nearly 11 hours of time on station.
How do radar ranges increase with height above the water (understanding the limits of the radar itself of course)

Don't know if this is the right way to ask this question but if a drone was at 3k ft directly above a ship how much further can it 'see' to the horizon? Or at 50 nm radius from the ship at 3k ft?
 
How do radar ranges increase with height above the water (understanding the limits of the radar itself of course)

This is helpful - http://members.home.nl/7seas/radcalc.htm
 
TomS said:
If they can find the deck area. The DDG-51s are really tight for topsides space. I suppose it could replace Harpoon on the Flight I and IIs. The others don't really have room anywhere, so they need a VLS-launched missile to give them any AShM capability.
Don't forget the Cruisers, which as it happens are in the midst of a modernization program. If, as seems likely, Congress continues to demand stretching out the current cruisers rather than bringing forward their replacement, the OTH missile could find its way to several of those hulls.
TomS said:
Thanks for clearing that up. So, there should be a formal RFI out for the FF missile in the next couple of months, right? (I see "before the end of FY16") And it's supposed to be for a non-developmental item, which would exclude LRASM.
Actually there was already a preliminary RFI issued last summer.

marauder2048 said:
One issue is that LRASM's range greatly exceeds the detection range of LCS embarked ISR helicopters ~ 125 nmi (50 nmi radius + 75 nmi radar).
This detection range is consistent with the missile range they've wargamed for a notional OTH missile equipped LCS.

https://news.usni.org/2016/07/26/opinion-gaming-distributed-lethality
In a traditional sense, yes. But if they are factoring in the Distributed Lethality doctrine then the limits of the platform's organic sensors will be less of a, well, limit.
 
bring_it_on said:
How do radar ranges increase with height above the water (understanding the limits of the radar itself of course)

This is helpful - http://members.home.nl/7seas/radcalc.htm
Much obliged :D
 
First LRASM Surface Launch Test at Sea ;D
 

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Great Video. Given how it leaps out with the ASROC booster, I'm thinking the oft-proposed Mk. 72 booster impulse might actually be excessive for that airframe.
 

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