One of the few technologies to survive cancellation of the Army’s multi-billion dollar contacting fiasco known as FCS is the Non Line-of-Sight Launch System’s (NLOS-LS) Precision Attack Missile. Only it turns out the NLOS missile isn’t so precise. In recent tests out at White Sands, New Mexico, the missile failed to hit its target four out of six times, Defense News’ Kate Brannen reports. Not only did it miss, but it missed by a lot:
“Test missiles failed to hit a moving tank 20 kilometers away, a moving infantry vehicle 10 kilometers away, a stationary tank 30 kilometers away, and a stationary truck 35 kilometers away. It missed the infantry vehicle by 20 meters, and the truck by 25 kilometers.”
The only two hits came when the missile used its laser designator instead of the errant infrared seeker. The story says the Army is looking at scaling back its buy of the NLOS missiles that cost $466,000 apiece in favor of a cheaper alternative.
– Greg
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Long-ranged IR guidance against ground clutter is way too nonspecific (more suitable for terminal guidance). IAI uses radar guidance for their "missiles-in-a-box" instead.
http://theasiandefence.blogspot.com/2009/09/iai-u…
25 kilos WOW
That's too bad. Of course, every weapons system has growing pains. Hopefully the problem turns out to be an easy fix. If not, back to the drawing board. Eventually something like this will work and be fielded … the missiles-in-a-box concept is just to useful and convenient not to be pursued.
Missiles-in-a-box can transform any decently sized truck or ship into a powerful strike force. No need for expensive custom-designed vehicles to house the missiles — you just need enough space to secure the box.
"The only two hits came when the missile used its laser designator" Why not make the missiles be only used with a laser designator? Surely if the Army of the future is going to be hooked up to all these wireless 24/7 360 degree situational awareness, they will be carrying atleast 1 laser designator with them. Problem solved already!
“Test missiles failed to hit a ……… stationary truck 35 kilometers away. It missed the……..truck by 25 kilometers.” ?? Please tell me that's a typo, and that the miss distance shold have read "25 meters" (about 27.6 yards), not "25 kilometers" (about 15.6 miles). Otherwise, what this thing needs is a multi-megaton thermonuclear warhead. Or an exorcism.
Regards & all,
Thomas L. Nielsen
Luxembourg
The real scandal is $466K a missile. Who could afford to be shooting a box of these?
And you don’t think every other missile in the inventory is just as expensive? It’s a highly sophisticated computer and an expensive-to-manufacture warhead strapped to an aerodynamically designed steel tube powered by a solid state rocket motor and cooled with a cryoengine. This is the price we pay for precision. I say bring back carpet bombing.
According to Wikipedia, the Hellfire wwas $65K a copy. A JDAM kit is around $20K. The new laser guided Hydras are supposed to be around $10K. The NLOS were supposed to be in that range, not as expensive as a Tomahawk.
"Well fix it dammit"
The NLOS-LS has potential if we can get it working. Everything has some initial problems, could turn into a good weapon.
From the original article:
"The NLOS-LS Precision Attack Missiles (PAM) are slated to cost $466,000 apiece in 2011, according to budget documents submitted to Congress Feb. 1. "
These are just the _development_ prototypes. That's why they are so expensive. The PAM will NOT cost $466K a piece in production. That would be insane.
There are many problems with this article and whoever wrote this should have their credentials removed, learn what the system actually is before you write and maybe think about retaking ENG comp II. This is no way a defense of the missile but simply would like to see better articles written by someone who knows and researches their information before writing!
Four hundred grand? For God's sake, just go buy an R/C plane and glue on a satphone and a shaped charge.
You could even use the iPhone R/C application so some colonel could steer it into a village over his morning coffee.
this is worth the investment. if it had laser guidance you could really poop on somebodys party, stick with this.
2011 price for the missile is 466K each. Knowing the program, 2011 is LRIP I or II which has production volumes of around a couple of hundred. By comparison, FRP is suppossed to have production volumnes of around 3,000 per year. That said, don't expect the price to be cut dramatically at FRP. A price drop of even 50% in FRP is unlikely. Doesn't surprise me that the thing costs so much knowing the primes that are working on it……