Lockheed Martin's mini missile completes second flight test

WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M., Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin's Miniature Hit-to-Kill, or MHTK, interceptor missile was successfully launched Friday at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, the company announced Tuesday.

The engineering demonstration of the MHTK's agility and aerodynamic capability was part of the U.S. Army's Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center's Extended Area Protection and Survivability program, Lockheed said in a statement.

The interceptor is designed to defeat rocket, artillery and mortar targets beyond the reach of current and interim systems.

While officials still need to review test data, Lockheed said the MHTK could bring miniaturized options to troops with lower costs and smaller logistical footprints.

The MHTK is less than 3 feet in length and weighs about 5 pounds. It is designed to be small while retaining range and lethality.

Using Hit-to-Kill technology, the missile destroys threats through kinetic energy in body-to-body contact, delivering all available energy while removing the risk of collateral damage found in traditional blast-fragmentation interceptors.