Lockheed Martin [LMT] said this week it has successfully completed a testing involving a long -range anti-ship missile firing from an MK 41 Vertical Launch System as part of developing the weapon for an offensive capability.
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| A rendering of LRASM by Lockheed Martin. |
Lockheed Martin said it conducted four tests using a simulated Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) to determine whether it could push through the VLS’s canister without causing any damage to the composite structure.
The tests were part of the development of the weapon to integrate it onto ships as part of a program with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Office of Naval Research, the company said.
“These test results verified that the LRASM vehicle can break through the VLS cover without damage at realistic flight speeds,” said Scott Callaway, LRASM surface launch program manager at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “Lockheed Martin is investing in the shipboard integration of LRASM and we are confident it will meet all the requirements for the U.S. Navy.”
Lockheed Martin will fly a LRASM test vehicle from a MK 41 VLS platform later this year, and in two government-funded flights in 2014.