Commander, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Acquisition Center, Research Development and Engineering Center, Redstone Arsenal, AL 35898-5000

A -- DESIGN FOR DUAL-MODE SAL/LADAR SEEKER CONCEPT FOR MODERNIZED HELLFIRE SOL RU197-98 POC (RDPC) Barry Howard, Contract specialist, AMSAM-AC-RD-BB, (256)876-7900; Marcia N. Tully, Contracting Officer, (256)876-1351 The Optics & Laser Technology Branch of Missile Guidance Directorate, Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center, (MRDEC), U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command (AMCOM) is addressing a new seeker concept for Modernized HELLFIRE (MHF). The basic requirements for MHF is to retain the SAL (semi-active laser) capability for precision strike performance, and develop a true fire-and-forget LADAR (laser radar) capability to augment the SAL mode. One such system is a dual-mode seeker consisting of SAL/LADAR options. This new seeker would retain the current SAL precision strike capability of HELLFIRE II, while adding a true fire-and-forget autonomous Lock-on-After-Launch (LOAL), and Lock-on-Before-Launch (LOBL) capability with the LADAR mode. LADAR would provide leap-ahead fire-and-forget capability through fully autonomous targeting, complementing the current SAL capability (LOBL and LOAL). LADAR is uniquely suited to dual-mode precision strike with SAL due to a common laser wavelength. Because both systems operate at 1.064 um, common optics can be utilized within the seeker head to reduce cost and maintain size and weight restrictions. Seeker concept designs are needed to explore this option. A Firm-Fixed Price contract is contemplated with multiple awards that will allow multiple contractors to develop a SAL/LADAR seeker design for the MHF program. These contracts may be used as a means to down-select to one specific concept design and contractor. See Numbered Note(s): 23 & 25 Posted 06/25/98 (0176)

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