DARPA - MAD-FIRES

[bobbymike]

http://www.darpa.mil/program/multi-azimuth-defense-fast-intercept-round-engagement-system

To help meet these needs and greatly enhance maritime vessels’ survivability in contested environments, DARPA has created the Multi-Azimuth Defense—Fast Intercept Round Engagement System (MAD-FIRES) program. The goal of the program is to design and develop technologies associated with a medium-caliber guided projectile that would combine the guidance, precision and accuracy generally afforded by missiles with the speed, rapid-fire capability and large ammunition capacity afforded by bullets.

 

[sferrin]

Sounds similar the Super Rapido 76mm with DART ammunition used on these. (Phalanx almost seems like a toy by comparison.)

 

[Void]

It lives!

 

[DrRansom]

The DARPA program is odd, as it seems redundant with the Army's push for (57mm?) guided rounds and the Italian Otomerla 76mm ammunition. It also seems redundant with the hypervelocity round being developed for 5inch cannon, 155mm, and railgun.

Perhaps it is seen as a parallel development project to bring those weapons into something ready for the US Navy. Or, it'll be another waste of money.

 

[marauder2048]

The DARPA program is odd, as it seems redundant with the Army's push for (57mm?) guided rounds and the Italian Otomerla 76mm ammunition. It also seems redundant with the hypervelocity round being developed for 5inch cannon, 155mm, and railgun.

Perhaps it is seen as a parallel development project to bring those weapons into something ready for the US Navy. Or, it'll be another waste of money.

MAD-FIRES is looking at 40mm and smaller (30x173 in particular for Stryker and the AC-130) projectiles which will also inform HVP.

 

[jsport]

It lives!

Thank you for postin. Can't understand why not pursued. A lot better solution for many applications than some others being purposed. Imagine material science could take this..

PS: believe somewhere DARPA intimated .50cal rds for MADFIREs is the goal.

 

[marauder2048]

Thank you for postin. Can't understand why not pursued. A lot better solution for many applications than some others being purposed. Imagine material science could take this..

PS: believe somewhere DARPA intimated .50cal rds for MADFIREs is the goal.

The power consumption requirements for the ETC mount dramatically exceeded that of any existing CIWS installation.
Future installations (DD(X), CG(X) etc) needed to use insensitive propellants which didn't exist for ETCs until
relatively recently.

On the .50 cal front, DARPA is looking for Conformal RF Seekers for MAD-FIRES which strikes me as difficult to incorporate
into anything smaller than 25mm.

 

[SpudmanWP]

Imagine MAD_FIRES using the Apache's 30mm

Next, put that 30mm on the OV-10X

Now orbit the AO with a load of ammo in the rear bay and snipe bad guys with said 30mm hugs.

 

[jsport]

Thank you for postin. Can't understand why not pursued. A lot better solution for many applications than some others being purposed. Imagine material science could take this..

PS: believe somewhere DARPA intimated .50cal rds for MADFIREs is the goal.

The power consumption requirements for the ETC mount dramatically exceeded that of any existing CIWS installation.
Future installations (DD(X), CG(X) etc) needed to use insensitive propellants which didn't exist for ETCs until
relatively recently.

On the .50 cal front, DARPA is looking for Conformal RF Seekers for MAD-FIRES which strikes me as difficult to incorporate
into anything smaller than 25mm.

Sensor guided smooth bore fired 7.62mm is no great shakes (plenty work on it from competing sources) .. the Squad could protect itself from ISIS quadrotor IEDs.. a matter of cost, of course.

 

[marauder2048]

[
Sensor guided smooth bore fired 7.62mm is no great shakes (plenty work on it from competing sources) .. the Squad could protect itself from ISIS quadrotor IEDs.. a matter of cost, of course.

Almost all of which are either CLOS or EO/IR which is not what you want in the maritime CIWS environment particularly against dim targets.

 

[marauder2048]

From DOD Contracts: Feb. 10, 2017


Lockheed Martin Corp., Missiles and Fire Control, Grand Prairie, Texas, has been awarded an agreement modification totaling $8,153,741 through the addition of Phase II base tasks to a previously awarded other transaction (OT) for prototype project agreement for the Multi Azimuth Defense Fast Intercept Round Engagement System (MAD-FIRES) program. Under modification P00005, the government negotiated and added a Phase II base effort, Option 1 and Option 2 to the previously awarded OT agreement, HR0011-15-9-0008. The MAD-FIRES program is an advanced technology development and demonstration program to create a gun launched, medium caliber, guided, actively controlled projectile with significantly improved range and accuracy over current systems. The entire Phase II program (base, Option 1, and Option 2) is to be accomplished in 30 months. The addition of the MAD-FIRES Phase II base program increases the total cumulative face value of the agreement to $18,073,602 from $9,919,861. Work will be performed in the following locations: Grand Prairie, Texas (76.92 percent); Minneapolis, Minnesota (6.28 percent); Montville, New Jersey (4.52 percent); Dallas, Texas (3.57 percent); Brea, California (3.12 percent); Bethesda, Maryland (1.99 percent); Keyser, West Virginia (1.37 percent); Marion, Illinois (1.16 percent); and Westminster, Maryland (1.07 percent). The Lockheed Martin MAD-FIRES Phase II base program is expected to complete on Nov. 9, 2017. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, located in Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

 

[fredymac]

I wonder if this program is an outgrowth of the 50mm guided projectile seen at the 46 second mark on this ARDEC video. They use the word "projectile" so I am assuming this isn't the MHTK missile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpNtV_309Ns


The Exacto guided 50cal bullet also seems to fit into this general area of development. The end point of that could wind up in some SciFi movie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7wOX2WqbXE

 

[bring_it_on]

Phase IIB/IIC for Multi-Azimuth Defense Fast Intercept Round Engagement System (MAD-FIRES)

Added: Apr 02, 2018 6:51 am Raytheon Co., Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a $22,784,990 modification (P00012) to previously awarded HR0011-15-C-0081 to add Phase IIB/IIC tasks for the Multi-Azimuth Defense Fast Intercept Round Engagement System (MAD-FIRES) program. The Phase IIB/C program will further advance MAD-FIRES system design finalization work, perform spread-bench testing of the final system design, and create a final form-fit-function design that can be demonstrated through a series of flight tests. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $50,710,385 from $27,925,395. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona (90 percent); and Raufoss, Norway (10 percent), with an estimated completion date of May 2020. Fiscal 2017 research and development funds in the amount of $276,378; and fiscal 2018 research and development funds in the amount of $7,200,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

 

[marauder2048]

https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/aerospace/military/60-years-of-darpas-favorite-toys

 

[Moose]

Raytheon tweet with MAD-FIRES concept video:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1153409571286921218

 

[jsport]

Just wish the Majors could be trusted and universities were more business oriented.

 

[sferrin]

Just wish the Majors could be trusted

Not sure what you mean here.

 

[jsport]

Just wish the Majors could be trusted

Not sure what you mean here.

TomS said it best
Barrett Aerospace Technologies looks like a small consultancy run by Ronald Barrett, an Aerospace Engineering professor at Kansas University (hence the KU logo on the slide). He's Director of KU's Adaptive Aerostructures Laboratory, whihc explains his interest in this project.

Ron Barrett

ae.engr.ku.edu

 

[sferrin]

Just wish the Majors could be trusted

Not sure what you mean here.

TomS said it best
Barrett Aerospace Technologies looks like a small consultancy run by Ronald Barrett, an Aerospace Engineering professor at Kansas University (hence the KU logo on the slide). He's Director of KU's Adaptive Aerostructures Laboratory, whihc explains his interest in this project.

Okay. . .that doesn't explain who "Majors" are and why they can't be trusted.

 

[jsport]

Thought everyone knew what a large Defense contractor is called a "major" a "large (systems) integrator" etc.

The guided technology being tested should be.,338 Lapau Magnum etc, .50cal or 20mm at maximum size. 30mm 40mm 50mm should be a old hat by now.

What happened to other major ie LM and guided small arms?

 

[Dragon029]

When people talk about "the Majors" my mind first thinks of this kind: https://etd.auburn.edu/bitstream/handle/10415/595/MICHEL_III_55.pdf

 

[sferrin]

First that came to my mind was baseball, and I'm not even a fan.

 

[sferrin]

Thought everyone knew what a large Defense contractor is called a "major" a "large (systems) integrator" etc.

The guided technology being tested should be.,338 Lapau Magnum etc, .50cal or 20mm at maximum size. 30mm 40mm 50mm should be a old hat by now.

What happened to other major ie LM and guided small arms?

What would you be hoping to accomplish by trying to shoot down a missile with a .338? Too small for guidance AND an explosive charge. (These things have proximity fuses for near misses.)

 

[jsport]

Thought everyone knew what a large Defense contractor is called a "major" a "large (systems) integrator" etc.

The guided technology being tested should be.,338 Lapau Magnum etc, .50cal or 20mm at maximum size. 30mm 40mm 50mm should be a old hat by now.

What happened to other major ie LM and guided small arms?

What would you be hoping to accomplish by trying to shoot down a missile with a .338? Too small for guidance AND an explosive charge. (These things have proximity fuses for near misses.)

,,point was only to express a need for a family guided muntions. Intercepts in general should be larger allowing for missile/projectile anyway in IMHO,

 

[marauder2048]

Sure but the peak acceleration from the 57mm M110 is gentle compared to what a .50 BMG would experience from most
practical, portable rifle barrel lengths.

 

[TAOG]

Because the MMFCR will serve as the target illumination radar for Mad-Fires, so I guess it uses the semi-active radar seeker or radio frequency beam guidance system (just like DART) to guide the ammunition toward target.

"... Resource usage per mission (horizon surveillance, surface search, periscope detection, and designated tracking) characterizing search coverage, search frame time, track acquisition times, number of dedicated track actions supported, number of communication links supported, and number of concurrent MADFIRES target illuminations. ..."

Contract Opportunities | SAM.gov

www.fbo.gov

 

[AN/AWW-14(V)]

incidentally, recently ordered by USN 57-mm projectiles (ALaMO) Mk 332 HE-4G also can engage airborne threats

Mustang Technology Group L.P., doing business as L-3 Mustang Technology, Plano, Texas, is awarded a $9,195,869 cost-only contract for long-lead material in support of the 57mm MK 332 High Explosive-4 Bolt Guided Cartridge ammunition. The HE-4G cartridge is a 57mm electrically-primed cartridge designed to function in the 57mm MK 110 GM, and is intended for combating surface and air targets.

Contracts for May 24, 2019

DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCYDRS Global Enterprise Solutions Inc., Dulles, Virginia, was awarded a competitive single-award blanket purchase agreement (GS-35F-0148S / HC101319A0003) for the U.S.

www.defense.gov

 

[Moose]

True, but ALaMO's anti-air performance is scoped more toward slower UAVs/Helicopters while MAD-Fires is an anti-ASCM raid weapon.

 

[AN/AWW-14(V)]

The Raytheon, Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded an $11,133,688 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification to previously awarded contract to develop long-lead, high-risk items in preparation for the MAD-FIRES Phase III program. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona (61%); McKinney, Texas (22%); and Karlskoga, Sweden (17%), with an estimated completion date of January 2021.

Contracts for September 27, 2019

Today's Defense Department contracts valued at $7 million or more are now live on Defense.gov.

www.defense.gov

 

[marauder2048]

Contracts for Aug. 31, 2020

Raytheon Co., Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, was awarded a $32,493,889 modification (P00022) to contract HR0011-15-C-0081, adding Phase 3 tasks to the previously-awarded procurement contract for the Multi- Azimuth Defense Fast Intercept Round Engagement System (MAD-FIRES) program. During the 27-month Phase 3 baseline program, the Raytheon team will focus on seeker development and performance. Raytheon proposes to make performance enhancements to the successful Phase 2 projectile and develop a functional demonstration illuminator and engagement manager to engage and defeat a representative surrogate target. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $100,325,347 from $67,831,458. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona (95%); Chelmsford, Massachusetts (2%); and McKinney, Texas (3%), with an expected completion date of November 2022. Fiscal 2020 research and development funds in the amount of $29,435,306 are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

 

[Vanessa1402]

What is guidance of MAD-FIRES round?

 

[Cordy]

What is guidance of MAD-FIRES round?

As far as know it was never disclosed and assume the original low cost guidance design had problems and why the additional Phase 3 $32.5 million contract was awarded to RTX to develop the required demonstration illuminator and engagement manager to alter flight path in real time to stay on target with a capacity to continuously target, track and engage multiple fast-approaching targets simultaneously and re-engage any targets that survive initial engagement, the contract was planned to be completed by November 2022 and since no news and so assume program now dead

The ARDEC Extended Area Protection and Survivability (EAPS) program used the 50mm dual barrel cannon with 10 round bursts at 200 rpm with the relatively simple low cost course corrected 50mm ammunition guided by the very high definition Technovative Applications CW interferometer radar.

Navy placed a contract Oct '23 with Northrop Grumman to develop their 57mm guided high explosive ammunition which said has the ability to continuously maneuver in-flight as it moves toward a designated target and features an on-board seeker to acquire moving targets and a fuze with the ability to self-select for either proximity or point-detonation mode to best engage and defeat the intended target, no mention is made of the cost of round which expect will not be cheap.