Modular Missile Technologies (MMT)

MMT is a demonstration of a product line approach to missile design based on a Modular Open Systems Architecture for guided missiles. The demonstration consists of two different airframe types: a canard-controlled forward firing missile and a tail-controlled drop/glide munition. Each of these airframes is composed of a common set of subsystems (Seeker, Payload, Control Actuation System, and Guidance Electronics Unit) and an additional subsystem unique to the particular variant (a rocket motor for the forward firing missile and glide kit for the drop/glide munition). The drop/glide munition (10 lbs) is designed for use by Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) against surface targets. The forward firing missile (25 lbs) is intended for use by manned rotary wing and UAS against surface targets, and a follow-on demonstration has been proposed to add an air-to-air role to this variant.

Background & Objectives

The dominant architecture for guided missiles is tightly-integrated and closed (i.e., proprietary) resulting in long development times, high costs for modification, and reduced competition once production has been awarded (a condition known as vendor lock). MMT is developing a Modular Open Systems Architecture for guided missiles that is designed to prevent vendor lock thereby reducing guided missile life cycle costs in all phases. The cost reduction comes through reduced development schedule, reduced software management costs, and increased competition at the subsystem level even during production and sustainment.

The objectives of the MMT project are two-fold: 1) develop a new architecture for the purpose of reducing life cycle costs for guided missiles; and 2) demonstrate that it is possible to form a guided munition product line that fills several Army Aviation lethality gaps for manned rotary wing and UAS platforms. Additionally, care is being taken to make the design principals as broadly applicable to other guided munition development efforts regardless of whether they are larger or smaller in diameter.

Development and Capabilities

AMRDEC has performed all of the MMT system and subsystem design work supported by existing contracts saving both time and money. Subsystems for the initial flight tests of the forward firing variant are now being integrated in preparation for flight testing. MMT’s hardware designs, software, and simulation tools have already been used by other AMRDEC Science & Technology projects to reduce their development schedules. The MMT project makes use of Force-on-Force modeling and simulation (in concert with the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence and the Joint Attack Munition Systems Project Office) as a tool to determine the operational effectiveness of the MMT product line and to establish system and subsystem requirements that are defensible, technologically-achievable, and affordable.