Marine AH-1Z Attack Helicopter’s Mystery Missiles Identified

Beforehand unknown munitions seen loaded on the stub wings of a U.S. Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter in an image launched earlier this 12 months have been recognized. They’re members of L3Harris’ modular Pink Wolf household of ‘launched results,’ which will be configured as weapons, in addition to for non-kinetic roles, together with as communication relay nodes. At current, the Marines primarily see Pink Wolf as a path to giving its AH-1Zs an all-new standoff strike capability towards targets on land and at sea that might assist make sure the relevance of the helicopters in future high-end fights.

Marine Col. Scott Shadforth named Pink Wolf because the munition his service is now working beneath its Lengthy Vary Assault Missile (LRAM) undertaking throughout a presentation on the annual Modern Day Marine exposition earlier at the moment, at which TWZ was in attendance. Shadforth is at the moment head of Naval Air Methods Command’s (NAVAIR) Expeditionary and Maritime Aviation-Superior Improvement Crew (XMA-ADT). He additionally supplied further particulars about LRAM, which he described as a “protection innovator accelerator” effort feeding into a bigger program of report referred to as the Precision Assault Strike Missile (PASM).

In February, NAVAIR released the aforementioned image of the Pink Wolf-toting AH-1Z, seen on the prime of this story and beneath, at which era the munitions had been recognized solely as “a brand new Lengthy Vary Precision Hearth (LRPF) functionality.” L3Harris had additionally quietly recognized Pink Wolf straight because the munition seen within the image in a release earlier this month. A Marine AH-1Z has carried out not less than one profitable check launch of a Pink Wolf.

“So, the present [LRAM] effort that ADT is engaged on proper now could be primarily based on L3Harris’ Pink Wolf,” Shadforth mentioned at Trendy Day Marine in direct response to a query from TWZ‘s Howard Altman. “So usually talking, range-wise, you’re taking a look at low triple-digit vary capability on it and double-digit time of flight.”

Shadforth didn’t specify any items of measure, however the Marines have talked a few most vary of not less than 150 nautical miles (simply over 170 miles or practically 278 kilometers) for LRAM/PASM up to now. Assuming “double-digit time of flight” right here is measured in minutes, this could imply Pink Wolf has a subsonic cruising pace.

Different particulars concerning the Pink Wolf household, and the particular model that the Marines are experimenting with now, stay restricted. Pink Wolf was initially developed in secret for the Pentagon’s Strategic Capabilities Workplace (SCO), and it first emerged publicly on the U.S. Military’s Experimentation Demonstration Gateway Event in 2021 (EDGE 21). Aviation Week reported at the time that the Pink Wolf demonstrated at EDGE 21 was a six-foot-long design powered by an unspecified German-made turbojet and able to being launched by an MQ-1C Gray Eagle drone, however no footage had been launched.

Nonetheless, “for consciousness, we now have a number of derivatives of the baseline which have flown and supply for quite a lot of ranges, payloads and capabilities,” L3Harris informed TWZ in Febraury when requested for extra particulars about what was seen within the image NAVAIR had launched. “For consciousness, L3Harris has developed a household of merchandise to deal with long-range precision fireplace necessities for manned and unmanned platforms that may deal with quite a lot of buyer calls for.”

At the moment, the corporate had declined to call what it had equipped to the Marine Corps. The XMA-ADT has additionally drawn a connection between LRAM and an unspecified Air Force munition up to now, however Col. Shadforth mentioned at the moment he was personally unaware of that.

“Crucial facet is that we’re now giving VTOL [vertical takeoff and landing] platforms important standoff [capability] that they’ve by no means had earlier than, having the ability to ship precision fires roughly over the horizon,” Col. Shadforth mentioned at the moment.

As TWZ has famous in earlier reporting on LRAM/PASM, a munition with a most vary of round 170 miles would dramatically lengthen the attain of Marine AH-1s. The missiles obtainable to these helicopters now, AGM-114 Hellfires and AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM), have most ranges of beneath 10 miles. Hellfires and JAGMs with tripled and doubled ranges, respectively, have been examined, however that also falls far in need of what the Marines are aiming for with LRAM/PASM.

Shadforth additionally highlighted broader implications of the LRAM effort and the follow-on PASM program of report, together with using one thing like Pink Wolf in roles past that of an air-launched munition. Apparently, the Pink Wolf demonstrated at EDGE 21 was employed not as a munition, however as a sign relay, in response to Aviation Week.

“The chance that LRAM supplies is the modularity that may include it. So kinetic [and] non-kinetic capabilities,” Shadforth mentioned. “After which we will definitely get into an open debate of, is it a weapon? Is it an air-launched impact? Is it a UAS [uncrewed aerial system; drone]? How are we defining these capabilities?”

In recent times, the Marine Corps has already been experimenting with handing off control of long-range loitering munitions between aerial platforms, in addition to forces at sea and on the bottom, to prosecute targets at prolonged ranges. Pink Wolf ‘launched results’ configured as communications relay nodes may assist additional lengthen connectivity for Marine forces, together with into extra contested environments, and with out placing a crewed platform at higher threat. They may additionally present different non-kinetic results like digital warfare jamming.

“Having the ability to apply that functionality, not essentially having to interrupt into the arduous construction of the air automobile, however placing all of it on pill, and controlling being tablet-based means,” is one other vital facet of the LRAM effort, in response to Shadforth. In February, NAVAIR had noted the use of the Marine Air-Ground Tablet (MAGTAB) as a part of the testing of the then-unidentified munitions on the AH-1Z.

The usage of a MAGTAB-based management system, in flip, may open pathways to extra fast integration of further munitions and different capabilities onto the AH-1 and different Marine plane. Pill-based management programs have been used in Ukraine to assist add Western precision munitions to the arsenals of that country’s Soviet-era combat jets. They’ve additionally been employed in Turkey as a part of the combination of locally developed weapons onto U.S.-made F-16 Viper fighters.

Total, what we find out about LRAM/PASM continues to align with what Marine Col. Nathan Marvel informed TWZ in an interview back in 2023, the place he laid out a case for the continued relevance of the AH-1Z, in addition to the UH-1Y, particularly within the context of a possible future main combat towards China within the Pacific. At the moment, Marvel was in control of Marine Plane Group 39 (MAG-39) primarily based at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton in California. He went on to develop into head of the Fast Capabilities Workplace and Science and Know-how Directorate throughout the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab (MCWL).

“I used to be a bit annoyed concerning the dialog they had been having about what the subsequent combat seems like. It was a few combat with a peer competitor and the distances we had over water with China and that H-1s weren’t going to be there,” Marvel mentioned in 2023. “I used to be like sure they’re. Not solely are we going to be there however we’re going to be proper beside the Marines within the area as a result of that’s what we do.”

“Coming again to that interoperability, it’s a number of pathways and a number of waveforms. I don’t assume we are saying kill chains anymore, as a result of it’s not a linkage of nodes, it’s a linkage of webs,” he added. “We might very effectively be an enabler the place you’re pushing information by us by way of voice and or information and we might very effectively be the tip of that kill net or that kill chain enabler as effectively. We might inform somebody the place one thing is to allow them to go kill it or we preserve custody or somebody might inform us the place one thing is so we will go kill it like we now have historically carried out. Interoperability is a large focus for us.”

“We’re going to have the ability to carry a Potpourri of weapons. It could not be unheard of to hang some exquisite fixed-wing fighter weapons on the wing-stub of a cobra and produce that to a combat,” Marvel continued. “It might be a loitering weapon or possibly an beautiful pod that does solely sure issues that we’re used to seeing on fixed-wing plane and produce that to the combat and put that down on the rotor wing stage to allow the battlespace commander and the maneuver component commander to do issues that they might or might not have thought they may do earlier than. In order that’s sort of the place we’re with capabilities buildup.”

Whether or not or not Pink Wolf is what the Marines finally choose for the PASM program of report stays to be seen.

“Proper now, we’re centered on the Pink Wolf as a part of the [LRAM] undertaking that we’re engaged on proper now. Nonetheless, we’re very open-minded and at all times preserve our ears to the bottom to the rest that is likely to be a viable resolution down the street,” Col. Shadforth famous at the moment.

Lengthy-range ‘launched effects’ and small cruise missiles are a rapidly expanding and often overlapping area of weapons improvement, and there are prone to be a rising array of choices which may additionally meet the Marines’ PASM wants.

Within the meantime, L3Harris’ Pink Wolf is not less than serving to the Marines lay the groundwork for integrating an vital new standoff strike weapon onto its AH-1Zs, and one that might open the door to further capabilities down the road.

Howard Altman contributed to this story.

Contact the creator: joe@twz.com