Lockheed Martin announces successful live fire demo clears path for Spike NLOS airworthiness release onto US Apache Echo Model V6 helicopter.
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Press Release, Yuma AR, 07 December 2023: Lockheed Martin successfully fired eight Spike NLOS all up rounds (AURs) over the course of five days from the US Apache Echo Model V6 at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. The successful live fire event clears the Spike NLOS Long Range Precision Munitions Directed Requirement (LRPM DR) system for Airworthiness Release (AWR) for the US Apache platform, which paves the way for starting to equip the system onto the US Army’s current Apache V6 platforms.
“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 defence capability of choice when precision and accuracy matter,” said Tom Bargnesi, programme management senior manager of the Precision Strike team at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “The AWR allows delivery of 21st century security solutions to our Army customer for complex threat environments.”
The demonstration featured eight Spike NLOS AURs firing from an Apache platform at a variety of targets, showcasing the system’s different mission set capabilities across multiple scenarios. This demonstration was one of the final steps for the system to receive AWR and allow the Army to begin the fielding Spike NLOS onto its Apache V6 platforms.
In mid-2024, Lockheed Martin will work with the Army to train pilots to use the system on the Apache V6 platforms. The Army expects the Spike NLOS LRPM DR system to be fully integrated onto all 18 Apache Echo Model V6 platforms by September 2024.
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