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By Phillip Swarts, Staff writer 1:17 p.m. EDT August 11, 2015
USAF hopes new contract will improve munition guidance in bad weather
To paraphrase a common Postal Service expression, neither snow nor rain will stop Air Force bombs and missiles from hitting their target.
That's why the service announced it has awarded an additional $400,000 in funding towards developing advanced "millimeter wave seeker" guidance systems for smart munitions.
"MMW seekers are active radar seekers with the capability to both transmit and receive information," Thomas Lewis, an Air Force Research Laboratory researcher, said in a statement. "Because they provide their own illumination, they can be used day or night. Additionally, because of the wavelength they use, they allow us to see through both clouds and rain."
Air Force leaders hope that will lead to more robust weapon systems that won't be affected by the weather or other conditions on the ground.
The contract is part of the Air Force's GBU-X program (Guided Bomb Unit), which seeks to improve munitions through two key ways: first, by creating weapons that are interchangeable across planes and platforms and operate on a common interface and systems.
The second is by improving the targeting and delivery of the munitions to make sure they hit their targets and are resistant to countermeasures, according to an Air Force news release.
Once launched, Air Force officials hope the advanced radar will allow munitions — such as the Guided Smart Seeker system — to navigate and target without direction from a controller.
"One of the requirements we sought to meet was that the seeker possessed the ability to acquire targets and begin tracking them without human intervention," David Hayden, a Research Laboratory researcher, said. "Intelligent target clustering is a capability that would give the seeker a more robust target tracking capability and reject any false alarms."
L-3 Mustang Technology, the company that was awarded the contract under the Air Force's small business research program, said their system provides "all-weather performance against stationary and mobile ground and maritime targets."
The millimeter wave and other radar systems onboard the munition will allow it to operate and "withstand harsh environments," the company said.
USAF hopes new contract will improve munition guidance in bad weather
To paraphrase a common Postal Service expression, neither snow nor rain will stop Air Force bombs and missiles from hitting their target.
That's why the service announced it has awarded an additional $400,000 in funding towards developing advanced "millimeter wave seeker" guidance systems for smart munitions.
"MMW seekers are active radar seekers with the capability to both transmit and receive information," Thomas Lewis, an Air Force Research Laboratory researcher, said in a statement. "Because they provide their own illumination, they can be used day or night. Additionally, because of the wavelength they use, they allow us to see through both clouds and rain."
Air Force leaders hope that will lead to more robust weapon systems that won't be affected by the weather or other conditions on the ground.
The contract is part of the Air Force's GBU-X program (Guided Bomb Unit), which seeks to improve munitions through two key ways: first, by creating weapons that are interchangeable across planes and platforms and operate on a common interface and systems.
The second is by improving the targeting and delivery of the munitions to make sure they hit their targets and are resistant to countermeasures, according to an Air Force news release.
Once launched, Air Force officials hope the advanced radar will allow munitions — such as the Guided Smart Seeker system — to navigate and target without direction from a controller.
"One of the requirements we sought to meet was that the seeker possessed the ability to acquire targets and begin tracking them without human intervention," David Hayden, a Research Laboratory researcher, said. "Intelligent target clustering is a capability that would give the seeker a more robust target tracking capability and reject any false alarms."
L-3 Mustang Technology, the company that was awarded the contract under the Air Force's small business research program, said their system provides "all-weather performance against stationary and mobile ground and maritime targets."
The millimeter wave and other radar systems onboard the munition will allow it to operate and "withstand harsh environments," the company said.
