Boeing Team Gets USAF Contract for UAV Miniature Weapon Development

A team led by Boeing received a US Air Force Research Laboratory contract for the first phase of a program to demonstrate miniature weapon technology for use on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

As the prime contractor during the initial 9-month program, Boeing will use its experience on the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) and Small Diameter Bomb programs to develop the system integration, seeker, avionics, guidance and control, and mission planning systems.

The team includes:

• KaZaK Composites, which will build the airframe;
• Ensign Bickford Aerospace & Defense Co., which will design and build the warhead;
• Systima Technologies, which will provide integration and testing services for the launcher;
• Science Applications International Corp., which will provide systems engineering for the seeker and seeker algorithms; and
• Mustang Technology Group, which will provide height-of-burst and radar options.

Noted Carl Avila, director of Boeing Phantom Works’ Advanced Weapons and Missiles: “UAVs are increasingly called upon to perform strike operations, and this weapon technology is designed specifically for those missions. The concept behind this technology is designed to generate very low collateral damage and allows warfighters to engage a variety of targets, including those in a suburban terrain environment.”

Additional Readings

• James Hasik (Nov 17/09) – Boeing’s new bomb, Goodrich’s new MEMS, and further thoughts on military-industrial restructuring