The US Navy is acquiring a new type of weapon to allow fast jets to precisely strike small targets in urban areas without causing widespread damage.
The Lockheed Martin small contained-area precision energetic load, or Scalpel, weapon will be acquired under a sole-source contract placed by the US Naval Air Systems command, says an acquisition notice published on 14 March.
Lockheed developed Scalpel as a weaponised version of the Paveway II-based enhanced laser guided training round. The munition integrates a small warhead and an improved seeker.
The notice is the first public indication that Lockheed has found a customer for Scalpel, which the company last marketed two years ago. At that time, the design was used in tests by the Naval Air Warfare Center, which integrated the weapon on a McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier.
Lockheed has billed Scalpel as a small weapon that offers precision targeting and minimal collateral damage, especially for close air support and urban warfare missions.
The weapon can be integrated on the navy's AV-8B and Boeing F/A-18 fleets, as well as the Lockheed Martin F-16 and medium and large unmanned air systems fleets.
Source: Flight International
