Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:”Times New Roman”,”serif”;}
Raytheon’s [RTN] Rolling Airframe Missile Block 2 successfully completed two guided test vehicle flights in one week and will go into Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP), according to its program manager.
Raytheon Rolling Air Frame Missile Program Director Walt Rogers said in a phone interview Monday that the decision to go into LRIP was made on Jan. 19. Rogers also said the missile completed its two test flights on Dec. 6 and Dec. 13 when the usual time frame for a test similar to this is “a few months” because the company interprets the data received and makes sure it “has success for the right reasons,” he said.
“To be able to do that in a one-week period tells us very clearly we had a success,” Rogers said. “We looked through the data on the first flight test, saw there wasn’t need for changes and we were comfortable with the hardware we pre-built up and prepared for the second test.”
The company doesn’t have the contract right now but expects it later this year.
“The decision was made with our customer to proceed with the program,” Rogers said.
Rogers said the first flight test was a Controlled Test Vehicles test, where the company tested the new airframe and weapon systems without any seekers or targets. The last two flights tests involved fully-guided systems, the infrared seeker and the radio frequency receiver.
The third, and final, flight test under the development contract will take place later and will conclude the development contract, according to a Raytheon spokeswoman.
The RAM provides defense against anti-ship cruise missiles, helicopter and airborne threats and hostile surface craft, according to a company statement. Rogers said the program is a cooperative venture among the Navy, the German Navy and the Germany-based RAMSYS. Development and production work is shared among Raytheon in the U.S. and German companies LFK, DBD and RAMSYS, according to a Raytheon spokeswoman.