Lockheed Martin Vought Systems Line Of Sight Anti-Tank (LOSAT) weapon system

The Line Of Sight Anti-Tank (LOSAT) weapon system consists of the Kinetic Energy Missile (KEM). and its ITAS-based fire-control system mounted on a wheeled chassis.

The system is being developed by Lockheed Martin Vought Systems (previously Loral Vought Systems Corporation) under contract to the then US Army Missile Command, to provide a highly lethal, long-range deployable anti-tank system which can engage and defeat all present and future armoured threats.

The KEM missile developed out of the old Hypervelocity Missile (HVM) programme and is designed to destroy a target using its high velocity of approximately 1,500 m/s, combined with a long rod penetrator that can penetrate protective armour.

Missile update on the onboard guidance package is accomplished through an aft looking, cryogenically cooled, infra-red receiver in the rear of the missile on the rocket motor nozzle.

A second generation Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) sensor is used for target acquisition and target and missile tracking. A CO? laser is used for target ranging as well as to transmit position information to the in-fight missile.

An all boost rocket motor accelerates the missile to hypervelocity speeds and attitude control motors are placed radially around the missile to provide a full three-dimensional manoeuvre capability.

The original proposal was to mount the system on a modified United Defense Bradley fighting vehicle chassis. It was then decided to use the chassis of the United Defense Armored M8 Gun System (AGS). This would have had 12 KEM's in two six-packs mounted on a new two-man turret installed on the chassis of the AGS.

Following the cancellation of the M8 AGS the system was reconfigured for installation on a modified Expanded Capacity AM General HMMWV (4x4) chassis.

The driver and commander/gunner are seated in an armour protected cab with the four missiles being carried above their position. The roof-mounted sight is in the centre of the roof with replacement missiles,' being loaded in pairs using an onboard crane. The HMMWV can also tow a trailer holding eight LOSAT missiles arranged in two packs.

In June 1996, the LOSAT/KEM was successfully test fired from an expanded capacity HMMWV chassis at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. According to Lockheed Martin Vought Systems, the successful firing proved that the HMMWV was a suitable platform.

Instrumentation in and around the vehicle measured launch effects on a simulated crew and the vehicle itself, with all post launch readings falling well within the US Army's acceptable ranges.

In April 1998, Lockheed Martin Vought Systems was awarded a US$180 million Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) contract to build the LOSAT weapon system by the US Army Aviation and Missile Command.

During the ACTD programme, 12 fire units and 44 missiles will be built for test and evaluation by the US Army. The LOSAT hardware and software will be manufactured by Lockheed Martin Vought Systems at their facilities in Dallas and Camden. All of the vehicles and missiles are due to be completed by March 2003.

Underthe ACTD programme, LOSAT will be required to go through war fighting experiments conducted in three phases.

The first phase will test deployability; the second phase will concentrate on lethality while the third phase studies survivability.

The warfighting experiments will be conducted by the 82nd Airborne Division at various installations throughout the United States. Once these evaluations are complete the 82nd Airborne Division will retain the vehicles and the remaining missiles which will be organised into an anti-armour company for deployment to future conflicts.

According to Lockheed Martin Vought Systems, LOSAT/HMMWV (4 x 4) transportability is as follows: C-5 aircraft, 5; C-17 aircraft, 7; C-141 aircraft, 3; C-130 aircraft, 2; CH-47D helicopter, 1 external load; V-22 helicopter, 1 external load.

Major subcontractors to Lockheed Martin Vought Systems are Texas Instruments for the electro-optical subsystem of the fire-control system, Hercules for the solid propellant rocket motor and GEC Atlanta for the target ranging system.

Technology demonstration phase for US Army.