BAE Systems’ HAMMER precision targeting system successfully completed the U.S. Army’s Critical Design Review for its Joint Effects Targeting System (JETS) Target Location Designation System (TLDS) program. This review of the system’s design and capability is a key milestone as the company works toward providing dismounted soldiers and operators with a lightweight and cost-effective solution.
“Precise man-portable targeting is a mission-critical capability for our dismounted soldiers,” said Dr. Mark Hutchins, director of Targeting Programs at BAE Systems. “Our HAMMER solution will provide forward observers and joint terminal attack controllers with the lightweight, compact, and highly advanced system they need to be successful.”
JETS is an Army-led, joint-interest program with the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps aimed at developing and fielding a man-portable targeting system that provides our armed forces with the ability to acquire, identify, precisely locate, and mark targets in all lighting and weather conditions.
In March 2013, BAE Systems was awarded a contract to support the JETS program with the company’s Handheld Azimuth Measuring, Marking, Electro-optic imaging, and Ranging (HAMMER) precision targeting system. BAE Systems’ offering is less than one-half the weight and cost of the targeting systems currently in the Department of Defense inventory.
When fielded as part of the JETS program, the HAMMER system will help soldiers distinguish friends from foes with satellite positioning and surveillance information, and allow them to rapidly receive, transmit, and coordinate targeting data. Leveraging these capabilities, the system will support the complex missions of today’s warfighter while significantly reducing collateral damage and friendly fire incidents.
Following completion of this design phase, BAE Systems will begin the program’s qualification phase in which several HAMMER systems will be manufactured and tested against JETS technical requirements throughout 2014 and early 2015. The program remains on schedule for initial JETS TLDS fielding in 2016.
