Article Posted on : - Jan 14, 2011

Raytheon's Griffin missile.

WASHINGTON (BNS): The US Navy may choose Raytheon Griffin missiles to replace the non-line of sight (NLOS) missile on its Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), US surface warfare division director Rear Admiral Frank Pandolfe has said.

Raytheon Griffin installation on the LCS will cost less than the larger NLOS system and can hit targets at acceptable ranges, according to online media reports.

A short-range version of the weapon would be fielded around mid-decade, followed by a longer-range version a couple of years later, the report added.

The Griffin is a short-range air-to-surface missile developed by Raytheon. It is tube-launched, with a 5.5 inches diameter, weighs 45 pounds, and has a semi-active laser seeker.

It has a 13-lb warhead, smaller than the Hellfire missile system, which has the effect of reducing the potential for collateral damage.

The Griffin missile and launch assembly is also significantly lighter than the Hellfire, allowing more to be mounted on the payload-limited Predator A.

Raytheon has developed it as a low-cost modular system, using components from earlier projects, among others the FGM-148 Javelin and the AIM-9X Sidewinder.