Fulcrum moves forward in developing airborne launcher that deploys rockets, missiles, and uncrewed aircraft

Summary points:

• Army greenlights phase 3 of Fulcrum’s Modular Effects Launcher with a $14.9 million order, which brings the MEL program to $29.7 million; work runs through Sept. 2027.
• MEL can deploy missiles, rockets and small UAVs that deliver kinetic and non-kinetic effects — all via an open-architecture jettisonable launcher.
• Currently for UH-60 Black Hawk with potential fit on Gray Eagle and other UAVs; ALEs are low-cost, attritable/optionally recoverable and provide reconnaissance, EW, precision strikes and battle-damage assessment.

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. – Airborne weapons experts at Fulcrum Concepts LLC in Mattaponi, Va., are moving forward with developing a weapons launcher able to shoot missiles, rockets, and small uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with sensors and explosives under terms of a $14.9 million order announced earlier this month.

Officials of the Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., announced are asking Fulcrum to proceed with the third phase of the Modular Effects Launcher (MEL). Phase-three calls for continued MEL development, testing, and integration.

The Modular Effects Launcher can deploy missiles, rockets, and multi-purpose mini-drones called air-launched effects (ALE), which are small uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with sensors and weapons for delivering kinetic and non-kinetic, lethal and non-lethal effects to identify and attack threats beyond the weapons range of MEL's host aircraft.

Fulcrum won an Army contract to develop the Modular Effects Launcher in 2021 for what was to be the Army's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) high-speed light scout helicopter to replace the retired OH-58 Kiowa helicopter.

Helicopters and UAVs

The Army cancelled the FARA program last year, and instead shifted emphasis to advanced uncrewed aircraft and other reconnaissance capabilities. For now, the Modular Effects Launcher is for the Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, and in the future may be fitted to the Army Gray Eagle uncrewed aircraft and other UAVs. This latest order brings the total value of the MEL contract to $29.7 million.

MEL is designed with an open systems architecture to enable rapid integration of new technologies for different missions. It also can be jettisoned in emergencies. MEL is to support scalable mission effects in urban, mountainous, desert, jungle, and maritime settings.

In addition to launching ALE, the MEL can launch precision-guided munitions like the Raytheon Griffin missile to engage threats safely beyond enemy sensor and weapons ranges.

ALE consists of an uncrewed aircraft, sensor and weapons payloads, mission system applications, and support equipment. The ALE should be able to identify and attack threats from beyond weapons range of the aircraft hosting the Modular Effects Launcher.

Tell me more about multi-effects payloads and munitions ...

• Multi-effects munitions are advanced, programmable weapons that deliver several blast, fragmentation, armor penetration, and airburst effects from one munition. Multi-effects payloads combine several types of effects from uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), crewed aircraft, or ground weapons. Payloads can involve electronic warfare (EW), reconnaissance, precision strikes, and communications in one integrated package. The goal is to enable one aircraft or ground weapon to perform several coordinated functions simultaneously.

The ALE should be able to deliver kinetic and non-kinetic, lethal and non-lethal mission effects against several different kinds of threats, as well as provide battle damage assessment video.

The intent of ALE is to provide scalable effects to detect, locate, disrupt, decoy, deliver lethal effects against enemy forces. The relatively low-cost ALE will be attritable or optionally recoverable, and uses a modular open systems design for modularity and rapid integration of new technologies.

On the MEL order, Fulcrum will do the work in Mattaponi, Va., and should be finished by September 2027. For more information contact Fulcrum Concepts online at https://fulcrumconceptsllc.com/product/modular-effects-launcher-mel-2/, or the Army Contracting Command-Redstone at https://acc.army.mil/contractingcenters/acc-rsa/.