The Affordable Weapon System is a
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 ...
program to design and produce a low cost "off the shelf"
cruise missile launchable from a self-contained unit mounted in a standard
shipping container
A shipping container is a container with strength suitable to withstand shipment, storage, and handling. Shipping containers range from large reusable steel boxes used for intermodal shipments to the ubiquitous corrugated boxes. In the context of ...
.
Specifications
* Length: (w/o booster): 3.32 m (10 ft 11 in)
* Diameter: 34.3 cm (13.5 in)
* Weight: 394 kg (737 lb)
* Speed: 400 km/h (250 mph)
* Ceiling: 4570 m (15000 ft)
* Range: > 1560 km (840 nm)
* Propulsion:
Solid rocket booster and SWB Turbines SWB-65
turbojet
The turbojet is an airbreathing jet engine which is typically used in aircraft. It consists of a gas turbine with a propelling nozzle. The gas turbine has an air inlet which includes inlet guide vanes, a compressor, a combustion chamber, an ...
sustainer.
* Payload: 200 lbs.
* Guidance:
GPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite sy ...
and in-flight
datalink
A data link is the means of connecting one location to another for the purpose of transmitting and receiving digital information (data communication). It can also refer to a set of electronics assemblies, consisting of a transmitter and a recei ...
.
Program status
* April 2002 - International Systems LLC of San Diego, Calif. (subsidiary of
Titan Corp.) awarded a $25,657,312 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for continuing development and implementation.
* June 2005 - Titan awarded a $32.4 million contract modification to produce approximately 85 missiles for demonstration, test and evaluation. The contract also includes work for the AWS launcher design and ship integration.
* September 2005 - Titan awards contract for launch systems to
BAE Systems.
* July 2008 -
DOD Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation budget earmarks $15,200,000 for program.
References
External links
SWB Turbines SWB-65
Cruise missiles of the United States
Area denial weapons
Naval weapons
Proposed weapons of the United States
Equipment of the United States Navy
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