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	Director, Operational Test & Evaluation
FY97 Annual Report

STANDOFF LAND ATTACK MISSILE (SLAM)

	Navy ACAT II Program 700 systems Total program cost (TY$) $525M Average unit cost (TY$) $450K Full-rate production 2QFY99 Prime Contractor Boeing

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION & CONTRIBUTION TO JOINT VISION 2010

The Standoff Land Attack Missile (SLAM) is a precision tactical weapon suitable for deployment aboard aircraft carriers and launched from F/A-18 aircraft. SLAM provides standoff precision strike against fixed, high value land targets; while secondary targets include relocatable stationary land targets and ships. It satisfies intermediate tactical needs between long range cruise missiles and short range free fall munitions. The improvements provided by SLAM-ER (Expanded Response) take advantage of new technological innovations to provide naval tactical aircraft the tools required for precision engagement into the next century. These improvements include: longer range to increase survivability of launch and/or control aircraft, reduced susceptibility to countermeasures, other electro-optical seeker upgrades, increased probability of kill against hardened targets for increased system lethality, improved guidance navigation unit (GNU) with an integrated global positioning systems (GPS) and inertial navigation system (INS), and improved user interfaces for mission planning and launch aircraft.

SLAM is a fielded system with proven combat performance in Desert Storm and Bosnia, while SLAM-ER is intended to provide incremental improvements, particularly in terms of range and penetrating lethality. SLAM-ER entered EMD after a Milestone IV/II decision in 2QFY95. In December 1996, ASN(RDA) decided to procure the FY96 buy of SLAM in the SLAM-ER configuration, avoiding $35M in future retrofit costs. The LRIP 1 decision was made in April 1997 with LRIP 2 planned for April 1998. These two production decisions total over 100 missiles. MSIII and Full Rate Production decisions are planned for FY99; IOC planned for early CY99.

The SLAM TEMP, Revision B, which includes the T&E strategy for SLAM-ER, was approved by DOT&E in June 1996 and is being executed. Under the guidance of DOT&E, a DT assist was conducted by COMOPTEVFOR in support of the December 1996 LRIP decision with favorable comments provided to the program at this early stage in the Integrated Test Schedule.

The first developmental test shot (DT-1) of SLAM-ER was successfully conducted on March 18, 1997. Launched from an F/A-18C, the missile flew over 100 nm, executed five waypoint maneuvers, including three turns and two altitude changes.

Other early DOT&E involvement included approval of the test plan for confined volume warhead testing. The program completed the series of confined volume tests at the Nevada Test Site where four warheads were detonated to derive estimates of blast overpressure and fragmentation for subsequent use in determining warhead lethality. Of the four warheads, one was a bare explosive charge, another was a SLAM baseline warhead and two were the new titanium cased SLAM-ER warhead. Preparations were begun for the FY98 arena test which will consist of three detonations and the final live fire sled testing of four warheads in All Up Round configurations against targets representing concrete bunker walls, an aircraft shelter door and a concrete block wall. The test against the shelter door will include an F-4 aircraft positioned behind the door.

OT-IIA Phase I and DT-IID, which include three planned DT/OT live shots, are planned for 2QFY98. OT-IIA Phase II (OPEVAL), planned for 3QFY98, will consist of five dedicated OT live shots, fired in various scenarios designed to fully exercise the system.

One major improvement provided by SLAM-ER is the titanium warhead which will provide a much needed penetration capability to this stand off, precision weapon. Sled testing during development of the redesigned warhead has demonstrated successful penetration and fusing against the threat requirement. Although blast overpressures observed in the SLAM-ER warhead chamber tests were somewhat below predictions, the fragments and blast generated by the warhead are expected to be lethal within the hardened targets. Extended range and simplified mission planning of the SLAM-ER have already been demonstrated.

An important deficiency of the existing system is the pilot/seeker's inability to target specific critical areas, or nodes, of the target. Upgrades to the seeker software are intended to improve this limitation in the OPEVAL version of the missile with an automatic targeting system being a planned product improvement. Testing will continue to focus on the new warhead's lethality and other improvements to the existing seeker and data link system. Planned IOT&E for SLAM-ER includes early OT involvement, combined DT/OT, and is considered adequate to determine all critical operational and LFT&E issues.