Dominique Stump
The U.S. Army has received the first updated Tactical Missile System with new guidance electronics and target elimination features from Lockheed Martin.
Lockheed said Wednesday the TACMS missiles underwent a refurbishment process at its production facility in Camden, Arkansas, in effort to extend the missiles’ service life.
The process also works to allow the integration of new payloads and components as the Army seeks to address warfighter requirements and reset the shelf life of the missiles, the company added.
Ken Musculus, Lockheed vice president for tactical missiles, said the new features of the TACMS aim to support the present and future customer needs.
The Army’s TACMS Service Life Extension Program inventory refurbishment effort requires old submunition warheads to be disassembled, demilitarized and replaced with unitary warheads.
The initial updated missile is scheduled to undergo flight testing by the end of 2016 at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
TACMS is designed for long-range tactical surface-to-surface engagements and could be launched via multiple launch rocket system launchers.
