Raytheon's SLAMRAAM demonstrates ability to intercept UAS

Raytheon Company's Surface Launched Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile successfully intercepted a maneuvering unmanned aircraft system (UAS) during a flight test at White Sands Missile Range, N.M.

"This test highlighted the flexibility and adaptability networked sensors and shooters bring to the warfighter to respond to today's evolving threats," said Pete Franklin, vice president for Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems' National & Theater Security Programs.

"Together with the U.S. Army, we've built upon the proven capabilities of earlier variants of the ground launched AMRAAM currently fielded to our allies and deployed in our nation's capital. This brings us one step closer to the air and missile defense vision of an architecture linking any sensor to any shooter."

SLAMRAAM, operated by Raytheon employees and U.S. Army soldiers, detected and tracked a maneuvering UAS target using a geographically dispersed network of three advanced Sentinel radars employing composite tracking to cue the weapon system. Operators fired an AIM-120C7 missile against the maneuvering UAS target at the system's maximum range.

The engagement was executed from the centralized Integrated Fire Control System commanding a launch from a SLAMRAAM Humvee-based fire unit. Preliminary test data results indicate that the SLAMRAAM system successfully met all test objectives.

Operational testing of the system continues in support of SLAMRAAM low rate initial production planned for late 2009.

SLAMRAAM is a tailorable, state-of-the-art air defense system that can defeat current and emerging cruise missile threats and a wide range of air breathing threats. This affordable adaptation of the AMRAAM to meet emerging needs provides the warfighter with a system of highly mobile battlefield elements networked and geographically distributed to provide integrated fire control capability against airborne threats.