LOCKHEED MARTIN'S COMPACT KINETIC ENERGY MISSILE REACHES MAJOR MILESTONES
DALLAS, TX, March 14, 2006 --



Two tests of Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE:LMT] Compact Kinetic Energy Missile (CKEM) were successfully conducted at Aerojet Corporation and ATK Tactical Systems Company.  These tests marked major milestones in the CKEM Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD) program. All test objectives were achieved.


The Attitude Control Motor (ACM) tests, conducted at Aerojet Corporation, demonstrated CKEM’s ballistic performance during cold, hot and ambient temperatures.  Verification of the ACM’s reliability and structural integrity were also demonstrated during this series of tests on 24 flightweight test units.  The flightweight tests were the last in a series of design verification tests.

A ballistic performance test of the second pulse of a CKEM dual pulse rocket motor was successfully completed at ATK Tactical Systems Company.  The primary test objectives of this test included demonstrating second-pulse motor operation and comparing measured motor performance data with pre-test predictions.

“Reaching these milestones brings Lockheed Martin one step closer towards providing the Warfighter a next-generation, extended range kill capability that currently does not exist in the field,” said Rick Edwards, vice president - Tactical Missiles at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.  “We look forward to successfully integrating the ACM Assembly into the missile and, subsequently, entering the System Design and Development (SDD) phase of the program.”  

The CKEM is the next generation kinetic-energy anti-tank missile.  It is less than 60 inches long and weighs less than 100 pounds.  It will have an extended range for direct fire, line-of-sight engagements and will provide the Infantry Brigade Combat Teams, STRYKER Brigades and Future Combat System platforms overwhelming lethality overmatch against all potential target sets.  

Lockheed Martin received a $78 million contract to begin ATD of the CKEM in 2003. Successful completion of sled tests and ATD work will ensure the missile is ready to enter the SDD phase of development in the fall of 2006. Work on the contract will be performed at the company’s facilities in Dallas and El Paso, TX, and Camden, AR.

The Compact Kinetic Energy Missile (CKEM) is the next generation hypervelocity anti-tank missile. CKEM provides the FCS Unit of Action (UA) Infantry companies overwhelming lethality overmatch, high probability of first round kill and near fire and forget capability. The missile is 60 inches long and weighs less than 100 pounds, and has an extended range for direct fire, line-of-sight engagements.  

cool!

i wanna see one in action

So its "kill" method is via KE not its propulsion!?! The renderings seem to show it having conventional propulsion...

Quoted: i wanna see one in action

Google for LOSAT and VIDEO and you might come up with a video that's somewhat similar.
HMMWV-launched high velocity, but not kinetic.
Very cool.

Quoted: So its "kill" method is via KE not its propulsion!?! The renderings seem to show it having conventional propulsion...

it kills like a sabot round kills a tank, not like a HE warhea. I really don't understand what your asking

Quoted: Quoted: i wanna see one in action Google for LOSAT and VIDEO and you might come up with a video that's somewhat similar. HMMWV-launched high velocity, but not kinetic. Very cool.

Here it is.  This is LOSAT (Line-of-sight Anti-tank), but similar in that its a KE / non-explosive projectile.

mfcbastion.external.lmco.com/mfc/videolibrary/LOSAT2.mpg

More information on the LOSAT. www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/losat.htm

Velocity?

Quoted: Velocity?

The CKEM looks like it is a furthur development of the LOSAT system.  Here are the LOSAT stats.

"The Kinetic Energy Missile weighs 174 pounds, is 113 inches long and 6.4 inches in diameter. The current system provides for a three-man crew, but a crew of two can also conduct engagements. With a missile speed of 5,000 feet per second, it reaches maximum range in less than five seconds. The LOSAT missile is a hit-to-kill missile with no explosive warhead. It carries a long-rod penetrator and destroys the target through the application of brute force."

Quoted: Quoted: i wanna see one in action Google for LOSAT and VIDEO and you might come up with a video that's somewhat similar. HMMWV-launched high velocity, but not kinetic. Very cool.

You should also be able to find photos of the CKEM demonstrator being fired, also from a HUMVEE.

Quoted: 120mm SABOT tank round… 5,600fps Long range Cheap Proven

The CKEM is the next generation kinetic-energy anti-tank missile. It is less than 60 inches long and weighs less than 100 pounds. It will have an extended range for direct fire, line-of-sight engagements and will provide the Infantry Brigade Combat Teams, STRYKER Brigades and Future Combat System platforms overwhelming lethality overmatch against all potential target sets.

Quoted: So its "kill" method is via KE not its propulsion!?! The renderings seem to show it having conventional propulsion...

Kinetic energy is directly related to the velocity of the object.  Conventional missiles kill via explosive(chemical) energy, directly related to the size/composition of the explosive in the warhead.

This new thing gets its deadliness from its velocity, without a warhead.  In other words, it's a very large, rocket propelled bullet...it goes fast, hits something, and the energy from its extreme speed is what does the damage, but nothing detonates.

Quoted: 120mm SABOT tank round… 5,600fps Long range Cheap Proven

And LOSAT has 5 times as much energy as they do...

And only requires a HUMVEE.  And can be lifted by helicopter...

And these new ones are the same size as Hellfire- instead of 9 feet long and 180 pounds like LOSAT

I imagine they will give up a little bit in energy to the huge LOSAT.  So maybe they will only be 3 or 4 times more powerful than M829A1

Oh, and unlike the long rod penetrators fired by tank guns the slug in one of these is several times thicker, so even the questionable chance of something like Kontact-5 breaking the rod is pretty much eliminated.  And at that speed, would the FCS on something like ARENA or the Lockeed Martin mini-missile be able to engage it in time? (course the NEXT generation of computers probably would)

IMHO the really intersting CKEM was the LOSER in this project- the Raytheon/NAMMO entry was a inch smaller in diameter and could be fired from a TOW launcher.


The huge backblast precluded firing from a M220 pedistal but it would still of worked from the Bradley and Stryker TOW launchers.

Quoted: 120mm SABOT tank round… 5,600fps Long range Cheap Proven

Putting the missile on light vehicles takes the fight further and faster. They would also have range over the tanks. (theirs, at least)

We are moving away from heavy armor to kill armor. It is getting strange and cool on the battlefield.

Not being able to hide from our vehicle mounted weapons is a big problem for enemy on the battlefield.

I am heartend to hear that we are interdicting more and more explosives being brought across the border from Iran and Syria, int Iraq. It means they are getting hungry for ammo. We can starve off the available materials for heavy IEDs and VBIEDs. We just finished the last destruction of 280 tons of surpluss munitions in Iraq. Now the COE  is going to start the nitty gritty of destroying the captured smaller stockpiles. We are winning. I hope we can push past the Dems and the far left press to retake the congress.  I have hope.

Quoted: Quoted: 120mm SABOT tank round… 5,600fps Long range Cheap Proven Putting the missile on light vehicles takes the fight further and faster. They would also have range over the tanks. (theirs, at least)

Its actually a wash on the range department.  Considering the missiles are being shot from a light armored or unarmored vehicle the tank is free to shoot at them with HE, whose only range limit is how far the tank can see.  A lot depends on what kind of guidance package they give the missile.  The only two HVMs out now are LOSAT and Starstreek.  LOSAT is laser beam riding and Starstreak is SACLOS, those guidance systems give the tank a break. (and yes I know that Starstreek is technically a SAM)

Fortunately we are the only ones who can make this sort of stuff for the next decade or so anyway.  However it does mean that our tanks really need to acquire a RPV of their own so they can watch out for systems like this once other people do start to acquire them.

This is actually only the start of the middle of the US Army's Kenetic Energy Missile Program.  The huge LOSAT was a "threshold" capability.  The "objective" KEM is to be the same size as JAVELIN!

EDIT: Nope, Both LOSAT and Starstreak are Laser beam riding.   Makes sense since originally they both originated from a common program that was a joint venture between the old Shorts and LTV companies.

Quoted: We are moving away from heavy armor to kill armor. It is getting strange and cool on the battlefield. Not being able to hide from our vehicle mounted weapons is a big problem for enemy on the battlefield.

Only temporarily.  Its just where technology is right now.  On the other hand tanks are getting active defense systems that would keep MOST of the new missiles (with possible exception of HVMs)  from hitting unless they are fired in large quantities- quantities that in the near term the missile prices preclude.

Next generation tanks, designed from the ground up with active anti projectile systems, lasers, EM guns and EM armor should jump ahead of AT weapons again.