Lockheed Martin has received $2.2 million from the US Navy to begin development of a solid fuel ramjet missile, which the company believes could eventually be fielded as a supersonic cruise missile and an Advanced Land Attack Missile (ALAM).
The Solid Fuel Ramjet Missile Technology Programme is to develop solid fuel and low-costcarbon-based materials for hypersonic weapons. The 18-month Phase I will demonstrate a solid fuel combustor and nozzle as well as low-cost material processing for high-temperature missile structures.
The US Congress earmarked $2.2 million in fiscal year 2000 for the initial phase, and set aside $4 million in FY01 for Phase II, during which a full scale model will be built and tested. Al Carney, Lockheed Martin director of naval programme development, says supersonic cruise is an ALAM technology option.
The USN recently awarded contracts to Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Orbital Sciences and Raytheon to study concepts and costs for the development and deployment of ALAM on warships from 2010. The four-month studies will assist completion of the USN's ALAM Analysis of Alternatives.
Orbital was awarded its study contract based on high-speed missile concepts it submitted previously to the USN. "The ALAM concept study award is a significant step forward in our strategy to grow and diversify beyond space launch vehicles, ballistic missile targets and suborbital launch systems," says the company.
Meanwhile, Raytheon has started engineering and manufacturing development of the Land Attack Standard Missile (LASM), a modified SM-2 Standard air defence missile, as an interim solution to ALAM. The USN plans to convert 800 SM-2 Block II/IIIs to supersonic SM-4 LASMs.
For ALAM, Lockheed Martin is expected to bid a navalised version of the US Army's ATACMS tactical missile system, perhaps with enhancements from the ramjet work. Raytheon will bid either another Standard Missile development or a new design. The final selection will depend on whether the USN deems ALAM to be a fire support weapon or a strike missile.
Carney believes the solid fuel ramjet missile is also a candidate to replace the Raytheon subsonic Tactical Tomahawk cruise missile.
Source: Flight International
