PAUL LEWIS / WASHINGTON DC
Lockheed Martin wins contract for in-depth research of its recoverable multi-purpose air vehicle concept
Lockheed Martin Skunk Works has received a Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) contract to study in more detail its concept for a submarine-launched and recovered multipurpose air vehicle (MPAV) capable of carrying weapons or conducting reconnaissance or battle damage assessment (BDA).
Skunk Works proposed the concept six years ago under a sole- source contract to the Naval Air Systems Command. The MPAV is intended to fit aboard the USN's Ohio-class submarines, but uncertainty at the time about the SSGN conversion programme resulted in the idea being shelved.
The navy has now begun modifying four submarines to support special operations forces and carry cruise missiles in place of the Trident ballistic missile.
"This is an initial feasibility assessment of making an air vehicle immersible. We're studying the impacts of making that happen and what the penalties are, such as weight. If we're successful, then the door will open to look at other concepts like recovering the vehicle and which could then lead to a demonstration," says Robert Ruszkowski, configuration design specialist, Lockheed Martin advanced development programmes.
MPAV features a folding gull-wing to allow it to be stowed vertically inside one of the submarine's 24 modified Trident missile tubes. The unmanned air vehicle (UAV) would be launched by floating out of the tube to the surface, followed by the ignition of two strap-on cruise missile boosters for 15s and accelerating the vehicle to about 150kt (280km/h), at which point an air breathing turbofan engine would kick in.
The vehicle would be able to carry up to 450kg (1,000lb) of ordnance internally out to a 1,110km (600nm) radius or a sensor suite for BDA, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in support of the BGM-109 Tomahawk land attack missile, of which the SSGNs will carry seven to a tube.
The most technically challenging part of MPAV is recovery, which would entail shutting down the engine, resealing the engine inlet and nozzle and performing a "Cobra" type nose-up manoeuvre to slow the vehicle and drop vertically back into the water. The SSGN, while submerged, would hook and recover the vehicle back into the missile tube for rearming.
Source: Flight International
