ATACMS Penetrator Completes Final Flight Test

Released on Monday, August 15, 2005

Lockheed Martin and Sandia National Laboratories successfully conducted the final flight test of a Tactical Missile System - Penetrator (TACMS-P) recently at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.

The TACMS-P flew 136 kilometers and performed as expected, meeting all test objectives. The first flight, conducted on March 11, 2004, was also fully successful. Lockheed Martin is partnered with Sandia National Laboratories to design and test this latest variant of the combat-proven Army TACMS family of munitions.

Test objectives included integration and separation of a live Earth Penetrating Warhead (EPW) from a modified Army TACMS missile. The TACMS-P was fired from a Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) M270A1 launcher at ambient conditions, and flew to a pre-determined altitude and speed to separate the EPW from the booster. After separation, the booster locked fins and continued on a ballistic path while the EPW guided to a fixed, hard target.

The test was conducted under an Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) funded, joint US Army/US Navy Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) program that began in Fiscal Year 2001. The overall program demonstrated integration of the Army TACMS booster with a Navy Strategic Systems Program (SSP) re-entry vehicle built by Sandia National Laboratories.