Historic Achievement in Yuma, Ariz.
Yuma, Ariz. (December 8, 2023) – In a remarkable display of precision and technological prowess, Lockheed Martin has successfully completed the live firing of eight Spike Non-Line of Sight (NLOS) all up rounds (AURs) over a span of five days. This pivotal event took place at the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, utilizing the advanced Apache Echo Model V6. This significant achievement marks a key step forward in the Spike NLOS Long Range Precision Munitions Directed Requirement (LRPM DR) system’s journey towards Airworthiness Release (AWR) for integration on the U.S. Apache platform.
Enhancing the Apache Fleet
The successful live fire event not only demonstrates the system’s readiness for integration onto the current Apache fleet but also underscores its status as a premier defense solution where precision and accuracy are paramount. “This successful demonstration of Spike NLOS showcases that the system is ready to be integrated onto the Army’s current Apache fleet and provides a premier defense capability of choice when precision and accuracy matter,” emphasized Tom Bargnesi, program management senior manager of the Precision Strike team at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. The AWR facilitates the delivery of state-of-the-art security solutions to the Army, tailored for complex threat environments.
Future Prospects and Integration Timeline
The demonstration, featuring the firing of eight Spike NLOS AURs from an Apache platform at various targets, highlighted the system’s versatile mission capabilities across different scenarios. This demonstration represents one of the final hurdles before the system receives AWR, enabling the Army to commence fielding Spike NLOS on its Apache V6 platforms. Lockheed Martin is set to collaborate with the Army in mid-2024 to train pilots on using the system on the Apache V6 platforms, with an expectation to fully integrate the Spike NLOS LRPM DR system onto all 18 Apache Echo Model V6 platforms by September 2024.
