Lockheed Martin says it has conducted a successful operator-in-the-loop flight test of the Low-Cost Autonomous Attack System at Eglin AFB, Fla. LOCAAS is an autonomous, wide-area search miniature munition that is equipped with laser radar seeker. Launched from a King Air 200 and flying more than 40 nautical miles in 15 minutes, the weapon used its laser radar seeker to search, identify, and report on targets in a planned mission search area. The Air Force Research Lab’s munitions directorate oversees the testing and provide a “flight-rated operator.” Lockheed says that LOCASS has flown five successful flights, one of which featured a live warhead.
The Air Force is moving forward with a new, algorithm-driven system to help U.S. Northern Command better detect airborne threats. NORTHCOM and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which are tasked with protecting the homeland from attack, depend on a slew of radars and other data systems to monitor U.S.…