US Army infantry soldiers carried out most of 17 Spike NLOS missile firings from an Infantry Squad Vehicle at Dugway Proving Grounds, the first launches from that vehicle, in a test for the service’s long-range strike requirement, according to Lockheed Martin.
The three-day demonstration engaged simulated targets at varied ranges, and the company said soldiers completed training and fired live missions within the same week.
More validation testing is due over the next year before Phase 3, when initial operational production begins and final prototypes go to the Army under the Mobile-Long-Range Precision-Strike Missile requirement.
“This demonstration represents a critical milestone for Spike NLOS, showing that our infantry partners can confidently employ a long-range precision missile,” said Casey Walsh, program director, Lockheed Martin Multi-Domain Missile Systems.
“The live‑fire data and soldier feedback gathered here will support the shaping of the final M‑LRPSM requirements and accelerate the fielding of a game‑changing long‑range precision strike capability.”
Lockheed said last year that the missile had been down-selected for the competition after three vehicle-mounted firings at the same range. In Britain, Luke Pollard, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, announced in September that MBDA and Thales have contracts to explore technology for a new beyond-line-of-sight anti-armour weapon, a capability the Army has lacked since Swingfire left service.
