Lockheed demonstrates LRASM's surface launch capability

ORLANDO, Fla., July 21 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin has successfully conducted a controlled flight test of the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile, or LRASM, at the Point Mugu Sea Range in California, the company announced Thursday.

It was the third successful surface-launched LRASM test, proving the missile's ability to load mission data using the modified Tactical Tomahawk Weapon Control System, Lockheed said in a statement.

It also showed the system's ability to align mission data with the moving ship and launch from the MK 41 Vertical Launch System.

The LRASM exited the vertical launched during the test, cleanly separated from its Mk-114 booster and transitioned to cruise phase.

It flew a pre-planned, low-altitude profile, collecting aerodynamics agility data while en route to its pre-determined endpoint.

This demonstration from a moving ship in an at-sea environment was a crucial step in proving the maturity of the surface-launch variant, Lockheed said.

LRASM is a precision-guided anti-ship missile that is designed to meet the needs of the Navy and Air Force in an anti-access/area-denial threat environment.