Ramona Adams
Lockheed Martin and MBDA have wrapped up qualification tests of the latter’s Common Anti-air Modular Missile from Lockheed’s Extensible Launching System three-cell standalone launcher.
MBDA said Thursday the ExLS launcher works to integrate new missiles and munitions into naval surface warships that are equipped with Lockheed’s Mk 41 vertical launching system.
The 3-cell ExLS is designed to fit into Mk 41 to provide high combat mass for larger ships as well as support installation on smaller naval vessels that cannot accommodate large 8-cell MK 41 launchers.
MBDA’s CAMM air defense missile is built to be compact enough to fit multiple weapons in limited spaces.
CAMM is offered in a quad-pack arrangement that supports the storage and deployment of four missiles from a single cell of ExLS or MK 41 launchers.
Joe DePietro, Lockheed vice president of small combatants and ship systems, said ExLS is meant to reduce weapon integration costs by more than 50 percent.
DePietro added that the ExLS and CAMM pairing is designed to provide a low-cost alternative for installing new missiles and munitions into existing and future surface combatants.
Lockheed and MBDA conducted the latest joint trials of ExLS and CAMMÂ in the U.K. in late 2017.
