Fire-and-forget 2.75-inch rocket

[colay]

There are a number of systems that convert cheap 2.75-inch rockets into PGMs by fitting them with a laser seeker.
This takes it a step further by allowing multiple missiles to be ripple launched in fire-and-forget mode. Ideal for dealing with swarming boat attacks.The missile uses an IR seeker.




‘Fire-and-forget’ LCITS technology to combat small swarming boat attacks



At the 63rd annual Naval Helicopter Association (NHA) Symposium in San Diego last week the Office of Naval Research (ONR) unveiled a new weapons technology designed to give helicopters, such as the MH-60 and the AH-1 Cobra, the ability to combat the threat of a small boat swarm. The Low-Cost Imaging Terminal Seeker (LCITS) system equips existing unguided Hydra-70, 2.75-inch rockets with a low-cost guidance capability that allows pilots to essentially "fire-and-forget," thereby allowing them to engage multiple, fast attack seaborne targets in a shorter period.

[PCShogun]

By definition, doesn't putting a seeker head on it make it a missile, not a rocket? Still finding cheap ways to make "dumb" ammo into "Smart" ammo, isn't new. Essentially that is what JDAM does with a unguided bomb.

Using a larger missile designed to engage frigate sized vessels to take down a Boston whaler with a .50 caliber MG on it, is a bit overkill. Using a Hydra 70 2.75 inch rocket with a seeker package is much quicker and cheaper, and still allows the attacker to remain out of range (about 11,000 yards). Finding ways to destroy cheap attackers with cheap ammo is a economical win scenario.

If proven successful, these might be placed as armament on other vessels, not just helicopters. Pretty sure these would prove effective against Somali pirates, not just Iranian Coastal boats, and would be inexpensive to mount also.

[kato]

Originally Posted by PCShogun

Using a larger missile designed to engage frigate sized vessels to take down a Boston whaler with a .50 caliber MG on it, is a bit overkill. Using a Hydra 70 2.75 inch rocket ...

Well, maybe if you use 10-15 to rake the superstructure. The explosion from a Hydra at most equals what you can get out of the HE warhead options for the RPG7.

Laser Guided Zuni would be a lot more useful for that purpose.

[PCShogun]

Originally Posted by kato

Well, maybe if you use 10-15 to rake the superstructure. The explosion from a Hydra at most equals what you can get out of the HE warhead options for the RPG7.

Laser Guided Zuni would be a lot more useful for that purpose.

I see your point but thought the zuni was a 5 inch rocket. I guess we would also need to define what is meant by "SMALL BOAT". A Boston Whaler would not stand much chance against an RPG7 either, however, The Type 021 class missile boat might weather that storm a bit easier.

[colay]

If you want a heavier punch in a F&F missile, there's the Hellfire RF variant or JAGM down the road.. bothcost more though. I wonder if this system can be integrated with Firescout?

[Dodger67]

The small boats commonly used by undesirables such as Somali pirates could be effectively taken out by warheads equivalent to a hand-grenade or a few 20-30mm canon rounds. One of these rockets would do quite nicely.