25 Jun 10. A new unpowered, lightweight munition that is adaptable to multiple launchers has been flight tested from a C-130 aircraft by Lockheed Martin at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. The Scorpion munition has a top range of 10nm and will provide the warfighter with an affordable strike option against a wide range of targets including structures, light armoured vehicles, missile launchers and artillery.
During the flight test, the Scorpion successfully deployed its fins and wing and employed its semi-active laser seeker to strike the laser-designated target by using a GPS navigation system to locate the target area. Lockheed Martin missiles and fire control strike weapons vice-president Randy Bigum said the munition provided an affordable solution against targets in areas requiring low collateral damage, such as urban environments.
“This precision attack munition features a small, lethal warhead that can be launched from a wide variety of platforms to take out time-critical fixed or moving targets,” he said.
The Scorpion can also be configured to use planned, imaging infrared, short-wave infrared or millimeter wave seekers to significantly reduce the possibility of collateral damage. (Source: airforcetechnology.com)

21 Jun 10. A Lockheed Martin Scorpion munition was successfully flight tested June 17 from a C-130 aircraft at Yuma Proving Ground, AZ. Ejected at an altitude of 5,000 feet through a Common Launch Tube on the aircraft, Scorpion successfully deployed its fins and wing, allowing it to precisely glide 1.65 nautical miles to the target. Utilizing a Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System to locate the target area, Scorpion employed its Semi-Active Laser (SAL) seeker to strike the laser-designated target. The SAL seeker is one of several seekers that can be used with Scorpion. Scorpion is an unpowered, lightweight, compact munition that provides the Warfighter with an affordable strike option against a broad target set. Scorpion is adaptable to multiple launch platforms, including manned and unmanned systems. Targets can include structures, personnel, lightly armored vehicles, trucks, cars, missile launchers, and artillery or gun positions. It has a maximum range of over 10 nautical miles.
“Scorpion provides the Warfighter with a much-needed affordable solution against targets in areas requiring low collateral damage, such as urban environments,” said Randy Bigum, vice president of Strike Weapons for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “This precision attack munition features a small, lethal warhead which can be launched from a wide variety of platforms to take out time-critical fixed or moving targets.”
Scorpion uses a SAL seeker for man-in-the-loop terminal guidance, and can be tailored to use planned, imaging infrared, shortwave infrared or millimeter wave seekers. The precision provided by these seeker types ensures accuracy to less than one meter and dramatically reduces the possibility of collateral damage. Multiple warhead options are also available for use against various target types.

Jun 10. Health & safety concerns for CTAI? BATTLESPACE reported in 2008 about problems relating to gas egress into the CTA 40mm turret which create significant Health & Safety concerns. The original CTA turret concept for TRACER/FSCS was of course, unmanned, so these problems passed unnoticed. BAE Systems assured its customer that the problems had been solved. However, sources close to BATTLESPACE suggest that the system requires a new gas scrubber to take out more CO2 from the turret post-firing. In another development, the U.S. Marine Corps has conducted an EMC exercise of its equipment and recommended fitting the Singapore Technologies Kinetic mechanical fuze to one of its systems in place of the GD electronic fuze to prevent any unwarranted explosions due to EMC interference. This is another problem area for the CTA round which has the fuze buried in the propellant, which of course would