Article Posted on : - May 10, 2012

AH-64D Block III Apache Helicopters of US Army.

ORLANDO, FLORIDA (BNS): Lockheed Martin's Direct Attack Guided Rocket (DAGR) has successfully tracked and engaged a moving target in a recent demonstration at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona.

"DAGR hit a moving target from 3.5 kilometers," said Hady Mourad, DAGR programme director in Lockheed Martin's Missiles and Fire Control business.

"Defeating high-value targets on the move is a critical capability, and demonstrating this ability is a significant milestone for the precision-strike DAGR," Hady said.

Test pilots launched an inert DAGR round in high winds from an AH-64D Apache, designating the target using the helicopter's lock-on-before-aunch mode. The target was a truck moving at 25 miles per hour, Lockheed Martin said in a statement.

The demonstration, which consisted of four flight tests, also showed other DAGR capabilities including use of lock-on-after-launch mode, a long-range 5 kilometer flight and launch from a 5-degree offset. The DAGR round hit within one metre of the laser spot in all four tests, it said.

The Company has conducted more than 30 DAGR flight tests from ranges of 1 kilometer to 5.1 kilometers. DAGR has been launched from multiple HELLFIRE-equipped rotary-wing platforms, including the AH-64D Apache, AH-6 Little Bird and OH-58 Kiowa Warrior.

DAGR incorporates proven HELLFIRE II technology into a 2.75-inch/70 millimeter module that integrates seamlessly with legacy Hydra-70 rockets.

The result is a laser-guided missile that puts a 10-pound warhead within one metre of the laser spot, devastating high-value, non-armoured or lightly-armoured targets while minimizing collateral damage.

DAGR enables pilots to lock on to targets before or after missile launch, and provides a large engagement envelope that allows them to pursue offset targets with confidence.