YUMA PROVING GROUND, Ariz., 24 Oct. 2010. A two-foot, 13-pound precision-guided bomb designed for use on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has been tested at a U.S. military bombing range by its manufacturer, the Raytheon Co. Missile Systems segment in Tucson, Ariz. The Raytheon Small Tactical Munition (STM) has a dual-mode, semi-active laser seeker and GPS-inertial navigation system that enable the weapon to engage fixed and moving targets in daylight, at night, and in bad weather.
Raytheon flight tested two STM weapons at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz., on two separate passes from a Cobra UAV -- a 10-foot-long, low-cost unmanned aircraft with a 10-foot wingspan designed to support Raytheon's development, integration, and test of unmanned systems technologies. The STM's global positioning system/inertial navigation system guided the weapon to a mid-course position where the smart munition's semi-active laser seeker precisely guided the weapon to the target, Raytheon officials say.
The STM is the smallest bomb in the Raytheon family of weapons. "Current combat operations have highlighted the need for extremely small, precise weapons that are optimally for remotely piloted aircraft," says Bob Francois, Raytheon vice president of advanced missiles and unmanned systems. "STM is part of a portfolio of weapons that meets the warfighter's need in this area."
For more information contact Raytheon Missile Systems online at www.raytheon.com/businesses/rms.
