US Army - Lockheed Martin Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF)

Kat Tsun said:
Reliable, proven hypergliders existed decades before reliable, proven scramjets first burned. The TPS on C-HGB functions fine.

The "weird" part is that the same company that had fairly little trouble adapting Tomahawk to ground launch, developing a ground launched boost-glide missile, and are making the Zumwalts into hypersonic missile cruisers somehow can't make a B-52 drop a rocket reliably.

ARRW's problems all stemmed from relatively more simple things like shroud separation, shackle release failure, and booster ignition issues.
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LM Space vs LM Missiles and Fire Control? Some of the primes have incredible internal turf wars - e.g. working at "Northrop" or working at "Grumman"
 
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Firefinder said:
Not really if you stop to think bout it.

We been messing around with Ram/Scramjets types since what the 50s? With multiple different designs that just missed making it prime time due to multiple reasons ranging from do we need this to budget. We have loads of experience with thise that we can just look over at the old file cabinet and pull out a design to dust off. Like hell isn't HAWC basically the unholy hybrid of the ASLAM and X43?

While the boost gliders always been a fairly niche deal due to their inherent limitations. That one always been a cool trick to mess around with and rarely a serious weapon idea til recently. Even the old Pershing and Starbolt was more of a MARV then a hypersonic.
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They were going to blow the dust off ASALM/SLAT/etc. for LRASM-B but got scared off almost before the ink was dry on the announcement. "Too hard."
 
sferrin said:
Fasthawk was another missed opportunity. 700lb warhead for 700 miles at Mach 4 and fit in a Mk41 VLS. That was the claim anyway.
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Seriously, what is wrong with the US and its start-stop, start-stop, start-stop attitude to the development of hypersonic missiles and propulsion? If they'd started and funded consistently (Emphasis on the consistently part) several of these programmes over the years and decades they'd have several operational systems by now. A good example of where the US DOD really dropped the ball was with the ASALM for example.

bobbymike said:
Another site’s story
www.defensenews.com

US Army deploys midrange missile for first time in Philippines

The Mid-Range Capability is in the Philippines for a joint exercise, marking its first-ever deployment after an Army unit recently fielded it.
www.defensenews.com www.defensenews.com
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That will be causing some serious heartburn in the PLA's high command;):p:D.
 
And handful of Tomahawks and a couple SM-6? A fraction of a single Burke.
 
NMaude said:
So there's still a "Grumman" and a "Northrop"? do please tell.
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Its just an internal lingo thing - if you're an east coast "old guy" you describe your job as being at "Grumman" but the west cost boomers call it "northrop".

But how it actually manifests: the big contractors have internal entities with separate P&Ls. So in a hypothetical LRPF example, if someone at LM Space decides to buy a radar (or whatever) from LM Missiles and Fire Control, the manager at M&FC has near-to-no incentive to be helpful if LMS changes requirements on them.
 
sferrin said:
Typhon. (Seems a bit ambitious of a name if you ask me. Now if they'd put Project Pluto into production. . .)
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The open core nuclear ramjet?

That has a greater likelihood to be used as a planetary probe over at NASA than as a missile... Send one into the atmospheres of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Titan, etc.
 
NMaude said:
More Typhoon launchers can always be deployed;).
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Sod it, deploy the converted oil rig already.

sferrin said:
Typhon. (Seems a bit ambitious of a name if you ask me. Now if they'd put Project Pluto into production. . .)
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I think all ground-based Tomahawk launchers have to end in '-phon'. It's the law. Gryphon, Typhon....
 
Concerning the Typhon being deployed to the Phillipines well Defense Updates has just put out a video about that:


The U.S. Army has sent its Typhon system overseas for the first time, to take part in an exercise in the Philippines.
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A press release stated, “In a historic first, the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force successfully deployed the Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system to Northern Luzon, Philippines, on April 11, 2024, as part of Exercise Salaknib 24. This landmark deployment marks a significant milestone for the new capability while enhancing interoperability, readiness, and defense capabilities in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.”
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The system was transported by a C-17 Globemaster III.
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Viewers may note that US Army Pacific commander Gen. Charles Flynn told reporters last year the new launcher would be bound for the Indo-Pacific region, but didn’t disclose where or if the US had struck a deal with a foreign government to rest it on its soil.In this video, Defense Updates analyzes why US Army sending Typhon to the Philippines is a significant message to China ?
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Chapters:
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00:11 INTRODUCTION
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02:12 TYPHON WEAPONS SYSTEM
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03:37 SM-6 MISSILE
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05:55 TOMAHAWK MISSILE
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07:23 ANALYSIS
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Scott Kenny said:
They have the manning needs of a towed system and the mobility of a mounted system.
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Is it that hard to hire two drivers? They still have have the same logistical/maintenance footprint of a manned system, so I do not see what this buys.
 
Scott Kenny said:
Four or 5 drivers, and yes, it is that hard to find good people.
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It might reduce manpower demands for 88Ms specifically but that means the Army is just going to turn those into 11Bs, 91Es, or 91Bs. The overall staffing requirement will likely not change. It might even go up if the robots require electronics repair specialists for their LIDARs or W-band radars.

Practically speaking, it'll be trading two or three drivers for three or four maintainers at the end of the day. One or two of those might be a contractor, so the numbers don't change, or so the numbers go down on paper. The only real benefit seems to be that the number of casualties when a landing craft is sunk is reduced by like three people I guess.

It's a very odd idea because neither the U.S. Army nor U.S. Marines are hurting for truck drivers. They're hurting for mechanics, sure, but not the drivers, and drivers often don't have the line scores to actually be mechanics.
 
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Turns out HIMARS rockets have inertial as well as GPS, which helps counter EW and better inertial systems may be invaluable going forward.

breakingdefense.com

Taking aim: Army leaders ponder mix of precision munitions vs conventional - Breaking Defense

Three four-star US Army generals this week weighed in with their opinions about finding the right balance between conventional and high-tech munitions - but the answers aren't easy.
breakingdefense.com breakingdefense.com

https://twitter.com/x/status/1789098464560771310
View: https://x.com/AirPowerNEW1/status/1789098464560771310

Bush says supplemental replenishment fund will help increase PrSM increment 1 production | InsideDefense.com

Army acquisition chief Doug Bush told lawmakers today that the fiscal year 2024 defense supplemental package passed last month will be key in increasing production of the Precision Strike Missile Increment 1 in the near term.
insidedefense.com insidedefense.com

https://twitter.com/x/status/1791833833618231603
View: https://x.com/AirPowerNEW1/status/1791833833618231603
 
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Forest Green said:
Turns out HIMARS rockets have inertial as well as GPS, which helps counter EW and better inertial systems may be invaluable going forward.
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Eyeah thats been a known thing, it was mention in this thread a few pages back or one of the other MLRS threads, maybe it was the JDAM.

But eyeah it was known that the Militaries primary GPS weapon guidence chip also has an inbuilt INS system that can and does put a weapon within like 20 to 30 meters by itself so long as it had an accurate calibration fix before launch.

That was consider enough for a given price point for the last 30 odd years. Can do better at the same price point with modern tech likely.
 
Scott Kenny said:
Why does it look like the "Naval Variant" is sitting in an LCU?
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Because it may well be. In fact it looks like it could be carried on almost any supply, landing, amphibious assault, or cargo ship, which may well be the intention. Who knows, maybe Dark Eagly can too.
 
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Forest Green said:
Because it may well be. In fact it looks like it could be carried on almost any supply, landing, amphibious assault, or cargo ship, which may well be the intention. Who knows, maybe Dark Eagly can too.
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Pretty sure that's based on Ranger, one of the USV surrogates the Navy tested Mk 70 from.
 

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