The Lockheed Martin BGM-178 RATTLRS (''Revolutionary Approach To Time-critical Long Range Strike'') was an advanced

cruise missile A cruise missile is a guided missile used against terrestrial or naval targets that remains in the atmosphere and flies the major portion of its flight path at approximately constant speed. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhe ...

concept demonstration funded by the

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...

with the view to develop technologies that would then be used to develop a successor to the

BGM-109 Tomahawk The Tomahawk () Land Attack Missile (TLAM) is a long-range, all-weather, jet-powered, subsonic cruise missile that is primarily used by the United States Navy and Royal Navy in ship and submarine-based land-attack operations. Under contract f ...

. The five year contract was awarded on 1 March, 2004. It is a possible solution to

hypersonic In aerodynamics, a hypersonic speed is one that exceeds 5 times the speed of sound, often stated as starting at speeds of Mach 5 and above. The precise Mach number at which a craft can be said to be flying at hypersonic speed varies, since in ...

cruise missile systems for the United States. Lockheed’s

Skunk Works Skunk Works is an official pseudonym for Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Programs (ADP), formerly called Lockheed Advanced Development Projects. It is responsible for a number of aircraft designs, beginning with the Lockheed P-38 Lightn ...

was the prime contractor, while Rolls-Royce Liberty Works was designing the YJ102R high-Mach turbine engine. The missile's airframe bears resemblance to the

BrahMos The BrahMos (also designated as PJ-10)SR-71 The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" is a Range (aeronautics), long-range, high-altitude, Mach number, Mach 3+ military strategy, strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporati ...

, or to the D-21 drone. The missile's airframe design would enable it to cruise at very high speeds to strike a target over 1,000 kilometers in less than 30 minutes. The missile would be ideal for engaging on-the-move or about to move targets, and could possibly be a suitable

anti-ship missile An anti-ship missile (AShM) is a guided missile that is designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea skimming variety, and many use a combination of inertial guidance and active radar homing. A good ...

, utilizing its tremendous speed to evade enemy CIWS defenses. In comparison to the Russian-Indian BrahMos, the RATTLRS is slightly slower, but has double, if not triple the range, and has a larger variety of launch platforms, since it has the capability to launch from the Mk. 41 VLS system, as well as a multitude of American aircraft.

Specifications

Name: RATTLRS (Revolutionary Approach to Time Critical Long Range Strike)
Type: Long-range hypersonic cruise missile test vehicle
Developed: Lockheed Martin, Raytheon
Length: 21 ft Diameter: 520 mm
Engine: Rolls-Royce YJ102R turbojet
Warhead: 500 lbs penetrating HE or submunition dispensing warhead
Cruise speed: Mach 3+
Range: 500+ nm (1,000+ km)
Platforms: air-launched or even surface launchedPopular Mechanics: It's More Powerful Than A Blackbird (And It Fits In The Trunk)
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References

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20080908014742/http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/press_releases/2006/LOCKHEEDMARTINDEMONSTRATESPENETRATO.html

* ttp://www.popularmechanics.com/science/2875216 Popular Mechanics: It's More Powerful Than A Blackbird (And It Fits In The Trunk)br>ONR RATTLRS fact sheet
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Cruise missiles of the United States {{missile-stub