Raytheon Laser-Guided Maverick on track for developmental, operational testing
Raytheon Company’s AGM-65E2/L, the newest variant of the laser-guided Maverick missile, is on track to enter developmental and operational testing.
The laser-guided Maverick missile is a direct-attack, air-to-ground precision munition used extensively by the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps in ongoing combat operations.
“Raytheon, the US Air Force and the US Navy just finished a critical design review, and the team is now in the process of building hardware needed to begin rigorous design verification and qualification testing of key subsystems,” said Darryl Kreitman, director of Raytheon’s Maverick program. “Raytheon is working with key suppliers to ensure production begins as soon as the operational testing phase of the program concludes.”
The AGM-65E2/L will have an enhanced laser seeker and new software, reducing the risk of collateral damage and enabling aircraft to use onboard lasers to designate targets.
“In my opinion, the laser-guided Maverick is an ideal weapon for urban combat and high-speed maneuvering targets,” said Col. Perry Oaks, commander of the US Air Force’s 784th Combat Sustainment Group. “Maverick is widely integrated and combat proven and offers our nation’s allies a best-value precision solution.”
Source: Raytheon
More from Naval Warfare
-
Ukraine war drives ‘minimum deployable capability’ doctrine in uncrewed systems development
Ukraine’s battlefield has rewritten the rules of uncrewed systems development. For Syos Aerospace, real-time operator feedback, lean serial production and a system-of-systems philosophy are central to its operating model.
-
AUKUS advance on UUVs contrasts with Virginia-class compromise
The AUKUS partnership is accelerating uncrewed undersea capability while its submarine arm inches forward, and Australia’s decision to settle for three in-service Virginia-class boats raises questions about industrial risk, dependency and whether Pillar II may deliver meaningful capability long before Pillar I can.
-
Peru partnership may serve as a template for South Korean naval exports into South America
With a growing pipeline of naval modernisation programmes in South America, South Korean companies could be set to expand their presence in the region as recent contract wins highlight growing collaboration.
-
AUKUS plan B? Japan’s submarines stopgap gains traction
Australia’s Collins-class life of type extension has revived debate over whether Canberra needs a contingency plan as risks to every stage of the AUKUS pathway mount. With Japan newly open to exports, the case for a diesel-electric stopgap is gaining traction.
-
Seoul’s SSN programme launch raises questions on fuel, tech and build location
Seoul has unveiled its “Jangbogo-N Project” to develop domestically built, nuclear-propelled attack submarines in close coordination with Washington, marking an escalation of the Republic of Korea’s deterrence posture against Pyongyang’s undersea nuclear capabilities.