Posted on 04/09/2010 11:14:31 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
ORLANDO, Fla., April 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin's (NYSE:LMT - News) multi-purpose AGM114R HELLFIRE II missile scored another success in its second proof-of-principle (POP) flight test, the first armed with a live warhead. The Rmodel, 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.
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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 Romeo's 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. "It's 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 Romeo's ability to penetrate and then detonate within a target vehicle or structure, a critical capability against today's 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 altitudes—increasing the impact angle and enhancing stealth and lethality—and provides a wide engagement zone to properly equipped platforms, enabling them to target and fire upon targets to the side and behind them.
(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...
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No video!
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Thank you for the video. :-)
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