Pentagon Cruise Missile Test Will Open New US Army Strike Opportunities

The Pentagon fired a developing cruise missile by successfully testing an emerging weapon system capable of hitting long-range targets from safer distances, potentially supplementing the medium-range weapons of the United States. Air force and army currently under development.

These types of weapons, such as the long-range precision lights (LRPF) currently under development of the Army and the air launched air-launched cruise missile called remote weapon security, offer commanders a wide range of options, such as enemy air defenses, installations, command and control centers and other high-value targets.

As a result, emerging cruise missiles launched by the Pentagon could reinforce the new strategic attack mission envelope introduced by these new weapons, allowing an offensive attack in well-defended areas posing a great danger in the event of close contact. For example, enemy anti-aircraft defenses may make it difficult to fly over American planes or combat conditions that prevent Tomahawks from firing from naval or submarine ships.

"We will take all the data collected and integrate it into any future assessments we will make," Pentagon spokesman Colonel Robert Carver told Warrior.

Carver added that data assessments would look at results such as precision targeting, trajectory and the impact of damage, among others. In fact, Carver said the new ground-based cruise missile was a variant of the Tomahawk, bringing a land-based response element to the submarine's ship and weapon.

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The Pentagon cruise missile has demonstrated its ability to reach a range of 500 km.

"The test missile left its land thrower and hit its target with precision after more than 500 kilometers of flight. The data collected and the lessons learned from this test will guide the development by the Ministry of Defense of its future intermediate-range capabilities, "the DoD said in a statement on 19 August. The flight test focused on a conventional configuration ground cruise missile on San Nicolas Island, California, the Pentagon added.

A 500 km jet-land cruise missile has a number of substantial implications, the first of which is the introduction of a counter-weapon, or a deterrent, as part of the well-documented trials conducted by Russia on medium-range missiles in violation of the INF Treaty. The test marks the first time that the United States has fired with a weapon of this scale since their withdrawal from the INF Treaty. Specifically, Russia's tests of ground-based mid-range cruise missiles posed a significant threat to Eastern Europe and the United States, allied with the United States.

This new weapon could give rise to nuances of offensive attack, for example, if it was necessary to attack the concentrations of Russian forces gathered in Eastern Europe and to launch attacks , a land cruise missile would offer advantageous strike opportunities.

Long-range precision lights of the army

It is interesting to note that this effort parallels a number of current air and land armament initiatives to introduce long-range fires for the US military. The Army's LRPF weapons development program, which is now prototyped and strongly promoted as a priority for former Secretary of the Esper Army (now SecDef), will be launched next year. Although it is a rocket and not a cruise missile, probably based on different types of propulsion and flight paths, the LRPF seems to complement the emergence of a medium-range cruise missile . If offers what one might call an intermediate possibility, in which long-range ballistic missiles might not be needed, while the targets are far enough away from artillery fire or other rockets ground fire.

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Similar to the Pentagon Cruise Missile Test, the LRFP should be used at distances up to 500 km.

The new LRPF, which should be operational by 2027, builds on next-generation guidance technology and weapon construction as part of an effort to develop a ground-attack missile, high speed and high speed, one of a kind. capable of locating and destroying enemy bunkers, helicopter rally areas, troop concentrations and other fixed targets of up to three times more existing weapons, officials said. military service.

Many argue that long-range surface-to-surface fires could be of great significance against an adversary such as Russia – a country known for having the most advanced anti-aircraft defenses in the world. Such a scenario could make it difficult for the United States to quickly establish the type of air supremacy needed to launch sufficient air strikes. As a result, it is conceivable that LRPF offers commanders moving to advance strategic and vital ranged attack options on enemy terrain.

In addition, it may also happen that a long-range cruise missile, such as a submarine Tomahawk or fired by a ship, is not available; in this case, LRPF could fill a potential tactical vacuum in attack plans.

Raytheon and Lockheed both work on prototype weapons; This new weapon is designed to replace the MGM-140 tactical missile system, which dates back to the early 1980s and dates back to the early 1980s. It is a missile launched on the ground capable of firing at least 160 km (994 miles). The LRPF missile will feature a new explosive warhead and guidance technology aimed at providing a deep, all-terrain, precision strike capability, 24/7, said a developer. Army Weapons at Warrior.

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"The LRPF will replace the capacity of the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), which is affected by the age of the ATACMS inventory and the cluster munitions policy which removes all the ATACMS M39 and M39A1 inventory after 2018, "added the manager.

In addition, the LRPF will fire from two existing army launchers, the M142 high-mobility artillery rocket system and the M270 multi-launch rocket system, among other emerging possibilities, according to the developers. of weapons of the Army.

Last year, Lockheed's statements on their weapons indicated that their emerging missile system prototype included a Launch Pod missile container and a fully integrated ground-to-ground guided missile compatible with the MLRS M270A1 multiple rocket launcher system. and M142 High. HIMARS launchers of the rocket system of artillery mobility.

In the longer term, the Army begins to explore the use of a "dual pulse" engine for the LRPF; a motor brings the weapon on a certain trajectory and is then replaced by another engine more able to propel the missile to higher altitudes with a lighter air.

As part of a simultaneous effort, the Army is also modernizing the ATACM with a new guidance technology and a proximity fuse to bridge the short-term weapon gap up to the end of the war. the arrival of the LRPF.

—- To read the ATACM upgrade report from Scout Warrior's, CLICK HERE —

The US military was one of the first to deploy precision ground weapons such as the 155-meter Excalibur precision artillery gun guided by GPS and the Long Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System, or GMLRS . These weapons, which had been used for the first time in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2006 to 2009, marked the advent of a new type of weapon designed to give commanders more options for attack and locate enemy targets with great precision, at great distance. Among other things, the GMLRS has managed to destroy Taliban targets in Afghanistan.

Although Excalibur and the GMLRS are designed to reach 30 km (18.6 miles) and 70 km (43.5 miles) respectively, they have brought a new precision ground attack option to commanders. Armed, who previously relied on artillery and "dark" rockets mainly used "Zone-fire" type weapons allowing troops to maneuver.

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Although precision fire of this type is of course useful in large-scale mechanized combat – it has proved particularly useful in counter-insurgency attacks, as Taliban and Iraqi insurgents have deliberately intermingled with armed forces. innocent civilians among local populations. As a result, precision attacks have become necessary, indeed vital, to US combat success.

Ranged combat weapon

The Air Force has worked in partnership with the industry on prototyping and design of the Long Range Stand-Off nuclear weapon cruise missile, which is expected to enter a new phase of construction by 2022, said service managers. . While this weapon will be equipped with nuclear weapons for large-scale strategic deterrence, it is also built with the possibility of conventional attack.

Interestingly, while the LRSO has the technical capability to fly 1,500 miles, it can of course also function as a medium range weapon within a 500 km radius as well.

Raytheon and Lockheed are currently working on a $ 900 million technology maturation and risk reduction contract for the LRSO.

Due to emerging threats from conventional and nuclear weapons, the Air Force is now considering an operational LRSO by the late 2020s – instead of thinking it may not be ready until the 2030s .

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Air Force officials told Warrior Maven that plans to move to the development phase of engineering and manufacturing were on track for 2022.

The US Air Force's weapon developers believe that the emerging weapon "Stand-Off" will allow striking forces to attack deep within enemy territory and help overcome high-tech challenges posed by the new anti-adversary defenses.

– Read the exhaustive review report of the Maven warrior on the Pentagon's nuclear power –CLICK HERE –

A conventional weapons-armed cruise missile could, among other things, potentially endanger targets inaccessible to certain stealth aircraft, given the increasing pace at which modern anti-aircraft defenses are able to detect more aircraft – to include the ability to detect stealth bombers.

As a result, senior Air Force leaders continue to argue that the design of a new, modern, remote security weapon can be one of the very few assets, weapons, or platforms capable of penetrating high-tech air defenses. .

The LRSO will be developed to replace the aging cruise missile or ALCM AGM-86B, currently able to fire from a B-52. The AGM-86B far exceeded its expected lifespan, having emerged in the early 1980s with a theoretical life span of 10 years, Air Force declarations said.

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Unlike the ALCM that fires from the B-52, the LRSO will also be set to fire with B-52 and B-21 bombers, military service officials said. The ALCM and the LRSO are both designed to fire both conventional and nuclear weapons.

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Although Air Force officials say that the current ALCM remains safe and effective, it faces operational and sustaining challenges in the face of ever-evolving threats, officials at the service also acknowledge.