• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

	Director, Operational Test & Evaluation
FY97 Annual Report

LONGBOW HELLFIRE

	Army ACAT IC Program 13,003 systems Total program cost (TY$) $2.6B Average unit cost (TY$) $166K Full-rate production 1QFY98 Prime Contractor Lockheed Martin/Northrop Grumman

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION & CONTRIBUTION TO JOINT VISION 2010

The Longbow Hellfire missile is a fire-and-forget version of the Hellfire anti-tank, air-to-ground missile. The Longbow Hellfire features an active radio frequency (RF) seeker operating in the millimeter wave frequency band, and a dual tandem warhead designed to defeat reactive armor. Targets may be designated for the missile by either the AH-64D's Fire Control Radar (FCR) or using the laser designator. The Longbow Hellfire can engage both moving and stationary vehicles.

The Longbow Hellfire missile will provide an adverse weather, fire-and-forget, heavy anti-armor capability for the Army's AH-64D Longbow Apache attack helicopter. The Longbow Hellfire is a tactical precision engagement weapon that enhances the Army's ability to dominate the ground maneuver battle.

A combined Longbow Apache and Longbow Hellfire IOT was conducted in 1995. The gunnery phase of IOT was conducted during January and February 1995 at the Naval Weapons Center, China Lake, CA. This phase of testing compared the Longbow Apache firing the Longbow and Semi-Active Laser (SAL) missiles with the baseline AH-64A firing the SAL missile in obscured and unobscured conditions. The force-on-force phase of the IOT was conducted at Fort Hunter Liggett, CA during March 1995. The objectives of this phase were to assess the operational effectiveness of an attack helicopter company equipped with the Longbow weapon system relative to one equipped with the current AH-64A, and the operational suitability of the aircraft. Both the test and baseline attack helicopter companies conducted missions against a battalion-size enemy force, augmented with an appropriate slice of air defenses. A real-time casualty assessment system was used for kill removal.

The Defense Acquisition Board (DAB) authorized low-rate initial production of the Longbow Hellfire missile in October 1995. The Army has been delegated authority to authorize full-rate production for the missile. The full-rate production decision is scheduled for early FY 1998.

DOT&E has been working with the Army to develop a test plan for follow-on testing of the Lock-On Before Launch Inhibit (LOBL(I)) firing technique for the Longbow Hellfire missile (see Lessons Learned below). Additionally, the second Longbow Hellfire Production Confidence Test (PCT) round was fired on 19 June 1997 from a test stand at Eglin AFB against a moving tank target using the LOBL(I) technique. The target was at a range of approximately 6,000 meters, and the missile was fired after a hand-off delay of 17 seconds. The missile hit the target.

The IOT&E and LFT&E were conducted in accordance with the approved TEMP (September 94) and, as reported to Congress in the Oct 95 BLRIP report, were adequate to provide information necessary to determine the entire Longbow Apache Weapons System operationally effective, suitable and survivable.

The AH-64D armed with the Longbow Hellfire was found to be substantially more effective than the AH-64A Apache armed with the Semi-Active Laser (SAL) Hellfire in its Initial Operational Test. During the gunnery phase the AH-64D was able to acquire and effectively engage targets in obscuration that precluded engagement by the AH-64A. During force-on-force testing the AH-64D force was significantly more lethal and survivable than the AH-64A force.

A Longbow Apache/Hellfire ADM dated October 18, 1995 requires OSD approve an Army plan to continue to test Lock-on-Before-Launch (Override) mode of engagement. Testing will culminate with missile firings at moving targets.

One issue uncovered during the Initial Operational Test that requires follow-on testing involves the method of employment of the Longbow Hellfire missile. During the force-on-force phase, Longbow flight crews frequently elected to override the system's automatic mode selection logic and fire missiles from a masked position. This powerful technique can significantly increase the helicopter's survivability, but has not been validated with missile firings during developmental or operational testing. DOT&E is currently working with the Army to develop a test plan that will confirm system performance using this firing technique. This test program will include computer simulation of the missile's target acquisition and fly-out as well as live missile firings at moving armored vehicles.