The Army yesterday issued a request for information (RFI) for a loitering precision guided munition, inviting companies to make presentations on their capabilities Oct. 16 in Huntsville, Ala.
The RFI wants to know industry capabilities for a Lethal Miniature Aerial Munition System (LMAMS) “envisioned to be a loitering precision guided munition that would be organic at the small unit level, which allows unprecedented engagement of enemy combatants without exposing the warfighter to direct enemy fires.”
A notional LMAMS system component could consist of an operator control unit, munition, and training simulator. The three mission phases are mission preparation, fly out and terminal engagement, the RFI said. All phases must be done by a single operator on either mounted or dismounted patrolling operations.
This is not the first time the service has been interested in a loitering missile. Lockheed Martin [LMT] was developing a Loitering Attack Missile (LAM) that was to be part of the Non-Line of Sight Launch System of the Future Combat Systems before the missile was canceled by the Army. The company remains very interested in Army LMAMS plans (Defense Daily, Jan.7, 2011)
For LMAMS, the Army’s notional acquisition approach will respond to a capabilities production document formal requirement using a competitive prototype downselect decision, the RFI said.
The Army wants components/technology readiness levels that will meet the criteria for entering the acquisition at the production phase. The RFI said a technology readiness level of seven (TRL-7) or higher is desired in fiscal year 2014-2016, but cost/schedule performance trades could be available.
The Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) is developing component technologies supporting LMAMS under the Small Organic Precision Munition (SOPM) program. Technologies under development include small warheads, image stabilization and autotracker and more.
Information on SOPM technologies and other information on the RFI will be available in the electronic reading room. For more information, e-mail [email protected] or [email protected].
Requests to make presentations should be emailed to Wilfredo Rodriguez, [email protected], or Fletcher Seldom, [email protected].