TUCSON, March 29 (UPI) -- A recent test of the Navy's next-generation ship-launched missile was declared a success by engineers from Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.
A statement from NetFires LLC, a Lockheed-Raytheon joint venture, said Tuesday the NLOS-LS Precision Attack Missile (PAM) was successfully launched from a motion simulator that created conditions equal to 3-to-5-foot seas and a brisk 15-knot wind.
"We're extremely pleased with this first shoot-on-the-move demonstration of the combined PAM and CLU (Container Launch Unit)," said Nelson B. Mills of the Naval Surface Warfare Center. "The PAM missile's performance specification for the U.S. Navy requires that the missile is capable of being fired from a moving platform experiencing diverse movements along all three axes."
The test took place Feb. 16 at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
The NLOS-LS (Non Line-of-Sight Launch System) PAM will serve as the primary surface weapon for next-generation Navy surface ships, including the Littoral Combat Ship that will take on a major role in naval operations in coastal waters.
Weighing in at 117 pounds, PAM is a precision-guided weapon with a range of 40 kilometers (25 miles) that is penciled in primarily as an anti-tank weapon, which matches up well with the Littoral Combat Ship's anticipated role as support for Marine amphibious operations.
The missile can home in on a target on its own, or can follow a point painted by a laser target designator.
PAM is also slated for use by U.S. ground forces as part of the Army's Future Combat System.
