Navy modifies Lockheed missile contract

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ORLANDO, Fla., March 5 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin will conduct another air- launched missile flight test for the U.S. Navy this year under a $71 million contract modification.

It will also conduct additional risk reduction activities under the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile modification contract, including electromagnetic compatibility testing of the missile and follow-on captive carry sensor suite missions.

The modification is to a Phase 2 of a Long Range Anti-Ship Missile contract given to the company in 2010. That contract called for two missile flight test launches this year and two more next year.

LRASM, in development with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Office of Naval Research, is an autonomous, precision-guided anti-ship standoff missile for air and surface launch. It is based on the JASSM-ER system and is for both the Navy and U.S. Air Force.

"This contract modification furthers the development of LRASM as we are committed to provide the Navy with an offensive anti-surface weapon alternative that is compatible with multiple platforms," said Mike Fleming, LRASM air-launched program manager at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

The LRASM, with a penetrator and blast-fragmentation warhead, features a multi-modal sensor, weapon data link and an enhanced digital anti-jam Global Positioning System for destruction of specific targets within a group of ships.

In the third air-launched flight test this year, the weapon will be launched from an Air Force B-1B aircraft.