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Predator (Short Range Assault Weapon) passes First Article and Lot Acceptance Test

NAVSEA News Wire

Release Date: 12/12/2003

By Stacia Courtney, Public Affairs Office, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren

Dahlgren, Va. - Under the sole technical direction of the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD), the next generation U.S. Marine Corps short-range assault weapon completed production first article and Lot 1 testing at Naval Air Weapons Center (NAWC) China Lake on November 8, 2003.

The Predator is the first USMC-developed missile system, and the first lightweight, fire and forget, precision-guided assault weapon to be deployed in the world. It fulfills a longstanding requirement to give the individual Marine the ability to accurately engage and defeat enemy tanks on any terrain with a 22-lbs, manportable, disposable system. The Predator transforms the individual Marine into the most lethal light infantryman in the world, while simultaneously increasing his survivability.

The boost in survivability results from doubling the effective range, allowing longer stand-off, minimizing gunner exposure by eliminating the task of estimating target range and velocity, and a soft launch motor yielding reduced noise, signature and blast. The weapon is unique in its class as it is can be safely fired from enclosed positions, a characteristic which is critically important for deployment in urban areas.

NSWCDD personnel from the Weapons Systems Department, including Michael Block and Peter Camuso, witnessed the flight tests. The test included 20 production weapons, four of which were exposed to the lifecycle's most severe environments, launched at a range of 400 meters. Eighteen of the 20 were scored reliable (90 percent reliability) and all 18 (100 percent accuracy) hit the tank. This completes both the First Article and Lot 1 testing requirements, releasing the first Predator weapons to the Marines in the field.

The Predator is a modular platform that can readily accommodate variants and upgrades to serve other mission needs. The first of which, the Multiple Purpose Variant (MPV), was successfully developed in parallel by the NSWCDD team.