Article Posted on : - Sep 23, 2011

ST. LOUIS (BNS): Boeing and the US Air Force Research Laboratory Counter-electronics High-powered Microwave Advanced Missile Project (CHAMP) have successfully completed the missile's first flight test earlier this year at the Utah Test and Training Range at Hill Air Force Base.

CHAMP is a nonlethal alternative to kinetic weapons that neutralizes electronic targets. It would allow the military to focus on these targets while minimizing or eliminating collateral damage, a Boeing statement said.

During the test flight, the CHAMP missile pointed at a set of simulated targets, confirming that the missile could be controlled and timed while using a High-powered Microwave (HPM) system against multiple targets and locations.

The software used was identical to the software required for a vehicle with a fully integrated HPM system on board, it said.

"It was as close to the real thing as we could get for this test…this demonstration…sets the stage for a new breed of nonlethal but highly effective weapon systems," said Keith Coleman, CHAMP program manager for Boeing Phantom Works.

The three-year, $38 million joint capability technology demonstration program includes ground and flight demonstrations that focus on technology integration risk reduction and military utility. More tests are scheduled for later this year.