Lockheed Martin [LMT] said on Thursday it successfully fired eight Spike NLOS missiles from an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter during a recent multi-day demonstration and also announced it has conducted a guided flight test of the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile-Medium Range (JAGM-MR) using its new tri-mode seeker.
The company said the results of the recent Spike NLOS live fire event at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona moves the system closer to an airworthiness release (AWR) for use and eventual fielding on
Boeing’s [BA] AH-64E Apache V6s by September 2024.
“This successful demonstration of Spike NLOS showcases that the system is ready to be integrated onto the Army’s current Apache fleet and provides a premier defense capability of choice when precision and accuracy matter,” Tom Bargnesi, senior manager of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control’s precision strike team, said in a statement. “The AWR allows delivery of 21st century security solutions to our Army customer for complex threat environments.”
Lockheed Martin has teamed with Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems to offer Spike NLOS to U.S. military customers, previously noting the multi-purpose, electro-optical/infrared missile system has capability to reach ranges up to 32 kilometers.
The Army has previously approved plans to get after using Spike NLOS missiles on its Apaches as an interim solution while it looks to develop an enduring long-range missile for its helicopter fleet (Defense Daily, Jan. 28 2021).
Lockheed Martin said it will work with the Army to begin training Apache pilots to use the Spike NLOS system in mid-2024.
The successful JAGM-MR guided flight test was conducted on Dec. 2 at China Lake Test Range in California, which Lockheed Martin said showcased the tri-mode seeker’s “ability to aid the missile to successfully discriminate between multiple targets.”
“This next-generation weapon system offers greater accuracy in both target discrimination and recognition, delivering mission-focused capabilities that will provide our customers with an innovative 21st century security solution,” Joey Drake, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control’s program management director for air-to-ground missile systems, said in a statement. “The enhanced tri-mode seeker provides a new level of precision guidance and defense capabilities, allowing JAGM-MR.”
The Army approved JAGM to move into full-rate production last September, following the successful completion of operational testing with the weapon on the service’s AH-64E and the Marine Corps’ AH-1Z Viper helicopters (Defense Daily, Sept. 8 2022).
In April, the Army awarded Lockheed Martin a multiple-year deal for procurement of JAGM and Hellfire missiles that could be worth up to $4.5 billion (Defense Daily, April 3).
The joint Army and Marine Corps JAGM program aims to replace the legacy Hellfire missiles, also built by Lockheed Martin, with the new surface precision-guided missile using both semi-active laser guidance and millimeter-wave radar to destroy land and maritime stationary and moving targets.
Lockheed Martin said the tri-mode seeker for JAGM-MR utilizes a near-infrared sensor that “enhances missile performance, allowing for improved target tracking and guidance over a range of conditions and target sets.”
“We’re investing in the future of our JAGM product line because not only will it help address much-needed capabilities by our customers, but it will provide them with a turnkey solution for the challenges that they face in today’s complex threat environment,” Drake said.