Lockheed Martin officials rolled out a new strike weapon program for defense reporters visiting the company’s Orlando Missiles and Fire Control facility Wednesday, touting the Low Cost Miniature Cruise Missile as the “mini-JASSM.” Fielding a 1,000-pound, 100 nautical mile plus loiter time standoff weapon (with a 750 nautical mile range) inside the F-22 Raptor’s internal weapons bay could easily dispense with tactical targets in the opening hours of a conflict, said Lockheed’s Jim Pappafotis—head of the company’s strike weapons division. Looking at a 2008 advanced concept demonstration date, Pappafotis said the weapon’s viability has already been tested on a test bed at Holloman AFB, N.M. The LCMCM is about 144 inches to the JASSM’s 168 inches, said Pappafotis, adding that the weapon can attack moving and fixed targets with a smaller and more lethal warhead as well as multiple guided sub munitions.
The Pentagon’s head of research and engineering is prioritizing technologies that can penetrate and operate inside highly contested enemy territory. Top among them are artificial intelligence and autonomy. Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu said other priorities on the list include creating the technology and standards for…