KSA : RSAF will acquire ‘AASM Hammer’ in place of the ‘Paveway IV’

[Bubblegum Crisis]

Combat Aircraft Monthly - UK - June 2012

Note : A few paragraphs from a piece reported by Jon Lake regarding Saudi Typhoons

Having rejected the Litening pod, the RSAF reportedly considered Lockheed Martin's Sniper pod, before settling on the Thales Damocles pod - already being built in Saudi Arabia by AEC (Advanced Electronic Company) for the RSAF Tornado fleet. Integration work on the Damocles pod is believed to be about to begin at Warton.

Defence News reported that problems in Saudi Arabia with acquiring Paveway IVs were confirmed by Britian's defence attache in Washington, Maj Gen Francis Hedley Robertson 'Buster' Howes. The Paveway IV allows the pilot to select a desired angle of impact and direction of approach for the bomb, as well as a range of fusing options, all selectable by the pilot, in the air. This allows 'effect' to be very precisely tailored, and can allow the weapon to offer very low collateral damage. The American block on supplying Paveway IV to Saudi Arabia, argueably its most important ally in the Gulf region, must have come as agrave setback to the RSAF.

The RSAF is now understood to be looking at acquiring the Sagem AASM (Armement Air-Sol Modulaire, air-to-surface modular weapon) Hammer in place of the Paveway IV, and is looking to this on both the Tornado and the Typhoon.

The Saudi plans to use the Damocles and AASM on the Typhoon demonstrate a hitherto unexpected capability for integrating new weapons and systems on the aircraft flexibly and in a rapid timescale, and seem to show that hitherto slow pace of weapon integration has been imposed by funding constraints and not by any technical difficulty.

It is believed that BAE Systems is offering further air-to-ground weapons options and integrations to the RSAF (perhaps including an early integration of the Storm Shadow cruise missile), and in shorter timescales, supporting the RSAF's aspiration to keep the aircraft at the core of its future fleet plans. These could see the Kingdom ordering further Typhoons.

This could prove to be of pivotal importance to a number of potential Typhoon customers, including the United Arab Emirates , who could perhaps see the Saudi example as evidence that a similar stand-alone integration of their Black Shaheen stand-off missile on the Typhoon could be achieved before any NETMA clearance of a Taurus/Storm Shadow integration.


Source/author: Combat Aircraft Monthly, Vol 13, No. 6, June 2012 Edition, pages 26-27. Jon Lake. Much more is reported in the report.

Flashback…

Paveway IV

U.K., U.S. at Odds Over Saudi Deal

Mar. 19, 2012 - 03:34PM
By Andrew Chuter

LONDON - British efforts to seal a major deal with Saudi Arabia for precision-guided bombs appears to be stalled by U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), according to sources here and in Washington.

The deal to sell Paveway IV weapons developed by Raytheon’s U.K. arm has been on the table since mid-2010, but the U.S. State Department has rebuffed British efforts to secure ITAR approval despite high-level intervention by the government here, the sources said.

News that the British and U.S. governments are at odds over the issue comes just days after a successful meeting in Washington between President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron in which military and security cooperation were at the top of the agenda.

“It’s possible there was some discussion on the issue over the last few days in the sidelines of the visit,” said one Washington source.

The impasse over a deal that would involve selling an initial batch of more than 1,000 bombs to the Royal Saudi Air Force is causing friction between London and Washington and infuriating the Saudis, the sources said. Saudi Arabia is among America’s largest defense export markets, having recently signed a $30 billion weapons deal with the U.S.

The British weapon is initially intended for use on Tornado strike jets. If the weapon is cleared for sale to the Saudis, it would also be fitted onto the 72 Eurofighter Typhoons being delivered to the Saudis by BAE Systems as part of the Al-Salam program.

It is unclear exactly what technology security issues are blocking the deal. Saudi Arabia already operates earlier versions of the Paveway family. Raytheon announced in January 2011 that it had signed a $457 million deal with Saudi Arabia for the delivery of Paveways, but never specified which members of the Paveway family were involved in the deal.

Spokesmen for Raytheon and the British government’s export arm, the Defence Security Organisation, both declined to comment on the ITAR block by the U.S. government.

The Raytheon spokesman said, “we will have to refer you to the U.S. government.” A U.S. State Department spokesman was not immediately available to comment.

Official confirmation that the precision bomb sale was an issue came from Britain’s defense attaché in Washington, Maj. Gen. Buster Howes.

Asked at a conference in Washington, where he was speaking last week, whether there had been any movement with the State Department on the Paveway IV problem, Howes said, “I know there have been discussions ... but I don’t know if there has been any progress.”

A new U.K./U.S. Defence Trade Cooperation Treaty easing the flow of technology between the two sides is scheduled to be put in place at the end of this month.

The new weapon being offered to the Royal Saudi Air Force was developed by a team of U.K. and U.S. Raytheon engineers to meet a British Royal Air Force requirement to equip its jets with an advanced version of the Paveway system fitted to a 500-pound warhead.

Featuring laser and GPS guidance with the latest Raytheon-developed anti-GPS jamming equipment, the weapon entered service with the British Royal Air Force in 2008 and has been widely used by the RAF in Afghanistan and most recently in Libya.

The British announced last week that they were spending 60 million pounds ($95.1 million) to replenish stocks of the weapon, which is cleared for use only by the RAF’s Tornado GR4 strike jets, although integration of the bomb on the Typhoon is well advanced with an expected in-service date of September 2013.


Defence News

AASM (Air-to-Ground Modular Weapon)





To be continued ‘see old links’ :

http://www.defence.pk/forums/military-forum/172534-saudi-typhoons-latest-news.html#post2813741

http://www.defence.pk/forums/military-forum/172534-saudi-typhoons-latest-news.html#post2817824

http://www.defence.pk/forums/military-forum/172534-saudi-typhoons-latest-news.html#post2817850

http://www.defence.pk/forums/military-forum/172534-saudi-typhoons-latest-news.html#post2817878

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

KSA : Damocles targeting pod for Eurofighter Typhoon

To be continued ‘see old links’ :

http://www.defence.pk/forums/arab-defence/229698-ksa-damocles-targeting-pod-eurofighter-typhoon.html

http://www.defence.pk/forums/military-forum/172534-saudi-typhoons-latest-news.html#post3893007


Storm Shadow cruise missile






To be continued ‘see old links’ :

http://www.defence.pk/forums/arab-defence/73050-saudi-defense-forces-74.html#post3967809



Translation help? ^^

"Google Translate"

Link: Google Translate

Un AASM à guidage laser détruit une cible mobile terrestre

21/12/2012

Mis en œuvre par les avions de combat Rafale de la Marine nationale et de l’armée de l’Air, l’Armement Air-Sol Modulaire (AASM) a réalisé avec succès, le 12 décembre, son dernier tir de qualification dans sa version de guidage terminal laser. Réalisé au centre DGA Essais de Missiles de Biscarosse, ce test a vu le tir de l’AASM par un Rafale de série mis en œuvre par la Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA Essais en Vol) depuis la base aérienne de Cazaux. L’objectif était de qualifier dans un environnement représentatif d’une situation de combat la chaîne complète de tir laser, l’illumination étant réalisée par l’avion tireur lui-même.

La cible, en l’occurrence un véhicule 4x4 télé-opéré, était éclairée durant les dernières secondes de vol de l’AASM par un pod de désignation d’objectif Damoclès, embarqué par l’avion tireur. Evoluant à vitesse variable, le véhicule était au moment de l’impact à plus de 15 km de distance du Rafale, et présentait une vitesse de 50 km/h. La cible a, de plus, été engagée avec un fort dépointage (90°) pour une frappe en incidence oblique.

Grâce à ses algorithmes de détection et d’asservissement de la trajectoire sur la tache laser et à sa manœuvrabilité, l’AASM a percuté la cible avec une précision inférieure au mètre.
Cette version GPS/inertiel/laser de l’AASM enrichit cette gamme d’armement, qui comprend déjà deux versions qualifiées sur Rafale (GPS/inertiel et GPS/inertiel/infrarouge). Elle se distingue par l’intégration d’un autodirecteur laser en lieu et place de l’imageur infrarouge et par des algorithmes de poursuite activés en phase terminale.

Développé et produit par Sagem, l’AASM, également appelé SBU-54 Hammer dans la désignation OTAN, est conçu pour engager des cibles mobiles terrestres ou maritimes rapides et manoeuvrantes, avec une précision métrique (impact démontré lors d’un tir d’essais en avril 2011 sur une cible fictive évoluant à 80 km/h). Cette munition peut, notamment, servir à des frappes d’opportunité, comme l’a démontrée l’intervention en Lybie. Ainsi, au cours de l’opération Harmattan, les Rafale de l’armée de l’Air et de l’aéronautique navale, mis en œuvre depuis des bases terrestres et le porte-avions Charles de Gaulle, ont tiré 225 AASM (en versions GPS/INS et GPS/INS/IR).

Pour mémoire, l’AASM, constitué de kits de guidage et de kits d’augmentation de portée, s’adapte sur des corps de bombe de 250 kg, Sagem comptant, à terme, pouvoir l’intégrer sur des munitions de 125, 500 et 1000 kg. Dans sa version laser, l’AASM a été commandé à 680 exemplaires par la France.


Mer et Marine

The mobile vehicle hit by a laser AASM Hammer when testing December 12, 2012 - Air & Cosmos

 

[Toothless]

old news the paveway iv is already in saudi arabia..

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

old news the paveway iv is already in saudi arabia..

- 2008 :

In February 2008, the Committee Chairmen and Ranking Members sought a “specific assurance that the Executive branch will consult with our Committees before any approval of a request to sell Saudi Arabia such sensitive weapon systems as Storm Shadow cruise missiles …”

February 14, 2008

The Honorable Condoleezza Rice

Secretary of State

U.S. Department of State

2201 C Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Madam Secretary:

Your Department has informed our Committees of its intent, pursuant to section 3(d) of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2753(d)), to approve the retransfer of controlled U.S.-origin defense articles from the United Kingdom (UK) to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in connection with the UK’s sale of 72 Typhoon fighter aircraft to Saudi Arabia. We believe that this retransfer proposal raises some of the same issues that the direct sale of advanced aircraft to Saudi Arabia would raise. In particular, we would not want the UK aircraft sale to jeopardize Israel’s qualitative military edge (QME), any more than we would permit a U.S. sale to pose such a threat to our closest ally in the region.

We understand that the UK Government has received helpful assurances from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We understand also that the retransfers in question relate only to the Typhoon aircraft, and not to the weapon systems that may later be sold for use with the aircraft. And we realize that many weapon systems that might be used with the Typhoon would be of U.S. origin or have U.S. content, and would therefore be subject to the need for U.S. Government approval, although not always for prior notice to our Committees.

We would appreciate receiving assurance from the Administration that the United States will not approve the export or retransfer to Saudi Arabia for use with the Typhoon aircraft of any U.S. weapon system or incorporated defense article that would threaten Israel’s QME. We would also appreciate specific assurance that the Executive branch will consult with our Committees before any approval of a request to sell Saudi Arabia such sensitive weapon systems as Storm Shadow cruise missiles or Paveway IV precision guided weapons. And we would appreciate assurance that our Committees will be informed promptly if you should learn that the assurances provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Kingdom are no longer being observed.

If these assurances are provided, we will have no objection to receiving formal notification of the proposed retransfer approval. We are confident that any other concerns will be settled before the expiration of the 30-day waiting period mandated by section 3(d) of the Arms Export Control Act.

Sincerely,

Richard G. Lugar
Ranking Minority Member
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
Chairman
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Ranking Minority Member
House Committee on Foreign Affairs

Howard L. Berman
Acting Chairman
House Committee on Foreign Affairs

Raytheon Hopes To Benefit From Loosened U.K. Missile Rules

Posted by Andrew Chuter | July 12th, 2012

Britain could be softening its stance on sourcing missile technology from just a select group of local producers, which would open new opportunities for Raytheon, according to Taylor Lawrence, the company’s Missile Systems division president.

“I’m encouraged. It appears that some areas of missile technology are being opened back up to competition and we are waiting to see what the Ministry of Defence will do to allow us to compete fairly for significant opportunities,” Taylor said at the Farnborough International Airshow.

“We have also heard the new leadership in the MoD is showing a bigger openness to technology being brought to the table, especially if there is U.K. content,” he said.

Britain closed down much of the local missile market to foreign companies in the wake of the Labour Government’s 2005 defense industrial strategy, handing a near monopoly to MBDA, Thales UK and others in a grouping known as Team Complex Weapons (CW).

The concept has been much modified since then, although the basic premise for its creation — the sustainment of sovereign skill and capabilities through restriction of market access — prevails.

Although Raytheon has a significant missile industrial and market presence in Britain, the company declined to join Team-CW. In part, it was said at the time, due to anti-trust concerns.

“Actually I don’t think Team CW has cost us anything at the present time other than probably some development funds into our business here in the UK,” Taylor said.

Taylor said he saw the next opportunity to sell technology to Britain might be Raytheon’s trimode seeker technology being used on the Small Diameter Bomb II program for the U.S. military.

MBDA is assessing a similar U.K. air-to-ground program known as Spear 3.

“We can bring some incredible technology to the table for war fighters and I think we should be allowed to do that and not just be shut out of the market. That’s one of the complaints we have had about Team CW all along. It seemed to be shutting out competition and technology opportunities for the MoD,” Taylor said.

Could introduction of trimode seeker and other technology include partnership with MBDA?

Taylor said he hadn’t ruled that out if it’s the right solution for the two companies and the customer.

“We are always open to partnership … if it brings value for us and them and is the right solution for the customer then we would be open to discussion. I don’t know if they would be willing to talk to me but we are always open to discussion,” Taylor said.

The company continues to supply the British military with weapons that predate the Team CW agreement such as the advanced, medium-range, air-to-air missile, along with Javelin, Tomahawk and Paveway IV.

It recently received a post-Libya campaign top-up order for the Paveway IV weapon used by the Royal Air Force and expects a replenishment deal for the submarine-launched Tomahawk

“The company is in exploratory discussion with the U.K. on Tomahawk right now,” Taylor said.

Raytheon is trying to encourage the British to merge its order with an upcoming U.S. Navy buy.

“We would need to take a decision in the next couple of years to take advantage of the USN order,” he said.

The Missile System’s president said the effort to sell the Paveway IV to Saudi Arabia remained blocked by the U.S. State Department.

“We have a customer who really wants this capability and we have been under contract now for almost two years to provide that.”

“There have been a lot of discussions in our State Department about allowing that capability to go forward. I am hoping that can be resolved at some point and in terms of what is in theater now it’s a technology that is reasonably well deployed,” Lawrence said.

The precision-guided bomb was developed by Raytheon in the U.K. and U.S. for the Royal Air Force and has been widely used in Afghanistan and Libya.


Defence News

 

[Toothless]

Old news is old

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

I know these pictures.

Not enough. Official proofs by the U.S. State Department, please (with source)... What was true before is always.

Not ‘Paveway IV’.

http://www.dsca.mil/PressReleases/36-b/2010/Saudi_Arabia_10-43.pdf


No reason why they will change their minds. It is too sensitive for the USA. ^^

 

[Toothless]

I know these pictures.

Not enough. Official proofs by the U.S. State Department, please (with source)... ^^

LOL you have the right to believe in lulu land if you like, peace out brother..

 

[Toothless]

the deal is from UK not usa.. The major saudi deal with the US was blocked during Bush's administration and I don't see a reason why would they change their mind, but they did..
Paveway iv is already in service in royal saudi air force and was shown during the vistis of minister of defence along with a mockup of meteor missile expected to enter in 2014, ANY discussion about this subject beyond this can be described in one world which I don't like saying, I'll leave it to your imagination

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

the deal is from UK not usa.. The major saudi deal with the US was blocked during Bush's administration and I don't see a reason why would they change their mind, but they did..

Paveway iv is already in service in royal saudi air force and was shown during the vistis of minister of defence along with a mockup of meteor missile expected to enter in 2014, ANY discussion about this subject beyond this can be described in one world which I don't like saying, I'll leave it to your imagination.

^^

What a pity. But components of ‘Paveway IV’ are also American. The weapon is viewed as being UK intellectual property, though the warhead case was the responsibility of Raytheon Missile Systems (RMS) in Tucson (filled by SEI in Sardinia), Arizona, and the Enhanced Computer Control Group (ECCG) uses technology provided by Raytheon Missile Systems. But this seemingly gives the USA the power to dictate who will, and who will not receive the weapon.

Raytheon UK Missile Systems

Paveway™ IV Precision Guided Bomb

As the prime contractor for the U.K. Ministry of Defence for the Paveway™ IV programme, Raytheon has demonstrated global leadership in Missile Defence. Since 2008, Paveway™ IV has been operational with the Harrier GR9 and in 2009 with the Tornado GR4 and is known as the U.K. Royal Air force weapon of choice.

Paveway™ IV features dual-mode guidance and is the latest generation of the Paveway family. For extreme accuracy in all operational scenarios it utilises second-generation, state-of-the-art GPS aided inertial navigation that incorporates anti-spoofing and anti-jamming technology. It also incorporates a laser-guidance system and the pilot is able to switch between modes as necessary, even after release. This gives maximum flexibility to attack re-locatable and moving targets as well as fixed targets.

Paveway™ IV provides a state-of-the-art, all-weather precision munition that is easy to integrate on current and future aircraft. It is a joint programme between Raytheon UK in the U.K. and Raytheon Missile Systems (RMS) in Tucson, Arizona. Raytheon UK in Harlow is the Weapon Design Authority, providing Systems Engineering, Programme Management and Aircraft Integration, and the Raytheon UK Glenrothes plant manufactures the GAINS (GPS Aided Inertial Navigation System), and RMS in Tucson is the DA for the Warhead and ECCG (Enhanced Computer Control Group) and undertakes final assembly and test of the ECCG. Raytheon’s UK Paveway Team also includes Portsmouth Aviation Limited (Air Foil Group and Navalised containers) and EDO MBM Technology in Brighton (Aircraft Umbilical Interconnect System and Quad Containers). Thales Missile Electronics Ltd in Basingstoke has developed and now manufactures the PGB Fuze, a state-of-the-art ‘intelligent’ fuze with full cockpit interface.

Spiral development options for Paveway™ IV , primarily for satisfying the U.K., MOD requirements for Selective Precision Effects At Range (SPEAR), include the provision of a wing kit that will more than double the range of the weapon, alternative warhead variants for low yield and high penetration, high moving target engagement capability, a datalink for post release weapon communications, enhanced GPS anti-jam and improved target selectivity/autonomy.

2010-2012 Raytheon Systems Limited

http://www.raytheon.co.uk/capabilities/proven/missile/index.html

It is the ‘Paveway II Plus’ product in KSA. Not ‘Paveway IV’.

 

[Toothless]

^^

What a pity. But components of ‘Paveway IV’ are also American. The weapon is viewed as being UK intellectual property, though the warhead case was the responsibility of Raytheon Missile Systems (RMS) in Tucson (filled by SEI in Sardinia), Arizona, and the Enhanced Computer Control Group (ECCG) uses technology provided by Raytheon Missile Systems. But this seemingly gives the USA the power to dictate who will, and who will not receive the weapon.

Nothing new here, i already told you in the previous post read it again. Drop that argument because now we only take the best or go to other sources let alone the americans themselves want to arm us and that their new strategy of allowing their allies to be fully capable of defending their own.

This is Paveway ii

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/GBU-12_xxl.jpg

The enhanced ver. by LM

Raketen und Drohnen: Luft-Luft-Raketen, Boden-Luft-Raketen, Luft-Boden-Raketen, Boden-Boden-Raketen, Flugabwehr

Look at this pic:

6fmhjdjh54 - HostingPics.net - Hbergement d'images gratuit

Now compare all of the above to the pictures I posted here and removed because it advertises another forum, but I believe you have it..

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

Nothing new here, i already told you in the previous post read it again. Drop that argument because now we only take the best or go to other sources let alone the americans themselves want to arm us and that their new strategy of allowing their allies to be fully capable of defending their own.

...

lol ^^

It's worse than I thought. You are really naive. There is a limit to what is acceptable even if this person seems apparently to be 'your ally'. Luckily for us that our leaders are really more cunning.

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

What about it's range?

 

[Arabian Legend]

RSAF already operates the paveway however, @Bubblegum Crisis is right RSAF wants to the have the AASM equipped on its EF instead of the paveway which is going to be installed if not already on the Tornado.
@Bubblegum Crisis the paveway deal contains ToT something the UK has not put an end for with US and thats why IMO @Mosamania

those weapons will be installed on the F-15SA

Weapons:


-100 M61 Vulcan cannons with 200,000 20mm cartridges and with 400,000 20mm target practice cartridges
-300 AIM-9X Sidewinder A/A missiles with 25 AIM-9X CATMs (Captive Air Training Missiles) and with 25 Special Air Training Missiles
-500 AIM-120C/7 AMRAAM A/A missiles with 25 AIM-120 CATMs
-1,000 dual mode laser/ GPS guided munitions (500 lbs)
-1,000 dual mode laser/ GPS guided munitions (2,000 lbs)
-1,100 GBU-24 Paveway III LGBs (2,000 lbs)
-1,000 GBU-31B V3 JDAMs (2,000 lbs)
-1,300 CBU-105D/B SFW/ WCMD
-50 CBU-105 inert
-1,000 MK-82 500 lb GP bombs with 6,000 MK-82 inert training bombs
-2,000 MK-84 2,000 lb GP bombs with 2,000 MK-84 inert training bombs
-400 AGM-84 Block II HARPOON missiles
-600 AGM-88B HARM missiles

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

What about it's range?

See here.

http://www.defence.pk/forums/military-forum/172534-saudi-typhoons-latest-news.html#post2813741

http://www.defence.pk/forums/military-forum/172534-saudi-typhoons-latest-news.html#post2817824

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

AASM zeroes in on moving targets and is proven on Rafale


Posted 28 February 2013

Sagem is ready to begin delivery of the AASM SBU-54 laser terminal guidance version of the Hammer weapon to the French Air Force pending administrative clearance by the DGA. Clearance is expected within a matter of weeks and will pave the way for the weapon to enter operational service later this year.

Final qualification firing of the air-to-ground missile was carried out by the DGA in December 2012. The test firing was conducted by a Rafale fighter - still a contender for the UAE fighter - at the DGA’s missile range in Biscarrosse, and has been declared a complete success.

The target for the test firing was a remotely piloted all-terrain vehicle that travelled at varying speeds before reaching a speed of 50km/h at the time of impact approximately 15km from the Rafale. The weapon was launched from the aircraft at an extreme off-axis angle of 90° and hit the target at an oblique angle, the vehicle was illuminated by the aircraft’s Damocles pod during the final seconds of the AASM’s flight. The weapon struck the target with an accuracy of less than one metre.

Speaking at Sagem’s Montluçon facility in January 2013, Jean-Christophe Mugler, marketing and sales director, deputy, Sagem Avionics Division, said the firing was reflective of the weapon’s extreme agility, manoeuvrability and accuracy, adding that the SBU-54 brings extended capabilities to the Hammer family.

Two previous versions of the weapon are already qualified on Rafale – the INS/GPS (SBU-38) and INS/GPS/ infrared (SBU-64), with the latest SBU-54 guidance kit featuring a laser seeker in place of the infrared imager of the SBU-64, with tracking algorithms which are activated during the terminal phase, allowing the weapon to engage agile, moving land or naval targets illuminated by a ground or airborne laser designator.

‘With INS GPS, the SBU-38 can be used when the target coordinates are very well known,’ Mugler said. ‘However in the case of target location error, GPS unavailability or jamming, the SBU-64 is a better choice, as this weapon will be guided toward rough coordinates and then use scene-matching tracking algorithms during the terminal phase to find the target within the scene and hit the target.’

With a simplified model of the scene around the target first being uploaded to the SBU-64, the infrared imager allows the AASM to recalculate its trajectory during the last few seconds prior to impact, using image recognition algorithms. This allows the AASM to hit its target with the highest possible accuracy, even if GPS coordinates are incorrect, or the GPS signal is unavailable. The SBU-54 adds to this, using powerful algorithms for detection and flightpath slaving to a laser pointer to strike mobile targets.

‘Now, the SBU-54 brings a mobile target capability to the family,’ Mugler said. ‘If the laser spot is locked on a mobile target, such as a moving vehicle, the weapon uses powerful algorithms for detection and flightpath slaving to that laser point to hit that target - thanks to the high manoeuvrability of its double-canard configuration.’


Arabian Aerospace

The mobile vehicle hit by a laser AASM Hammer when testing December 12, 2012 - Air & Cosmos




AASM Laser test on highly mobile target April 21, 211