04 May 14. Raytheon Company and the U.S. Army have completed the certification process for air worthiness release (AWR) of the TALON Laser-Guided Rocket (LGR) on the Apache AH-64D/E Attack helicopter. The AWR certification provides for potential operational employment of the TALON weapon system on U.S. Army Apaches and Apaches in international fleets. The TALON LGR is a low-cost, digital semi-active laser guidance and control kit co-developed with the United Arab Emirates. TALON integrates directly to the front of the legacy 2.75-inch Hydra-70 unguided rockets.
“With completion of the AWR, we can offer Apache customers an affordable guided-rocket solution that provides capability within the current Hydra-70 rocket firing envelope,” said Darryl Kreitman, Raytheon TALON program director. “TALON’s architecture and ease of employment make it a low-cost, highly precise weapon for missions in urban environments, counter insurgency and swarming boat defense missions.”
TALON requires no hardware or software modifications to the launcher or aircraft platform and can be fired from any aircraft that fires 2.75-inch Hydra-70 unguided rockets using the standard M260/261 launchers.
06 May 14. Babcock, in consortium with Raytheon and the MoD, has delivered four Phalanx 1B kit modifications and two conversions of the land-based Phalanx Weapon System to the upgraded marinised configuration to the UK MoD, successfully meeting the MoD’s required March delivery timescales. Babcock is the MoD’s In-Service Support provider for Phalanx systems delivering naval Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWS) capability. The four additional 1B kits and two conversions have been delivered under an amendment to the company’s existing long-term availability contract, awarded in 2006, under which Babcock manages and executes all upkeep support activities, including a 24/7 helpdesk for the Royal Navy and provides logistics support for spares and repairable units. Babcock is also under contract to upgrade 16 Phalanx systems to the 1B configuration in an on-going programme in partnership with Raytheon and the International Guns Missiles and Rockets Project Team based at Abbey Wood. In delivering the latest contract amendment within the MoD’s required timescale Babcock has worked in partnership with the Phalanx 1B systems original equipment manufacturer Raytheon, and has undertaken the conversion of the two land-based Phalanx Weapon Systems using their own weapons support engineers.
08 May 14. Raytheon Company and the U.S. Navy showcased the operational capability of the Joint Standoff Weapon in challenging back-to-back flight tests. Launched from F/A-18F Super Hornets, at approximately 25,000 feet, two JSOW II C air-to-ground weapons flew preplanned routes before destroying simulated cave targets.
“These test shots further validate JSOW’s ability to deliver decisive battlefield effects against one of the most challenging land targets facing our warfighters,” said Celeste Mohr, JSOW program director for Raytheon Missile Systems. “Naval aviators employed JSOW’s firepower in a tactically realistic cave scenario that included heavy radio frequency countermeasures. The result was two direct hits — it’s all about sharpening the edge.”
JSOW C is designed to provide fleet forces with robust and flexible capability against high value land targets, at launch ranges up to 70 nautical miles.
07 May 14. In tests off the California coast, a Lockheed Martin prototype laser system successfully disabled two boats at a range of approximately 1.6 kilometers (approximately 1 mile). These were the first tests of the Area Defense Anti-Munitions (ADAM) system against maritime targets. Lockheed Martin is developing the transportable, ground-based ADAM laser system to demonstrate a practical, affordable defense against short-range threats, including Qassam-like rockets, unmanned aerial systems and small boats. In less than 30 seconds, the ground-based system’s high-energy lase