US Army's Loitering Munitions program, LMAMS

[buglerbilly]

TiGER Proposed for U.S. Army’s Small Loitering Munition Program

July 21, 2010 at 6:37 pm

tamir_eshel


MBDA Inc. Unveiled the TiGER at Farnborough 2010, this loitering small weapon is proposed for the U.S. Army's LMAMS program, developed for teh U.S> Special Operations Command. Photo: Tamir Eshel

Another system unveiled by MBDA Inc is the Tactical Grenade Extended Range (‘TiGER’), a loitering weapon built around a small warhead weighing 1 pound, comprising two 40mm grenades packed in tandem and inserted into a small micro UAV carried in a small tube. TiGER can be used to identify and attack key positions and targets of opportunity, posing an immediate threat to tactical units and special forces teams. With a warhead twice as effective as a standard grenade, TiGER extends the unit lethality to a distance up to two miles, effectively engaging most ypes of threats, including short-lived targets.

The weapon is prepared for use within less than a minute, deploying inflateable wings with compressed air bottle that comes with the kit. The air vehicle is powered by a sall battery, and can fly to a distance of up to two miles, loiter over the target for several minutes and dive onto the target upon operator command. The TiGER can fly to its target through several pre-designated waypoints, providing ‘strike on demand’ opportunities targeting light vehicles, mortar crews or snipers with high effectiveness.

MBDA is proposing TiGER for the U.S. military Lethal Miniature Aerial Munition System (LMAMS) program, pursued by teh U.S. Special Operations Command. LMAMS is designed to provide a soldier carried, ground launched Non-Line-Of-Sight (NLOS) loitering precision guided system organic at the small unit level that will allow unprecedented engagement of enemy combatants without exposing the Warfighter to direct enemy fires.

The Army defined three distinct mission phases for the weapon – mission planning, fly out, and terminal engagement. Once a mission is planned, using geolocation, location reference or direct observation form the operator, field observers or networkes sensors, the GCS will handle the mission autonomously flying the weapon to the area of interest where the weapon enters a loitering mode acquiring the target by visual means. In the terminal engagement phase, the LMAMS will have the ability to automatically track a target designated by the operator in the terminal phase or allow the operator to manually control the system as needed to focus on a specific area or point of interest. The operator shall have the ability to abort and or redirect the flight path prior to impact.


MBDA's TiGER uses inflatable wings deployed with compressed air bottle supplied with the kit. Other elements in the kit are PDA size command and control unit, enabling the user to monitor the flight, select, identify and engage a target from a distance of up to two miles. Photo: Tamir

[buglerbilly]

Ares

A Defense Technology Blog

AeroVironment Gets Order For Lethal Backpack UAV

Posted by Bill Sweetman at 9/1/2011 10:35 AM CDT

The US Army has given AeroVironment a $5 million contract for the Switchblade lethal backpack UAV, including engineering services and operational systems. The contract, issued at the end of June by the Close Combat Weapons Systems office, is believed to be the first announced order for this class of weapon.

Switchblade was unveiled at the AUVSI show in San Diego in June 2008 and more progress was reported in 2009.



Using many components from the Wasp mini-UAV, the two-pound Switchblade is tube-launched (so the operator can stay under cover) with tandem flip-out wings and electric propulsion. The operator can search for a target with the UAV's live video camera, then arm it and lock it on. The operator can abort the attack after lock-on, and if necessary it can loiter to search for targets.

Switchblade gives light forces the ability to engage personnel or light vehicles in defilade or behind structures, with high precision and low collateral damage - the warhead is grenade-sized. Its loitering capability an pin down hostile troops.

The USAF has a parallel program called Lethal Miniature Aerial Munition System (LMAMS), intended to provide a similar weapon for USAF special operations teams. Switchblade is one candidate for LMAMS. Textron, AAI and Prioria are competing with the Tactical Remote Aerial Munition (T-RAM), using Prioria's roll-up carbonfiber wing, and MBDA is pitching the inflatable-wing Tiger.

Key LMAMS specifications include the ability to get the system ready to fire in 30 seconds, to fly out to a specified range in 20 seconds, loiter for up to 30 minutes and hit with one-meter accuracy. So far, LMAMS is a demonstration program and the end user has not funded an operational version.

Graham Warwick adds: No Switchblade video yet, but here is one of Textron's T-RAM - shot during the recent demonstration for the Air Force's LMAMS requirement. It illustrates the capability of these new weapons.


Uploaded by theworacle on Sep 1, 2011
Video: Textron Defense Systems

[buglerbilly]

British Army Sets to Deploy Fire Shadow Loitering Weapons to Afghanistan by Early 2012


The first of these firing, using a complete weapon system, was carried out on 21st November 2010 at Vidsel, Sweden to demonstrate system integration, launch, stable flight, waypoint navigation and data-link function which supports the maturation of the munition and its control. The munition flew for several tens of kilometres and its trajectory included a number of manoeuvres, such as a loitering pattern. Photo: MBDA

The Fire Shadow loitering weapon system is maturing toward a planned initial deployment in Afghanistan with the British Army next year. MBDA has performed several successful tests recently, the latest system-wide trial was conducted in Sweden in May 2011. According to MBDA, the demonstration trials and firings tests pave the way for a planned entry into service next year with the British Army. The Army plans to deploy the new weapon in Afghanistan, significantly extending the reach, coverage and persistent of current artillery fires.

The first of these firing tests, using a complete weapon system, was carried out on 21st November 2010 at Vidsel, Sweden to demonstrate system integration, launch, stable flight, waypoint navigation and data-link function which supports the maturation of the munition and its control. The munition flew for several tens of kilometres and its trajectory included a number of manoeuvres, such as a loitering pattern. A second test followed a year later, on May 13th 2011 at the same location, employing a more complex trial scenario, exercising the ‘Man-In-The-Loop’ functionality. Throughout the flight the operator was able to select and successfully engage a representative target.


The Fire Shadow loitering weapon performed demonstrated a full system firing test on May 13th 2011 at Vidsel, Sweden, employing a complex firing scenario exercising 'Man-In-The-Loop' functionality, operators demonstrated how targets can be detected, acquires and engaged in flight. Photo: MBDA/Vidsel Test Range RFN

“Fire Shadow fills a gap in the capabilities needed by the Armed Forces“ says Steve Wadey, Executive Group Director Technical and MBDA UK Managing Director, “The system’s potential is such that it lends itself to new roles and has been designed to adapt and evolve to ensure that weapon provides an operational edge now and for the future.“ he added saying the new capability will be ready for delivery to the UK early 2012.

British Army personnel also had a chance to experience the new weapon “hands-on” at the MBDA integration lab at Filton and Bedford, tailored to provide the “look and feel” of the system. The lab enables the military to refine Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) and prepare for formal training later in 2010. The system was also demonstrated to operate seamlessly within a modern battlespace HQ context at the Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration event.

Loitering weapons captured the imagination of the UK MOD in the 1990 after an operational analys examining artillery fires capabilities concluded that the artillery required greater precision at range. Better responsiveness and persistent capability to attack individual and groups of manoeuvring and mobile land targets in cluttered environment was required, as an element of the future Indirect Fire Precision Attack (IFPA) programme. Following many iterations, the analysis recommended the loitering munition capability as a key element of any IFPA mix of weapon systems. After more than a decade, this revolutionary concept has matured into the Fire Shadow weapon system, a concept offering the land component an organic, flexible fires effects capable of timely, precisely and persistently support at appropriate ranges, allowing simultaneous attack in deep, close and rear operations throughout the spectrum of conflict.

Fire Shadow provides a precision capability to engage high value targets in complex scenarios. Surface launched, the munitions have a range of about 100 km and can conduct a direct transit to target or be positioned to loiter in the airspace for a significant time (about 6 hours). A Man-In-The-Loop decision then enables a precise and rapid attack against a selected target.

Fire Shadow can be targeted by a range of ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) systems, for example a forward observer with binoculars or a sophisticated system such as a UAV. If required, the Fire Shadow could loiter in the target area for about 6 hours and will be particularly effective in complex environments such as urban areas. After launch, Fire Shadow may receive real-time target information from a range of sources in a potentially networked environment.


British Army personnel also had a chance to experience the new weapon “hands-on” at the MBDA integration lab at Filton and Bedford, tailored to provide the “look and feel” of the system. The lab enables the military to refine Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) and prepare for formal training later in 2010. Fire Shadow can be targeted by a range of ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) systems, for example a forward observer with binoculars or a sophisticated system such as a UAV. If required, the Fire Shadow could loiter in the target area for about 6 hours and will be particularly effective in complex environments such as urban areas. After launch, Fire Shadow may receive real-time target information from a range of sources in a potentially networked environment. Photo: MBDA

[buglerbilly]

More on this............

DATE:16/09/11

SOURCE:Flight International

DSEi: MBDA advances Fire Shadow loitering munition tests

By Craig Hoyle

MBDA has advanced development and test activities for its Fire Shadow loitering munition design, and is on track to deliver its first operational examples to the British Army in 2012.

Two significant test firings have been conducted since late last year, the European missile manufacturer announced during the Defence & Security Equipment International (DSEi) exhibition in London.

The most recent of these, performed at the Vidsel test range in Sweden in May, demonstrated the system's man-in-the-loop functionality, by allowing an operator to successfully select and engage a representative target, it said.


© MBDA

This flight built on a demonstration of the programme's "system integration, launch, stable flight, waypoint navigation and data-link function" - conducted at the same site in November 2010 - during a flight covering "several tens of kilometres", the company added.

To provide the British Army with a new operational capability, the surface-launched Fire Shadow has a reported range of around 100km (54nm) and a maximum loiter time of roughly 6h. The product is the result of a rapid development effort conducted for the UK Ministry of Defence by MBDA and partners on the UK's Team Complex Weapons initiative.

In advance of delivering the first systems next year, MBDA has been working with army personnel at its facilities to support the service's definition of tactics, techniques and procedures for the weapon's future use.

MBDA also released images at DSEi depicting the launch of the loitering munition design from the deck of a surface ship.


© MBDA

Recent operations over Libya involving Army Air Corps Westland/Boeing Apache AH1 attack helicopters deployed from HMS Ocean indicate one possible source of inspiration for such a move.

[buglerbilly]

DATE:19/09/11

SOURCE:Flight International

Rheinmetall, IAI test unmanned strike system

By Arie Egozi

This is a duplicate entry to the one in the UAV/UCAV thread...........this is a Loitering Attack system................

Rheinmetall Defence and its partner Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) have successfully tested their Wabep unmanned weapon system.

Defined as a "weapon system for stand-off engagement of individual and point targets", Wabep consists of a Rheinmetall-made KZO unmanned air vehicle and an IAI Harop attack drone.

According to the companies, the KZO and Harop were flown in a networked mode in a variety of operational scenarios during test flights.

The latter received data from the reconnaissance asset via a combined system computer. This included a large number of landmarks and infrastructure installations, as well as stationary and moving targets.

The Harop has an extended loitering capability, and can be used to engage high-value targets with extreme precision, IAI said.

When linked with the KZO, it is possible to abort an attack mission just before impact.

[buglerbilly]

PICTURE & VIDEO: Remora weapon for tactical UAV bombers

By Stephen Trimble on October 12, 2011 11:52 AM

Weaponizing unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) is nothing new. As far back as World War II, the US Army Air Corps converted B-24 Liberators into unmanned cruise missiles guided by remote control from another aircraft. The US Air Force equipped RQ-1 Predators with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles 11 years ago, as our friend Richard Whittle has chronicled.

What is new is a burst of interest in weaponizing tactical UAVs, such as the AAI Corp RQ-7B Shadow and, perhaps, even the Boeing/Insitu RQ-21A Integrator. Treaty reviews delayed the process for about a year, but those concerns were tidied up in late July. At AUSA, the interest in sub-10kg-class munitions tailored for medium-sized UAVs was apparent everywhere. Not only were there the munitions we've already known about -- ATK's Hatchet, BAE Systems' Cutlass, MBDA's SABER and Raytheon's small tactical munition (STM). There is also one surprise.

In the exhibit booth belonging to the rapid response/irregular warfare directorate -- a division of the office of the secretary of defence -- sat a new UAV called Remora. This is what it looks like.

We didn't spot the Remora UAV until the booth had mostly cleared out, but a helpful video (shown below) explained its background and purpose. The UAV was actually itself a guided bomb, which is designed to be dropped by another tactical UAV. It was part of an OSD-funded demonstration called precision acquisition and weaponized system (PAWS). The Remora appears to be the outcome of this Boeing miniature munition awarded to Boeing in 2009.



Interestingly, the army's unmanned air systems gurus still aren't buying into the weaponizing UAV business. That interest belongs exclusively right now to the US Marine Corps and Special Operations Command. The army still wants the RQ-7 to perform only long-endurance reconnaissance missions, and carrying relatively heavy weapons limits its range. But the Marines are pressing forward with launching an 18-month demonstration, with the acquisition of a new type of miniature munition likely to follow. At that point, the army can change its mind -- without the consequence of having to invest its own funds to develop and qualify a new weapon.


Uploaded by thedewline on Oct 12, 2011
Precision Acquisition & Weaponized System demo. Video released at AUSA 2011 convention in Washington DC.

[buglerbilly]

Apologies, my mistake, BUT REMORA is a Guided Bomb and NOT a Loiterng Missile system

[buglerbilly]

U.S. Army to Fly 'Kamikaze' Drones

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Published: 17 Oct 2011 19:30

Errmmmm somewhat misleading........if you are standing next to the target your dead as well, this thing carries the equivalent of a 40mm grenade!

WASHINGTON - A miniature "kamikaze" drone designed to quietly hover in the sky before dive-bombing and slamming into a human target will soon be part of the U.S. Army's arsenal, officials say.

Dubbed the "Switchblade," the robotic aircraft represents the latest attempt by the United States to refine how it takes out suspected militants.

Weighing less than two kilos, the drone is small enough to fit into a soldier's backpack and is launched from a tube, with wings quickly folding out as it soars into the air, according to manufacturer AeroVironment.

Powered by a small electric motor, the Switchblade transmits video in real time from overhead, allowing a soldier to identify an enemy, the company said in a press release last month.

"Upon confirming the target using the live video feed, the operator then sends a command to the air vehicle to arm it and lock its trajectory onto the target," it said.

The drone then flies into the "target," detonating a small explosive.

The California-based firm also said the drone can be called off at the last moment, even after a kill mission has been ordered. That feature provides troops with "a level of control not available in other weapon systems," it said.

The United States currently uses larger Predator and Reaper drones to hunt down suspected militants in Pakistan and elsewhere.

The robotic planes fire powerful Hellfire missiles and drop heavy bombs that can cause civilian casualties and extensive damage, which has fueled popular anger with the United States in Pakistan.

In the war in Afghanistan, U.S. and coalition troops fighting the Taliban can call in artillery fire or air strikes from fighter jets and attack helicopters. But the heavy firepower has been blamed by Afghan leaders for claiming the lives of innocent civilians and strained U.S. relations with Kabul.

The Switchblade, however, is touted as a way to avoid killing bystanders.

"Flying quietly at high speed the Switchblade delivers its onboard explosive payload with precision while minimizing collateral damage," the company said.

The U.S. Army in June approved a $4.9 million contract for AeroVironment to supply the new drones as soon as possible. Officials have not said how many Switchblade drones were ordered or when the robotic weapons would make into the hands of U.S. forces.

Human rights groups have raised concerns that the use of drones by the CIA has allowed the conduct of a secret assassination campaign abroad without public scrutiny and little oversight by lawmakers in Congress.

[buglerbilly]

AeroVironment Switchblade demo at AUVSI



Uploaded by thedewline on Aug 23, 2011
This video was uploaded from an Android phone.

Looks like a grenade-size explosion to me!

[buglerbilly]

More info on this video.............along with other stuff



Uploaded by chrisandrusty1 on Jun 18, 2011
no description available

[buglerbilly]

TiGER (Tactical Grenade Extended Range) from MBDA

Posted on November 2, 2011 by The Editor



Uploaded by MBDAInc on Dec 3, 2010
Summary of TiGER flights from 2010. TiGER is a hand-launched weaponized UAS that is built by MBDA Incorporated for military use.

More info & pics in post 1 of this thread...............

MBDA Incorporated, a US missile company, has developed a soldier-carried and hand-launched Non-Line-Of-Sight (NLOS) precision-guided weapon called TiGER.

TiGER is a small, weaponised UAS designed to be used at the unit level to engage enemies with an onboard dual 40mm warhead. Using two onboard video cameras to relay images back to the operator’s laptop, TiGER will allow small units to engage enemy forces and IEDs from a distance and behind obstacles, without exposing the warfighter to direct enemy fire.

TiGER has an inflatable wing and a small fuselage, allowing it to be carried by soldiers in a container that will fit inside a rucksack. It is guided by a small mini-computer with a video screen and is controlled by a two way data link and video data link. The vehicle can be launched and guided by a single soldier. It does not require a launcher, or other cumbersome tripods or fixed assets.

Optimised for troops on the move with limited resources, it can launch within two minutes of being pulled out of its packing tube. Once launched in the loiter or ISR mode, the vehicle flies on a GPS based autopilot and the soldier can set up waypoints, keep out zones and loiter points. The soldier scans the stabilized video camera footage, with pan, tilt and zoom features. Upon locating the target, the vehicle will contrast lock the target with its front facing camera and dive on the target, detonating the warhead upon impact. The system has a sophisticated safe and arm device and warhead package that has gone through extensive testing and allows for safety in handling and operation.

Source: Press Release

[buglerbilly]

Israeli Company Unveils Loitering Weapons Data Link

Posted on December 7, 2011 by The Editor

Privately-owned Israeli company, IMC Microwave Industries, has developed a data link that will enable an operator to control a loitering weapon system even when it begins its dive towards a target.

Until now, the company has been operating under heavy secrecy, but Flightglobal was allowed to visit the company and hear about some of its products. IMC has supplied data links for some of the more advanced Israeli unmanned aircraft systems and loitering weapon systems. The system developed for use with loitering weapons allows users to receive video imagery with a delay of less than 80 milliseconds.

“In spite of the fact that this is achieved by relay performed by another aerial platform, the signal delay is very small and allows the operator to change the targets, even in the final phase of the loitering system flight,” IMC president Ayalon Eshel said.

The same data link is used to obtain the real-time telemetry from the aerial platform, UAS or loitering weapon system. By using signal processing technology, the data link can achieves ranges of more than 200 km (108nm), Eshel said. The UAS used to relay the signal carries a transmitter that weighs only 2kg (4.4lb), he added.

Eshel said one of IMC’s data links performed “very well” in a recent test involving an advanced loitering weapon system that was developed by another Israeli company, describing the combination as “a real revolution”.

IMC recently purchased 20% of the shares of Israeli UAS manufacturer Innocon. The companies intend to offer unmanned systems with capabilities based on IMC’s products.

Source: Flight Global