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TUCSON, Ariz., (Nov. 18, 2002) - The NetFires Precision Attack Missile
(PAM), a Raytheon-designed indirect fire weapon, successfully made its
first autonomous flight Oct. 22 at the White Sands Missile Range in
New Mexico.
The missile, built by Raytheon Missile Systems at its Tucson, Ariz.
facility, was vertically launched with a Raytheon-designed Container/Launcher
Unit (C/LU). The missile flew a pre-programmed course to a maximum altitude
of approximately 20,000 feet.
"This controlled test vehicle flight of the Precision Attack Missile
is a significant first step for the Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency and the U.S. Army towards providing an extended range precision
munition for deployable ground forces in the future," said Dr.
Brad Tousley, DARPA NetFires program manager.
During the 75-second flight, the PAM completed a number of test maneuvers
using its on-board navigation system. The navigation and Global Positioning
System equipment were supplied by Honeywell and Rockwell Collins. The
test team also demonstrated the ability to update the missile's guidance
point in mid-flight, resulting in a successful intercept at the desired
impact point.
The test also validated Raytheon's design of the missile's flight control
system and marked the second successful test of the company's concentric
container launcher concept.
"The successful airframe and guidance test of the Precision Attack
Missile is a major milestone for the NetFires program," said Glen
Sutton, Raytheon NetFires program manager. "We are providing a
unique capability to the Army and the Objective Force by developing
the next generation of indirect fire precision weapons.
This was also the first flight test of the HG1900 Micro-electromechanical
Systems (MEMS) -based Inertial Measurement Unit, made by Honeywell.
We are very pleased with its performance in this flight test."
This PAM test is the second successful flight test as part of the DARPA
NetFires program. On Jan. 17, Raytheon also completed a successful controlled
test vehicle flight test of its Loiter Attack Missile (LAM).
The Precision Attack Missile is a five-foot long, 100-pound class missile
that can fly at ranges greater than 40 kilometers and at altitudes in
excess of 30,000 feet. The entire NetFires system is designed to be
portable, platform-independent, and compatible with both existing and
future systems, such as the Army's Future Combat Systems. Raytheon is
currently under contract to conduct eight more tests of the NetFires
PAM missile, including seven flight tests using a Raytheon designed
un-cooled infrared and Semi-Active Laser (SAL) seeker. All eight remaining
flight tests will be conducted next year.
With headquarters in Lexington, Mass., Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN)
is a global technology leader in defense, government and commercial
electronics, and business aircraft.
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