NETFIRES LLC SELECTS TECHNICAL DIRECTIONS INC. =
TO
PROVIDE LAM PROPULSION:
Lockheed Martin, a partner with Raytheon in the NetFires LLC Partnership, h=
as
selected Technical Directions Inc. to supply the propulsion system for its =
Non
Line-of-Sight Launch System (NLOS-LS) Loitering Attack Missile (LAM).
"After an exhaustive and rigorous evaluation of all engine options
available today, this was the only micro-turbojet engine on the market that
demonstrated the ability to meet the NLOS-LS LAM performance requirements,&=
quot;
Dennis Stalmach, senior propulsion engineer at Lockheed Martin Missiles and
Fire Control, said. "And the cost of this engine is a fraction of the =
cost
of other similar engines, which will result in a much lower cost product for
our customer," he said. The NLOS-LS is a family of artillery missiles
fired from a vertical launcher than can be deployed by ground or air assets=
in
a theater and networked. The Navy is considering leveraging the Army NLOS-LS
for a rigid inflatable boat on a Littoral Combat Ship. Lockheed Martin is
responsible for producing the LAM, while Raytheon is developing the Precisi=
on
Attack Missile (PAM) under a $1.1 billion six-year system development and
demonstration contract to NetFires LLC in March 2004. NLOS-LS LAM is a cani=
ster-launched
ground tactical missile able to conduct hunter-killer operations, has autom=
atic
target recognition and can attack high value targets or report their locati=
ons.
The LAM laser radar seeker provides a three-dimensional analysis of potenti=
al
targets. The LAM itself is 62 inches long and weighs 117 pounds. It can sea=
rch
a wide area or loiter for 30 minutes at a range of 70 kilometers. Two-way d=
ata
links on LAM allows in-flight retasking and ima=
ge downlinking. The LAM was successfully demonstrated un=
der
the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency NetFires program and the Air
Force's Low Cost Autonomous Attack System (LOCAAS) program, and is
interoperable with the current force as well as the FCS. TDI provides
propulsion systems to LOCAAS and the Surveilling
Miniature Attack Cruise Missile (SMACM). The low-cost engine technology is =
also
applicable to other future missile systems. (Defense
Daily – 6/29)