Lockheed Martin Speed Racer Concept

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Starting a thread since one didn't exist earlier and because we now have confirmation that Lockheed has managed to find a potential user for the concept system -

Lockheed Martin has confirmed a secret customer has ordered the Speed Racer flight vehicle that the Skunk Works unveiled a year ago as a technology demonstrator...
A poster on a wall of a Skunk Works facility shed new light on the secretive vehicle’s intended role by spelling out each letter in the program’s official acronym: “Small, Penetrating, Expendable Decoy Radically Affordable Compact Extended Range.”

Lockheed plans to begin manufacturing the Speed Racer on the Palmdale, California, site, but production likely will transition elsewhere, said Jeff Babione, vice president of the Skunk Works division.
Click to expand...

Lockheed Confirms New Details Of Speed Racer’s Role And Future | Aviation Week Network

Lockheed Martin has confirmed a secret customer has ordered the Speed Racer flight vehicle that the Skunk Works unveiled a year ago as a technology demonstrator.
aviationweek.com aviationweek.com
 

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sferrin said:
In function, it sounds like it, but MALD was (is?) much more compact.
Click to expand...

Sounds like it. The idea with this seems to be validate and utilize the digital design system and make the weapon OMS compliant which should, if all checks out, make it rapidly configurable for multiple missions/use cases. It should also be a lot more affordable than the MADL and could potentially be the parent design around which swarming missiles can be built (think of Golden Horde 2.0).
 
bring_it_on said:
sferrin said:
In function, it sounds like it, but MALD was (is?) much more compact.
Click to expand...

Sounds like it. The idea with this seems to be validate and utilize the digital design system and make the weapon OMS compliant which should, if all checks out, make it rapidly configurable for multiple missions/use cases. It should also be a lot more affordable than the MADL and could potentially be the parent design around which swarming missiles can be built (think of Golden Horde 2.0).
Click to expand...
Would be interesting to see how it compares with MALD

Specifications (Northrop Grumman ADM-160A)​

  • Length : 2.38 m (7 ft 10 in)
  • Wingspan : 0.65 m (2 ft 2 in)
  • Diameter : 15 cm (6 in)
  • Weight : 45 kg (100 lb)
  • Speed : Mach 0.8
  • Ceiling : Over 9,000 m (30,000 ft)
  • Range : Over 460 km (285 mi)
  • Endurance : Over 20 min
  • Propulsion : Hamilton Sundstrand TJ-50 turbojet; 220 N (50 lbf) thrust
  • Unit cost : US$30,000[5]

Specifications (Raytheon ADM-160B)​

  • Length : 2.84 m (9 ft 7 in)
  • Wingspan : 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in) fully extended
  • Weight : 115 kg (250 lb)
  • Speed : Mach 0.91
  • Ceiling : Over 12,200 m (40,000 ft)
  • Range : Approximately 920 km (575 mi) with ability to loiter over target
  • Endurance : Over 45 min at altitude
  • Propulsion : Hamilton Sundstrand TJ-150 turbojet
  • Unit cost : US$120,000 (initial),[5] US$322,000 (as of 2015)[26]
 
sferrin said:
bring_it_on said:
sferrin said:
In function, it sounds like it, but MALD was (is?) much more compact.
Click to expand...

Sounds like it. The idea with this seems to be validate and utilize the digital design system and make the weapon OMS compliant which should, if all checks out, make it rapidly configurable for multiple missions/use cases. It should also be a lot more affordable than the MADL and could potentially be the parent design around which swarming missiles can be built (think of Golden Horde 2.0).
Click to expand...
Would be interesting to see how it compares with MALD

Specifications (Northrop Grumman ADM-160A)​

  • Length : 2.38 m (7 ft 10 in)
  • Wingspan : 0.65 m (2 ft 2 in)
  • Diameter : 15 cm (6 in)
  • Weight : 45 kg (100 lb)
  • Speed : Mach 0.8
  • Ceiling : Over 9,000 m (30,000 ft)
  • Range : Over 460 km (285 mi)
  • Endurance : Over 20 min
  • Propulsion : Hamilton Sundstrand TJ-50 turbojet; 220 N (50 lbf) thrust
  • Unit cost : US$30,000[5]

Specifications (Raytheon ADM-160B)​

  • Length : 2.84 m (9 ft 7 in)
  • Wingspan : 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in) fully extended
  • Weight : 115 kg (250 lb)
  • Speed : Mach 0.91
  • Ceiling : Over 12,200 m (40,000 ft)
  • Range : Approximately 920 km (575 mi) with ability to loiter over target
  • Endurance : Over 45 min at altitude
  • Propulsion : Hamilton Sundstrand TJ-150 turbojet
  • Unit cost : US$120,000 (initial),[5] US$322,000 (as of 2015)[26]
Click to expand...
I always had *slight doubts* to put it mildly about those range figures.
 
Why? There is no takeoff, climb or landing. There is no reserve fuel either. This thing only has to sustain cruise speed and level flight (see how the output of the engine is fairly low).
 
sferrin said:
Would be interesting to see how it compares with MALD
Click to expand...

Depends on which TDI engine it's using. I'd guess the J5 if it's going to be a Gray Wolf like concept then cost is going to be a significant factor.

tdi-engines.com

Products - Technical Directions, Inc.

Our line of high-performance, low-cost turbojet propulsion for military UAVs and tactical missiles includes our family of 4 engines of different specifications.
tdi-engines.com tdi-engines.com

TomcatViP said:
Why? There is no takeoff, climb or landing. There is no reserve fuel either. This thing only has to sustain cruise speed and level flight (see how the output of the engine is fairly low).
Click to expand...

Also unlike a weapon (cruise missile) it isn't expected to fly a profile that avoids detection. It is basically flying within a pretty small altitude band to use its sensor payload either as a decoy or jammer. And obviously there's no warhead.
 
Last edited:
There are apparently three other programs for missiles and powered munitions that TDI / Kratos is supporting with its small engines. Their CEO revealed that at Jefferies virtual conference last week though he couldn't go into specifics.
 
These backronyms are getting out of hand...
bring_it_on said:
Starting a thread since one didn't exist earlier and because we now have confirmation that Lockheed has managed to find a potential user for the concept system -

Lockheed Martin has confirmed a secret customer has ordered the Speed Racer flight vehicle that the Skunk Works unveiled a year ago as a technology demonstrator...
A poster on a wall of a Skunk Works facility shed new light on the secretive vehicle’s intended role by spelling out each letter in the program’s official acronym: “Small, Penetrating, Expendable Decoy Radically Affordable Compact Extended Range.”

Lockheed plans to begin manufacturing the Speed Racer on the Palmdale, California, site, but production likely will transition elsewhere, said Jeff Babione, vice president of the Skunk Works division.
Click to expand...

Lockheed Confirms New Details Of Speed Racer’s Role And Future | Aviation Week Network

Lockheed Martin has confirmed a secret customer has ordered the Speed Racer flight vehicle that the Skunk Works unveiled a year ago as a technology demonstrator.
aviationweek.com aviationweek.com
Click to expand...
 

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