Raytheon Demonstrating Submarine Launched AIM-9X

Released on Monday, February 06, 2006

A Raytheon-led team successfully launched an AIM-9X from a stationary, vertical platform last November. The missile successfully locked on after launch and hit its target in a test of its potential launch from a submarine.

The test was conducted for the Naval Sea Systems Command at the US Army's McGregor Test Range in New Mexico November 19, 2005. A successful test firing matures the technology that will provide the Navy with a new capability when the Joint Battlespace is near the coast at a fraction of the cost of developing a new weapon system.

The new system is an existing launch capability married to a proven weapon fired from a submarine at periscope depth. In partnering with the Navy and Northrop Grumman, Raytheon-led team has been able to take an already proven off-the-shelf weapon, make software modifications, use existing launch technology, and give the combatant commander another option in the coastal Joint Battlespace.

The recent test launch also represents a significant step toward enabling the submarine force to strike targets with surprise from shallower coastal waters. Now, in addition to MK-48 torpedo and the Tomahawk cruise missile, submarine forces will have the option of another weapon system making them a more versatile player in the integrated battlespace.

For this test, the missile was launched from a stationary, vertically-oriented US Army XM-85 Chaparral launcher. The AIM-9X missile successfully acquired and destroyed a slow moving helicopter drone target with a direct hit. AIM-9X missiles are normally launched from fighter aircraft.The US Navy is heading toward having the capability to strike enemy patrol aircraft, helicopters, and high speed patrol boats.

The test is part of a multi-year risk retirement program that may lead to full scale development. In addition to testing upgraded missile guidance and target acquisition software, the firing demonstrated the potential for underwater vertical launch from a capsule and the missile's ability to quickly reach stable flight when starting from a stationary platform.