LPS compatible with Ceptor launchers.......oh yes please!!!!!
MOD’s “one platform, many weapons” objective.
Oh...oh ....oh!!!!
I think I need a lie down.
That's just a little bit too much joined up thinking.....
It'll never catch on.
On the subject of joined up thinking I knocked this up when the concept first appeared in 2018 (when it was called Land Precision Indirect Fires) as the potential for the missile...thought I'd re-up...
1) - Spike NLOS replacement - Similar price, faster, much larger range (80km vs 25km) bigger warhead. UK built. No political issues around use/deployment/export (Israeli weapon...). Could be added as the image suggests as a module on Boxer. The offensive capability of Strike Brigades enhanced enormously very easily. Replaces the poor trailer mounted Spike NLOS system (that by all accounts isn't successful or suitable for peer-to-peer war).
2) - Anti-Armour Overwatch - A super Swingfire replacement. No MBT on earth could defend against a Mach 2/3 missile coming in near vertically, it wouldn't even need a warhead, KE alone would tear through a tanks top armour. A modern diving LOSAT. The speed of response, and range, would mean it could operate at much further range than Swingfire could and cover multiple units. Probably easiest to leave on Boxer and MAN chassis than add on to Ajax. Speed and angle of attack might make it immune to current or near term APS.
3) - F-35 Outer Pylon compatible - Brimstone 2/3 will never be integrated, but Asraam has (and Asraam CSP will). The combination of the Asraam form factor and Brimstone seeker (part of which is used on Spear which will be integrated) would allow a very straightforward integration to F-35. Very easily you give F-35B a cheaper, faster Spear capability but in 2 forms - Dual Mode and E/O. The Dual Mode would be very useful as a SEAD/DEAD weapon for pop up targets. The E/O capability is a new one to the F-35.
4) - Compatibility with Land Ceptor launchers. In a low air threat environment they could contribute to the battle.
5) - Compatibility with Sea Ceptor launchers - A
big advantage. Any RN vessel (including T26, T31, T32, T45, and you would hope QE eventually), or Sea Ceptor variant user, would have the capability of carrying an easy to integrate missile that can deal with Fast Attack Craft in any weather conditions or provide precision strike over the horizon out to 80km. This would be a whole lot easier than integrating a Spear missile which would require a new booster and tip over mechanism. And its a wholly new capability to pretty much any new Navy in general.
6) - Export sales - New Zealand, Italy, Brazil, Poland, Pakistan and Chile. Plus India, Qatar, Oman and Australia are Asraam users. As a 'one stop shop' solution to anti-air, anti-missile, anti-armour, precision strike, anti-FAC it's pretty much unique.
7) - Typhoon compatible - Another string to its bow. Not sure if the air to ground aspect could be easily ported to Tranche 1's though, be interesting if it could be.
8) - Falklands - There's no real credible threat there. But sending a few down south to be launched from the Land Ceptor battery would be a useful capability for the defence forces to have.
9) - UK Land Forces get a small anti-ship missile by default.
10) - UK Industry benefits - No ITAR issues.
11) – Could be multi packed in Sylver or Mk.41/57 launchers. Or canisters can be a standalone component, you just need a rack for them.
12) – CAMM, CAMM-ER, the UK/Polish new 'CAMM-MR', LPS with E/O, LPS with DMB head…that’s a very convincing selection of weapons for any platform to be able to fire. SAM from 200 metres to >100km, strike out to c80km. I don’t particularly favour it but a cold launched Spear with a booster for when it clears the capsule could strike out to 180km as well, if it was lengthened with increased fuel storage to take advantage of the additional space in the canister it could go out to c250km…now if only they had a really low cost, simpler, interceptor missile that could be launched from the same complexes, something like Denel's Cheetah, for UAV's...and an anti-radiation seeker head for ground launched SEAD...
13) - Air launch from AH-64 - An ultra long range precision munition for attack helos. Far longer ranged than the Israeli Spike NLOS or Nimrod missiles. The US Army in particular is very interested in longer ranged precision munitions to keep their Apache out of harms way, or roll back defences, they're currently trialling Spike NLOS and Altius 600 based loitering munitions from AH-64.
14) - Ideal modern counter battery weapon. Basically tied to a network with Counter Battery Radar, flash and sound spotting, this would be enemy artillerys worse nightmare. Long ranged, high speed response, man in the loop and sensors to deal with targets that are relocating/camouflaged in any weather condition.
This is exactly what the Complex Weapons Team initiative was about. Developing capabilities that could be ported between different systems, maximising development and sustainment funds whilst delivering greater capability.
Note:
I wrote this before it was clear that the missile uses CAMM technology but not the body, its a 178mm calibre missiles (same as Brimstone) rather than the 166mm ASRAAM/CAMM body (the re-use of the Brimstone seeker head, rather than an expensive and potentially futile repackaging, trumps the re-use of the remainder of the CAMM missile body, although there would be parts like fins and internal parts that could be re-used). The F-35 outer pylon and Typhoon compatability would be less straightforward as a result but would still be possible and much easier to do than other munitions. Having the larger body, and possibly using a slower burning rocket does mean that 80km+ is definitely on the cards from ground launch. If an ASRAAM can reach 60km (according to the Australian's) you'd have to assume an air launched LPS would go a lot further...
defence24.pl
