NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER WEAPONS DIVISION CHINA LAKE, CA.--A “networked kill-chain” test took place today, Sept. 13, on the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division China Lake land range in California. A SLAM-ER, short for Standoff Land-Attack Missile Expanded Response, was fired by an F/A-18 Hornet and hit a remote-controlled, unmanned truck, which was the intended target.

A Navy operational sensor/command and control (C2) platform was involved in the chain that tracked the 20 miles-per-hour target and broadcast its moving position to the F/A-18. The Hornet then provided those updates to the SLAM-ER missile as it made a direct hit.

Using the weapons system’s man-in-the-loop capability, the pilot provided pinpoint accuracy to the target. “SLAM-ER continues to demonstrate current networked weapon capability while reducing risk and offering growth potential for future precision strike weapons such as Harpoon III and Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW) Block III," stated Dan Carreno, Weapons Division SLAM-ER/Harpoon project manager. The precision strike SLAM-ER missile is capable of launching from over 150 miles away from its intended target.

Back in June 2006, SLAM-ER completed an initial test where the China Lake Integrated Battlespace Arena (IBAR) simulated the C2 platform and broadcast the position updates over Link 16 to the F/A-18s. This successful test resulted in a direct hit on a simulated surface-to-surface missile launcher traveling at a speed of 20 mph.

Live testing of the moving target test-on-land capability will continue with the sensor aircraft, followed by operational evaluation scheduled for later this fall.

Note: Low resolution digital photo available upon request.

###