AFRL, Lockheed sign new agreement

DAYTON — The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate and Lockheed Martin have signed a five-year cooperative research and development agreement to assess the viability of its cooled tri-mode seeker for use in Air Force weapons.

Lockheed Martin and AFRL will work together over the next five years to thoroughly assess tri-mode weapon capabilities, emerging targeting concepts and guidance techniques.  Data and analysis from this effort will enable AFRL to develop a baseline for integrating seekers onto future U.S. Air Force weapon platforms intended to engage stationary and mobile targets in day, night and adverse weather conditions.

The tri-mode seeker combines a semi-active laser sensor, an imaging infrared sensor and a millimeter wave radar into a single seeker.  All three sensor modes run simultaneously and share information in flight, allowing pilots to defeat moving and stationary targets on land, at sea, in adverse weather and in an obscured/countermeasure environment.

AFRL has its headquarters at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.