High speed an option for long-range strike
With a new strike platform, manned or unmanned, unlikely to emerge before the next decade, the ability of long-range, high-speed missiles to extend reach and survivability of current aircraft and warships is drawing increased attention.
Key technologies must be demonstrated before high-speed weapons can be considered viable for development, and 2010 could prove a crucial year.
Weapons developed from the X-51 and HyFly, as well as the unflown Rattlrs turbine-powered Mach 3 missile demonstrator and derivatives of existing subsonic systems, are candidates to replace the U.S. Navy long-serving Harpoon anti-ship missile.
Another candidate is the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) under study by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and intended to allow Navy warships to engage enemy vessels beyond the range of anti-ship ballistic missiles developed by China. One of two Lockheed Martin concepts should be selected this year for demonstration in 2012.
Rather than speed or range, LRASM focuses on guidance, navigation and targeting technologies enabling the missile to ID and attack ships at long stand-off ranges with minimal reliance on offboard intelligence, data links and GPS.
Source: www.aviationweek.com
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