Raytheon Company tested a new warhead for its Small Tactical Munition, a new weapon specifically designed to be employed from unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). STM is a 13-pound guided munition that is approximately 2 feet long, making it the smallest air-launched weapon in the Raytheon portfolio.
The new 5-pound warhead, manufactured by NammoTalley, is lighter than the current warhead but has significantly improved blast-fragment capability compared with the old design enabling Raytheon to reduce the size and weight of STM significantly.
“The low weight and small size of STM enables UAS to fly farther, faster and carry more weapons then they could if they were limited to carrying a single 100-pound class weapon,” said Bob Francois, Raytheon vice president of Advanced Missiles and Unmanned Systems. “STM’s small size also enables weaponization of smaller UAS, such as the Shadow 200, that currently cannot be weaponized because of payload limitations.”
STM is part of a portfolio of Raytheon weapons built specifically for UAS. Like the other weapons in the portfolio, STM is easy to use because it’s designed with rapid integration in mind and engineered for improved operator system interface.
“NammoTalley’s new warhead is purpose-built for Raytheon’s STM and the associated target set encountered in warfare today. This design packs the same ‘punch’ into a smaller package and is optimally designed for this target set,” said John Hill, NammoTalley vice president of business development and program management. “The test proved that a sophisticated warhead analysis combined with proprietary, low-cost manufacturing techniques can provide a powerful and effective solution for the warfighter.”
Raytheon Company, with 2010 sales of $25 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 72,000 people worldwide.
