Lockheed Martin, DALLAS, TX: Lockheed Martin and Sandia National Laboratories successfully conducted the final flight test of a Tactical Missile System – Penetrator (TACMS-P) recently at White Sands Missile Range, N.M.
The TACMS-P flew 136 kilometer and performed as expected, meeting all test objectives. The first flight, conducted on March 11, 2004, was also fully successful. Lockheed Martin is partnered with Sandia National Laboratories to design and test this latest variant of the combat-proven Army TACMS family of munitions.
Test objectives included integration and separation of a live Earth Penetrating Warhead (EPW) from a modified Army TACMS missile. The TACMS-P was fired from a Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) M270A1 launcher at ambient conditions, and flew to a pre-determined altitude and speed to separate the EPW from the booster. After separation, the booster locked fins and continued on a ballistic path while the EPW guided to a fixed, hard target.
“The TACMS Penetrator variant of the combat-proven family of ATACMS missiles provides combatant commanders a new technology that meets their priority list, and could easily be adapted to meet new requirements,” said Scott Arnold, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control's director – ATACMS program. “This program has successfully demonstrated a new capability against hard targets, and we will deliver six residual prototype missiles to the government this year.”
The test was conducted under an Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) funded, joint U.S. Army/U.S. Navy Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) program that began in Fiscal Year 2001. The overall program demonstrated integration of the Army TACMS booster with a Navy Strategic Systems Program (SSP) re-entry vehicle built by Sandia National Laboratories.
The ATACMS family of munitions includes the ATACMS Block IA and the Block IA Unitary. The ATACMS Block IA Unitary was successfully utilized for the first time in battle during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sandia National Laboratories is a government owned, contractor operated facility that is managed by Lockheed Martin for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. Sandia National Laboratories is based in Albuquerque, NM and develops science-based technologies to solve national and global threats to peace and freedom.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 130,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2004 sales of $35.5 billion.
