Raytheon Missile Systems (RMS) is promoting the combination of three airborne weapons systems, as a means to ensure that fourth-generation, non-stealthy aircraft can penetrate advanced air defense systems. The High-speed Anti Radiation Missile (HARM); Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW); and Miniature Air Launched Decoy (MALD) were developed separately by the company, “but now we can deliver a tailored package,” said Cesar Rodriguez, director of international programs and growth for RMS.
Speaking at The Fighter Conference organized by Defence IQ in London last month, Rodriguez outlined scenarios that would permit “previously vulnerable strike aircraft to attack with impunity,” he claimed. One of the key themes of the conference was that not all nations will operate low-observable (LO) combat aircraft; those that do will likely have to retain non-LO aircraft as well; and that coalition operations will demand a combination of both.
Rodriguez told AIN that Raytheon’s modeling and simulation had been highly rated by the U.S. Air Force. This led RMS to “think outside the box about synchronization, to deliver an affordable response to the A2/AD threat.” The scenarios showed strike packages moving closer to a defended area, with some targets identified for attack by the missile combination, by powerful standoff platforms such as JSTARS or River Joint.
MALD is a high-fidelity decoy that can replicate various signatures, from UAVs to individual combat aircraft to strike packages, at ranges up to 500 nautical miles. The latest MALD-J version adds radar jamming. MALD can be launched from various airborne platforms, including large ones, to stimulate the opposition’s air defense systems. These can then be attacked (at sea as well as on land) by HARM at ranges up to 80 nautical miles, which offers both launch-before-lock and launch-after-lock modes, plus utility as a radar warning receiver (RWR). In its latest HARM Control Section Modification (HCSM) guise, this missile can attack complex and non-radiating targets through the addition of a GPS receiver and an improved inertial navigation system. HCSM also features a digital flight computer that merges targeting solutions from navigation and seeker systems.
Additionally, the low-signature, all-weather, day/night JSOW can be launched from beyond the range of air defenses (for example, more than 60 nautical miles) to attack with a circular error probability (CEP) of four feet in the latest AGM-154C version, thanks to its imaging infrared (IIR) sensor.
To date, MALD can be found only in the U.S. inventory, although export dialogs are taking place, Rodriguez told AIN. HARM has been sold to seven countries, and JSOW to five.
