By Ann Roosevelt
The Non-Line-of-Sight Launch System (NLOS LS) next week resumes flight testing–in a Limited User Test–at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., officials said.
“We are getting ready for the Non-Line-of-Sight flight Limited User Test,” Paul Mehney, director of Public Communications PEO Integration, told Defense Daily.
The test begins next week and runs through the first week in February.
“It is actually the first test that the soldiers of the Army Evaluation Task Force, specifically the Fires Battalion, will be hands on using and launching the NLOS equipment,” he said.
The NLOS LS is under development by Raytheon [RTN] and Lockheed Martin [LMT], which in 2004 received more than $1 billion for system development and demonstration (Defense Daily, March 23, 2004).
The flight LUT will consist of a series of more than half a dozen live firings against stationary and mobile targets. The tests will be run by the Army Test and Evaluation Command with support from the Army Future Force Integration Directorate and the Program Executive Office Integration.
Results of the LUT will be reported in March and be factored into production decisions.
An interim Defense Acquisition Board in-process review scheduled for March is expected to receive an update on NLOS missile testing, to include a comprehensive report on the results of the LUT (Defense Daily, Jan. 6).
Additionally, that in-process review will include a comprehensive precision-mix cost effectiveness analysis for the brigade combat team, Ashton Carter, Defense Department, under secretary for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics wrote in a memorandum to the Army Secretary. “The purpose of this analysis is to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of the NLOS-LS, in EIBCT-relevant scenarios, with appropriate augmentation by other Army and joint platforms.”
NLOS-LS consists of a container launch unit, with computer, communications and 15 precision-attack missiles, or PAMs.
The NLOS LS is to provide precision-guided munition capability to attack targets such as tanks, armored troop carriers and artillery out as far as 40km. It is one of a number of systems comprising the Increment 1 Early Infantry Brigade Combat Team (EIBCT) program to provide the soldiers most in need of advanced capabilities with better situational awareness, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, lethality and survivability.
Carter has approved low-rate initial production for one brigade set of equipment, which the Army plans to field in fiscal year 2011. However, the NLOS LS procurement was limited to $35 million pending completion of flight testing.
Based on Carter’s guidance, the Army is using some of those funds for long-lead procurement, and some preliminary work ahead of production.
The Pentagon’s test office recently sent a report to Congress based on tests in August and September, saying that “none” of the EIBCT systems have demonstrated an “adequate level of performance” to be fielded and used in combat. All need more development.
Testers said NLOS-LS cannot be fully assessed until the flight LUT is completed. However, the NLOS-LS CLU is “currently on track” to achieve its reliability requirement.
The Director of Operational Test and Evaluation report noted that the FY ’08 recommendations were addressed, and its’ FY ’09 recommendations were that the Army should implement the lessons learned from the EIBCT LUT and NLOS LS Flight LUT.
“Apply the corrective actions before fielding the NLOS-LS to combat,” it said. Also, the Army should continue the “test-analyze-fix” strategy to the PAM flight test program.