Three top U.S. missile manufacturers yesterday announced their decision to jointly pursue the emerging market for an advanced multi-role missile.
ATK [ATK], Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Northrop Grumman [NOC] have signed a teaming agreement and believe their team can provide “the product options that offer the best capabilities, schedule, and price available,” according to a joint press statement released at the Farnborough Airshow in the United Kingdom.
Each company has different areas of expertise, according to an official familiar with the agreement: Northrop Grumman has broad experience with sensor technologies; ATK deals extensively with navigation and propulsion systems; and Lockheed Martin is one of the premier missile integrators in the industry.
The team believes that the U.S. requirement for an advanced multi-role weapon with both air-to-air and air-to-ground mission capabilities is emerging, according to the press statement.
“As the F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II, unmanned aerial systems, and future aircraft platforms are fielded over the next decade,” their statement reads, “the team believes that an advanced multi-role weapon requirement will emerge in the future that covers both the air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.”
The U.S. Air Force and Navy have examined the possibility of developing such a weapon, but the companies’ effort will be the first attempt at developing a prototype, the official said.
Because the air-to-ground mission has become increasingly important in the current wars, the Pentagon has been emphasizing the need to fund weapon programs that support such missions.