History MGM-166 LOSAT

1 history

1.1 hvm
1.2 aaws-h
1.3 cancellation

history
hvm

losat developed out on earlier vought project, hvm. hvm multi-platform weapon supported air force, a-10, , army , marine corps, helicopters , other vehicles. hvm offered performance similar existing systems agm-114 hellfire offered semi-fire-and-forget operation through use of flir tracking , guidance commands sent via low-power laser. carried on platform had flir support, self-contained command guidance system able carried externally, or potentially integrated existing target designators. end of cold war, air force pulled out of project, , development work on hvm appears have ended in late 1980s.

aaws-h

at same time, in 1988, army released new requirement ground-based anti-tank system, known advanced anti-tank weapon system - heavy, or aaws-h short. aaws-h specified air-liftable lightweight system capability knock out existing or near-future tank outside own gun range. tow missile guided concealed locations, did not offer needed range , relatively slow flight speeds (~250 m/s versus 1650 hvm) left vulnerable while missile in flight.

to fill aaws-h, vought developed larger extended-range version of hvm known kem (kinetic energy missile), while partner, texas instruments, provided new flir targeting system working on tow upgrade. several vehicles studied mount system, including front-runner m2 bradley, m8 armored gun system. however, in order reduce costs , improve air mobility in post–cold war world, losat emerged on extended-length heavy-duty humvee hard-top containing 4 kems ready fire, along trailer containing 8 rounds in two-round packs. new guidance system keep 2 missiles in flight separate targets, allowing vehicle salvo fire weapons against tank squadron in few seconds. reaching speeds of 5,000 ft/s, losat in air launch maximum range under 4 seconds, making counterfire extremely difficult. range beyond of existing main tank guns, allowing losat fire , move before tanks maneuver position return fire.

the first kems test fired in 1990, , contract continued development placed army. slower in pace, , in 1997 advanced technology concept demonstrator program started bring system production quality. contract called 12 losat vehicles , 144 kems, delivered 2003. before contract complete, army asked production run of 108 missiles in august 2002. first of 12 losat units delivered in october 2002, , system began series of 18 production-qualification test firings in august 2003, @ white sands missile range in new mexico. march 2004, 18 kems had been fired @ targets under variety of conditions, both during day , night. 8 fired in summer of 2004 @ fort bliss part of user-testing exercise.

cancellation

by time test program finished obvious army going cancel losat after low-rate initial production (lrip) batch of 435 missiles delivered. point army had started work on system known compact kinetic energy missile (or ckem), based on losat concepts smaller , lighter, more in tune real-world threats. turned out, lrip contract never funded, , losat program terminated.