Airbus to fly new CUAS UAV prototype this year
The counter-UAS prototype, named Low-cost Air Defence or ‘LOAD’, will be used to combat kamikaze UAS.
The missiles that decide the outcome of conflicts are powered by rocket motors. The more active the conflict, the more rocket motors are needed. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics have signed a strategic teaming agreement for the production of solid rocket motors. The move is aimed at securing a domestic supply chain for the motors that, for instance, fire missiles at their targets.
Such strategic collaborations look to be an emerging defence trend in 2024, following Raytheon’s signing of a deal with Avio in July for the same fundamental purposes. Raytheon justified the collaboration with the logic that more of its rocket motors were being used than had been usual in Ukraine, powering its Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) and AIM-9X AAM missiles, as the resistance to the Russian invasion continued.
The rationale from Lockheed Martin is similar.
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“This agreement enables Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics to ramp production of in-demand solutions more quickly going forward,” said Tim Cahill, president of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “Maintaining a robust and diverse supply chain for solid rocket motors is critical to advancing our vision for a stronger, more resilient defence industrial base.”
The work of the collaborating companies will initially focus on the production of rocket motors for the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) at the General Dynamics facility in Camden, Arkansas, beginning in 2025. Lockheed Martin said the initial collaboration would be followed by a phased planning approach to transition to other products.
The counter-UAS prototype, named Low-cost Air Defence or ‘LOAD’, will be used to combat kamikaze UAS.
The aircraft is the first of 66 to be delivered to Taiwan from Lockheed Martin.
The contract award, worth $240 million, is part of the ongoing effort by the US Army to modernise its Block II Chinook rotorcraft fleet.
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has been substantially refreshed in the past two decades including F-35A and F/A-18F fighter aircraft, as well as the addition of transport aircraft such as C-17s, C-130 variants and C-27Js. Additional aircraft may only be a medium-term prospect.
Australia’s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) industrial plan is ambitious and promises big spending in an effort to create a local and sovereign capability. Companies at last week’s Australian International Airshow near Melbourne were making their pitches.
The Strix test effort suffered a setback last year when the prototype incurred minor damage in a hard landing during its second trial flight.