Raytheon has successfully tested a new weapon specifically designed to be fired from an unmanned aircraft system (UAS).
The Small Tactical Munition bomb – which weighs in at 13-pounds and measures approximately 2-feet long – features a dual-mode, semiactive laser seeker along with a GPS-inertial navigation system.
As such, the small, yet advanced STM is capable of engaging both fixed and moving targets around-the-clock, regardless of weather conditions.
“Current combat operations [in Afghanistan] have highlighted the need for extremely small, precise weapons that are optimally designed for remotely piloted aircraft,” explained Raytheon VP Bob Francoi.
“STM is part of a portfolio of weapons that meets the warfighter’s need in this area.”
He added that the defense company had flight tested a total of two STM weapons on two separate passes from a Cobra UAS.
“The GPS-INS guided the weapons to a mid-course position where the semiactive laser seeker precisely guided the weapon to the target, achieving all test objectives.”
