May 28 2015
Orbital ATK, Inc., a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, announced today that its revolutionary FMU-167/B Hard Target Void Sensing Fuze (HTVSF), under development by the U.S. Air Force, has successfully completed a Milestone C review and received approval for entry into Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP).
The achievement of Milestone C approval within the defense acquisition program review and approval process means this technology has successfully moved out of the Engineering and Manufacturing Development phase and into the Production and Deployment Phase. LRIP is an element of the Production and Deployment Phase. Award of LRIP contract is expected within the next few weeks.
"Orbital ATK continues to use new and developing technologies to keep pace with customer needs," said Cary Ralston, vice president and general manager of the Missile Products division of Orbital ATK’s Defense Systems Group. "The Hard Target Void Sensing Fuze is another excellent example of how we are taking our exciting new technologies off the drawing board and into the hands of our warfighter."
The HTVSF is an advanced technology, programmable fuze that provides the capability to destroy hardened, buried targets. It provides multiple delay arming and detonation times, as well as a void-sensing function, which allows precision activation of the fuze. The HTVSF is intended to be used with the current inventory of air-delivered penetrating weapons.
As an industry leader in advanced intelligent and hard-target impact survivable fuzing technology, Orbital ATK developed the all-electronic FMU-167/B that builds on the company’s extensive design and production experience. The FMU-167/B HTVSF incorporates advanced sensors, robust algorithms and hardened electronics technology to offer the warfighter improved performance against tactical targets.
Orbital ATK Defense Systems Group is an industry leader in providing innovative and affordable ammunition, precision and strike weapons, electronic warfare systems, and missile components across air-, sea-, and land-based systems.