Raytheon has tested a new warhead for its Small Tactical Munition, a new weapon specifically designed to be employed from UAS. STM is a 13-pound guided munition that is approximately 2 feet long, making it the smallest air-launched weapon in the Raytheon portfolio.
The 13-pound STM is designed for the military’s smaller UAS, such as Shadow, TigerShark, Hunter and Viking, he said. The STM uses a combination of GPS satellite and inertial navigation with semi-active laser targeting, in which the weapon homes in on a laser spot controlled by a pilot or controller. The new blast-fragmentation warhead also provides a much better-controlled explosive effect, lessening the chance of collateral damage. The military hasn’t yet issued a bid request for a small UAS missile, but Raytheon expects one soon.
“The low weight and small size of STM enables UAS to fly farther, faster and carry more weapons then they could if they were limited to carrying a single 100-pound class weapon,” said Bob Francois, Raytheon vice president of Advanced Missiles and Unmanned Systems. “STM’s small size also enables weaponization of smaller UAS, such as the Shadow 200, that currently cannot be weaponized because of payload limitations.”
STM is part of a portfolio of Raytheon weapons built specifically for UAS. Like the other weapons in the portfolio, STM is easy to use because it’s designed with rapid integration in mind and engineered for improved operator system interface. “NammoTalley’s new warhead is purpose-built for Raytheon’s STM and the associated target set encountered in warfare today. This design packs the same ‘punch’ into a smaller package and is optimally designed for this target set,” said John Hill, NammoTalley vice president of business development and program management. “The test proved that a sophisticated warhead analysis combined with proprietary, low-cost manufacturing techniques can provide a powerful and effective solution for the warfighter.”
Raytheon already makes some larger weapons, such as the 500-pound Paveway guided bomb system, that can be carried by the largest UAS, such as the Predator. The company also is developing the 250-pound-class Small Diameter Bomb II, which can be used on larger unmanned aircraft, as well as the 100-pound-class Joint Air to Ground Missile and a new 100-pounder called the Monsoon.
Source: Press Release