Raytheon, a provider of mission systems integration, communications, control and command systems for homeland security and defense markets, announced that the U.S. Air Force had conducted the developmental testing (DT) of the company’s latest Maverick missile, the laser-guided AGM-65 E2/L.
The Maverick laser-guided missile is an air-to-ground, direct-attack precision munition that is used for combat operations by the U.S. Marine Corps, Air Force and the Navy. Maverick missiles have been inbuilt on over 25 aircrafts and are used by over 33 countries.
Raytheon’s AGM-65 E2/L laser-guided Maverick has the capabilities of its legacy variants. It can precisely target maneuvering and fast-moving targets even in urban areas. This missile has added capabilities, which allow launch aircraft to guide the weapons to the designated target using onboard laser designators.
The latest Maverick includes new software and an advanced laser seeker that lowers collateral damage. Earlier Mavericks allowed only buddy- and ground-based laser designation, while the AGM-65 E2/L also enables onboard lasing to designate the required targets.
The U.S. Air Force performed the aircraft integration tests, and laboratory and flight tests of the laser-guided missile on F-16, F/A-18, AV-8B and A-10 aircraft. The U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force are involved in the testing effort. The Air Force fired live-shots against static and mobile targets from F-16 and A-10 aircraft, and completed its DT process. The Navy is to perform flight testing this summer. The completion of DT has paved the way for operational testing of the missile.
Source: http://www.raytheon.com/