USAF awards Raytheon missile development contract to shoot down SAM missiles

[BHarwana]

USAF awards Raytheon missile development contract to shoot down Surface to Air Missiles. The Air Force Research Laboratory’s munitions directorate launched the Miniature Self-Defense Missile (MSDM) program in 2015. Boeing and Lockheed Martin submitted proposals at earlier stages of the project, but Raytheon won the contract.

The radar guided MDSM is a kinetic weapon, homing in on an incoming missile and taking it out by direct impact like a kinetic kill vehicle.

Contract date: July 21, 2020
Raytheon Co. Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a $375,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for a miniature self-defense missile. The contract provides for the research and development of a flight-test ready missile. The first task order is $93,380,234. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by October 2023. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $26,712,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA8651-20-D-0001).

 

[dbc]

Not just SAM's but also Air-to-Air missiles.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zo...t-against-enemy-missile-attacks-moves-forward

The video below is the Lockheed Martin’s Miniature Hit-to-Kill missile..

 

[BHarwana]

Not just SAM's but also Air-to-Air missiles.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zo...t-against-enemy-missile-attacks-moves-forward

The video below is the Lockheed Martin’s Miniature Hit-to-Kill missile..

My opinion is it is for SAM. Air to Air is not that easy to target with a kinetic kill vehicle. The recent order of F15 by USAF suggests that why a sudden recent interest in F15, it is cause of this MSDM program.

 

[dbc]

My opinion is it is for SAM. Air to Air is not that easy to target with a kinetic kill vehicle. The recent order of F15 by USAF suggests that why a sudden recent interest in F15, it is cause of this MSDM program.

You didn't read the link I provided earlier..did you?

Raytheon has received a contract from the U.S. Air Force to build a "flight-test ready" mini-missile that an aircraft could use to shoot down incoming air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zo...t-against-enemy-missile-attacks-moves-forward

 

[PeacefulWar]

Some thing like tank's hard-kill APS system?

 

[zectech]

Looks like you can overwhelm these missiles, however with 6th generation air warfare with drones carrying these new missiles, you are going to need to launch 20-30 SAMs to take out a single fighter or bomber.

Iran building as many SAMs as possible is the proper strategy. You need 2+ ADS with a dozen or more SAMs each to take out these, and that is for a single fighter/bomber controlling about 5-6 drones.

The strategy is attack with a bomber/fighter controlling 5 drones that carry these missiles, along with the bomber. When the SAMs are fired, have these drones shoot the anti-SAM missiles. And SAM that is not destroyed, have a drone empty on missiles take the SAM hit, preserving the bomber. Have the bomber/fighter destroy targets and return to bases. Or something like that.

When you have a squadron of fighters with drones, things get hard for the overwhelmed ADSs.