First Live Warhead Flight For Lockheed Martins Multi-Purpose Hellfire II Missile
UNITED STATES - 8 APRIL 2010
ORLANDO, FL -- Lockheed Martins [NYSE: LMT] multi-purpose AGM 114R HELLFIRE II missile scored another success in its second proof-of-principle (POP) flight test, the first armed with a live warhead. The R model, or Romeo missile, features a multi-purpose warhead that enables a single HELLFIRE missile to cover all of the target sets of the currently fielded laser-guided variants.
The POP 2 flight test, conducted at Eglin Air Force Base, FL, featured a lock-on-after-launch engagement of a stationary target board at 1.6 miles (2.5 km). The team used a ground-based laser designator to illuminate the target. The multi-purpose warhead was set with a delayed fuze that allows the missile to penetrate the target before detonating.
The missile was launched with a low trajectory suitable for a military operation in urban terrain scenario and struck the target board precisely designated by the laser aimpoint. The precursor warhead detonated on impact, while the primary warhead successfully detonated a short distance beyond the target.
This test successfully demonstrates the Romeos multi-purpose warhead and electronic safe, arm and fire, or ESAF, module, which provides the pilot-programmable delayed fuzing function, said Ken Musculus, director of Air-to-Ground Missile System programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. Its an important milestone for the HELLFIRE program, bringing us one step closer to providing the Warfighter with one missile that can defeat hard, soft and enclosed targets. In this case, we tested the Romeos ability to penetrate and then detonate within a target vehicle or structure, a critical capability against todays threats.
Both the multi-purpose warhead and ESAF module are new to the HELLFIRE, Musculus said. Video imagery of the test clearly shows these systems functioned exactly as designed.
The multi-purpose HELLFIRE II missile can be carried on both rotary-wing and UAV platforms, can be launched from higher altitudesincreasing the impact angle and enhancing stealth and lethalityand provides a wide engagement zone to properly equipped platforms, enabling them to target and fire upon targets to the side and behind them.
Source: Lockheed Martin
UNITED STATES - 8 APRIL 2010
ORLANDO, FL -- Lockheed Martins [NYSE: LMT] multi-purpose AGM 114R HELLFIRE II missile scored another success in its second proof-of-principle (POP) flight test, the first armed with a live warhead. The R model, or Romeo missile, features a multi-purpose warhead that enables a single HELLFIRE missile to cover all of the target sets of the currently fielded laser-guided variants.
The POP 2 flight test, conducted at Eglin Air Force Base, FL, featured a lock-on-after-launch engagement of a stationary target board at 1.6 miles (2.5 km). The team used a ground-based laser designator to illuminate the target. The multi-purpose warhead was set with a delayed fuze that allows the missile to penetrate the target before detonating.
The missile was launched with a low trajectory suitable for a military operation in urban terrain scenario and struck the target board precisely designated by the laser aimpoint. The precursor warhead detonated on impact, while the primary warhead successfully detonated a short distance beyond the target.
This test successfully demonstrates the Romeos multi-purpose warhead and electronic safe, arm and fire, or ESAF, module, which provides the pilot-programmable delayed fuzing function, said Ken Musculus, director of Air-to-Ground Missile System programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. Its an important milestone for the HELLFIRE program, bringing us one step closer to providing the Warfighter with one missile that can defeat hard, soft and enclosed targets. In this case, we tested the Romeos ability to penetrate and then detonate within a target vehicle or structure, a critical capability against todays threats.
Both the multi-purpose warhead and ESAF module are new to the HELLFIRE, Musculus said. Video imagery of the test clearly shows these systems functioned exactly as designed.
The multi-purpose HELLFIRE II missile can be carried on both rotary-wing and UAV platforms, can be launched from higher altitudesincreasing the impact angle and enhancing stealth and lethalityand provides a wide engagement zone to properly equipped platforms, enabling them to target and fire upon targets to the side and behind them.
Source: Lockheed Martin
