Raytheon Company,
WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE: NetFires LLC, a joint venture between Raytheon Company's Missile Systems and Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, completed the second guided test flight of the Non Line-of-Sight-Launch System's Precision Attack Missile.
“NLOS-LS provides commanders with immediate, responsive precision fires against moving and stationary land and sea targets,” said Scott Speet, executive vice president of NetFires LLC and Raytheon's NLOS-LS program director. “The second guided test flight further proved this capability when it launched a PAM missile from a container launch unit and used its dual-mode seeker to score a direct hit against a stationary T-72 tank.”
This marks the second time the NLOS-LS CLU was used in a flight test of the PAM missile. The CLU provides a tactical capability to rapidly fire 15 missiles at 5-second intervals; it will continue to be used in all 16 remaining developmental test flights.
The test demonstrated the PAM's ability to acquire the target with its semi-active laser seeker, process the target information, and transfer the information to its uncooled imaging infrared (IR) mode seeker for final target processing and terminal guidance.
The PAM missile, while guiding to its intended target, also joined the network with its onboard radio, sent back a terminal target image and operated as a node on the net throughout the flight.
The CLU executed the launch and provided fire mission processing from its onboard mission computer and communications system. Power management application, GPS location and system status are other elements provided by the mission computer and communications system.
“This was a big day for the NLOS-LS team,” said Col. Doug Dever, the U.S. Army's NLOS-LS project manager. “The shot verified the missile can transition to IR to get an optimal kill shot on its intended target to ensure one missile, one kill.”
Raytheon Company, with 2007 sales of $21.3 billion, is a technology leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 72,000 people worldwide.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2007 sales of $41.9 billion.
Background Information
— The NLOS-LS is one of the 14 Future Combat Systems core systems. As part of the FCS systems-of-systems, the NLOS-LS will meet the requirements of the Army's future brigade combat teams by providing increased capability for the current force's modular BCT (Brigade Combat Team).
— NLOS-LS provides the brigade commander with immediate, precise and responsive fires on high-payoff targets with real-time target acquisition and battle effects. It is also one of the key littoral combat ship mission modules.
— Compared to systems with equivalent firepower, the NLOS-LS provides a modular, persistent, responsive, networked and rapidly deployable precision strike capability against moving and stationary.
