Lockheed Martin – Interesting press releases, Feb.

The boffins at Lockheed Martin have been hard at work and are proud to show off some of their new missile and guidance products with these press releases from last week. (Caps copied from their headlines)

LOCKHEED MARTIN RECEIVES CONTRACT TO INTEGRATE SNIPER XR TARGETING POD ONTO A-10 THUNDERBOLT
www.missilesandfirecontrol.com...
-successful test of an advanced integrated (TV, LADAR, FLIR) targeting system not only to the A-10 but also the F/A18, F16 and F15. Not mentioned was testing with the F35 Joint Strike Fighter

LOCKHEED MARTIN SUCCESSFULLY DEMONSTRATES JOINT COMMON MISSILE MOUT* TARGET PENETRATION
www.missilesandfirecontrol.com...
-Successful test of a new smart fuze and warhead combination that allows a single type of munition to engage armored, lightly-armored and soft targets – It is intended to replace the Hellfire, Longbow and Maverick air-to-ground missiles. The fuze and warhead are rugged enough to penetrate hardened structures and smart enough to minimize collateral damage. *Military Operations in Urban Environments

Looks to me like the Lockheed Martin vision of the future of air war-fighting is the streamlining and homogenization of air power, the JSF variants for all the US forces, multi-role air-to-surface weapons, tightly integrated guidance and acquisition systems, etc. It is all pretty fascinating to me, and I can’t wait to see how it plays out.

Anyone have any information on this type development for multi-role air-to-air missiles and guidance?

Can you be more specific about what exactly you are looking for.
Are you asking if there are multi-role A2A missiles or if there are A2A missile systems that utilize multiple guidance methods? Or are you asking something totally different from this and I'm just not getting it?

in the airforces 2030 document they do outline the need for variable warheads, where you could "dial" the explosive charge. This would allow a plane to carry the same munition for multiple targets and give it extreme flexability - which is an overall goal of the US.

Looks like the Airforce already got what it was asking for!

Well, not yet... the JCM is actually an air-to-ground munition under development for the US Army, and is a Hellfire, Longbow and Maverick replacement mostly launched from US Army and US Marine helicopters.

The competition for the missile is between Lockheed, Raytheon and Boeing/Northrop-Grumman.

Raytheon, (my employer) who is a competitor for the JCM contract has probably the most advanced "tri-mode seeker" and is a likely favorite to actually get the contract due to it's experience in the field.
All 3 competitors are probably testing their systems at the US Army's Redstone Arsenal.

I'm pretty sure that variable yeild air to air missiles are still in the research and development stage and competition is not yet in progress.

Intelgurl - why would the AF want a variable A2A missle? Not giving you a hard time, just wonderinig, cause it seems to me that with an air to air missle you wouldn't really need that ability, since your trying to shoot something down, you would always want maximum yield to give the greatest leathality.

Sorry, IntelGurl. I meant to follow up on this topic but got distracted, probably by a small shiny object.

TheButcher hit it right on the head. I was wondering if any air-ro-air weapons were in development along the lines of multiple guidance types and adjustable warheads. For instance, a missile that could initially track and home in on a target with RADAR from beyond visual range then switch to infrared tracking if the target broke the lock using countermeasures. -Or one that could vary its payload, highly frangible to destroy relatively lightly armored fighter aircraft versus some kind of armor penetrating kinetic energy round for use against something hardier like an attack helicoptor. Based on what I've read, it seems possible if you had a penetrating rod that could defeat armor but somehow get that same material to fragment and create a cloud of very dense metal.

Hope that is more clear. My posts get cloudier the later I am posting.

I honestly don't know - I'm not associated with the project but i could ask someone... I personally think it's pretty dumb, but then I'm sure I'm not seeing the whole picture~

Natalie,
That program was researched and cancelled and it wasn't a variable yield, it was a variable direction yield, (shrapnel discharge).
A pretty easy mistake to make ... call Todd A. in Huntsville (or I can) if it's important enough to get specifics.

"The Butcher" is referring to the "Air Force 2025 Study" that I'm sure you are familiar with which mentions the "Adjustable Yield Munition (AYM)".
This is an active development program and involves not only a dial-in yield but a directional one as well, forcing the blast away from civilian areas, minimizing collateral damage, etc.

(sorry about correcting you in front of everyone - hope you're not pissed)

Not pissed at all, I knew I had heard of something like that in some kind of intraoffice news release a while back - but I was having a heck of a time finding documentation - no wonder...LOL!

And yes I am familiar with the USAF 2025 document, I've actually referred to it in other posts.

Spectre, Butcher, Bios... I stand corrected.

sweeeeeeeeeeeeeet...........
WE ARE AMERICANS! FEAR US!!!!!!! MUAHAHHHHAHAHAHHHAAHAHAHHA!!!!! today, iraq! tommorrow, THE WORLD!!!!!!!!

The ATS article on future weapons (Air Force 2025) was one of the things that got me this website in the first place. It's a great read.
www.abovetopsecret.com...