LOCKHEED MARTIN UNVEILS MISSILE DEVELOPMENTS DURING AUSA
By Julian Nettlefold, Editor, BATTLESPACE
In March this year, Lockheed Martin used the AUSA symposium as a shop window for a number of key missile developments, which will provide the company with a strong revenue stream for the DoD and overseas customers well into the 21st Century. Indeed BATTLESPACE U.S. Correspondent Scott Gourley suggested that the PV developed P44(R) missile described below provides the U.S. Army user with an immediate multi-range missile which negates the ongoing FCS missile system, watch this space! In addition P44(R) uses proven launcher technology, which negates expensive purchases for new launcher systems, targeting systems and training.
Lockheed unveiled DAGR(TM), a weapon developed with company funding to defeat targets in urban operations, while minimizing collateral damage. DAGR is a 2.75-inch guided rocket system that is fully compatible with the fielded and combat-proven HELLFIRE II(R) missile.
In its 2.75-inch frame, DAGR is the first semi-active guided rocket to provide full HELLFIRE functionality, including lock-on-before-launch, lock-on-after-launch, target location handoff, enhanced built-in test, programmable laser coding, and flexible fly-out modes. It is plug-and-play compatible with HELLFIRE, able to launch from any platform that currently supports the HELLFIRE weapon system.
“Lockheed Martin has committed substantial resources to this in-house development program to make this flexible new system available to our Government customers,” said Rick Edwards, vice president – Tactical Missiles at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “We’ve leveraged existing HELLFIRE and Joint Common Missile technology to bring to market a precision weapon system that will dramatically assist in the Global War on Terrorism.”
DAGR – Direct Attack Guided Rocket – fills the capability gap between unguided rockets and the HELLFIRE weapon system. DAGR increases M299 smart launcher load-out by up to four times. Its off-axis capability also provides an increased engagement envelope by supporting launch from unmanned aerial vehicle platforms. Additionally, due to DAGR’s compatibility with the HELLFIRE weapon system, the usual resources for fielding a new weapon system – development, training, additional equipment and force structure – are avoided.
“Coupling experience and mature technology with the combat-proven Hydra 70 rocket, DAGR provides a low-cost, low-risk precision munition for air-to-ground engagements in the urban environments our Warfighters currently face,” said Bob Harnish, DAGR program manager at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.
Quite clearly this low-cost, $10,000 enhancement to a missile of which thousands are in production and in use throughout the world on various platforms provides the user with huge benefits of now having a HELLFIRE capability including lock-on-before-launch, lock-on-after-launch, target location handoff, enhanced built-in test, programmable laser coding, and flexible fly-out mode in a missile system that can now be deployed to efficiently destroy urban targets, whereas before, the lack of targeting ability ,meant that the system had limited usage in urban operations where civilians and troops were in proximity to the hostile targets.
Later Lockheed unveiled P44(R), a company-funded effort to demonstrate a long range strike missile for quick precision strike against moving surface targets under any battlefield conditions without minimum range limitations. P44 – a 7-inch diameter 220-pound missile with an effective range from zero to more than 70 kilometers – is a next generation missile system. It can be launched from an MLRS(R) multiple launch platform, including the combat-proven HIMARS, the newest generation of highly-transportable multiple rocket launch platforms. “Lockheed Martin has committed substantial internal funding to this development program to make an innovative new