Lockheed Martin Receives First Contract for LOSAT Production Missiles
DALLAS, TX, August 9th, 2002 -- Lockheed Martin has received a contract for the first production lot of tactical Line-of-Sight Antitank (LOSAT) Weapon System missiles. The $9.3 million contract represents the first production run of the extremely powerful Kinetic Energy Missile (KEM), which is fired from the LOSAT vehicle. Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control is the prime contractor on the LOSAT program. The U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command, Huntsville, Ala., is the contracting agency. Delivery of the missiles will be completed by July 2004.
"This is our first contract for tactical LOSAT missiles," said Darrell McBrayer, LOSAT program director for Lockheed Martin. "LOSAT has been in development for many years, and it's quite satisfying to finally see steps taken to ensure the deployment of the system to the soldier. These 108 missiles will be used to equip the first tactical LOSAT unit, A Company of the 5-11th Parachute Infantry Regiment."
McBrayer said these missiles would ensure a heavy anti-armor, go-to-war capability where it is most needed - with early-entry forces. "The Army's transformation forces will now have the most devastating anti-armor system in the world at their disposal. LOSAT delivers overwhelming lethality to any target it engages. The high mobility of the system combined with unstoppable power of the missiles makes it the perfect anti-armor system for our early-entry forces."
LOSAT consists of kinetic energy missiles and a second-generation FLIR/video acquisition sensor mounted on an air-mobile, up-armored HMMWV chassis. LOSAT will help alleviate the forced-entry/early-entry force lethality shortfall against heavy armor because it can deploy with both forces. LOSAT provides a high volume of extremely lethal and accurate missile fire that is effective against heavy armor systems at distances that exceed current ranges of main gun tanks.
Key advantages of LOSAT include the tremendous overmatch lethality of the KEM, which defeats all projected future armored combat vehicles, and its ease of deployability. The LOSAT weapon system also provides increased survivability for the operator and improved countermeasure effectiveness. It operates to the maximum range of direct-fire combat engagements, and provides dramatically increased rates of fire and enhanced performance under day and night, adverse weather and obscured battlefield conditions.
The Kinetic Energy Missile weighs 174 pounds, is 113 inches long and 6.4 inches in diameter. The current system provides for a three-man crew, but a crew of two can also conduct engagements.
The LOSAT equipped Expanded Capacity HMMWV has a combat weight of approximately 12,000 pounds. The system has an effective range of several miles and is "near fire and forget." With a missile speed of 5,000 feet per second, it reaches maximum range in less than five seconds. The LOSAT missile is a hit-to-kill missile with no explosive warhead. It carries a long-rod penetrator and destroys the target through the application of brute force. Each HMMWV chassis mounts four missile launch pods. The system can be reloaded in less than 10 minutes using on-board materiel handling equipment.
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control develops, manufactures and integrates world-class air defense, fire support, strike weapon, naval munition, combat vision, anti-armor and advanced product solutions and systems for U.S. and international armed forces.
Craig Vanbebber
Office 972-603-1615
Mobile 214-534-1921
e-mail, craig.vanbebber@lmco.com
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
