Matthew Nelson
Lockheed Martin received a $25M contract to help the U.S. Air force assess the feasibility of deploying weapons through an airlifter under the fourth phase of USAF's Palletized Munitions Experimentation Campaign.
The campaign's goal is to build a modular air-launched weapon delivery platform that uses the standard airdrop process and integrates with large transport aircraft such as C-17 and C-130, Lockheed said Wednesday.
During the initial phase, USAF performed five airdrops at a high altitude using an MC-130J or a C-17 to demonstrate the deployment of a Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile system from an airlifted via simulated method.
Phase 4 activity will involve a system-level demonstration scheduled for 2021.
"Despite the Palletized Munitions program being relatively new, it’s moving very quickly,†said Scott Callaway, director of Lockheed's advanced strike systems business.
Callaway added that the company and the Air Force Research Laboratory established the new contract within a 30-day period.
