Long Range Land Attack Projectile

The Long Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLAP) is a developmental program to produce a precision guided 155 mm naval artillery shell for the U.S. Navy. The system is under development by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, the prime contractor being BAE Systems. In cooperation with BAE Systems a version of LRLAP has been designed to be used with the 127 mm (5-inch)/54 naval cannon.

The LRLAP uses a base bleed rocket assistance, and an extended range fin glide trajectory. The warhead effectiveness is comparable to that of the new M795 artillery shell, and it is capable of 6 round MRSI impact in a span of 2 seconds.^[1] It uses a blast fragmentation type warhead.^[2]

In November 2016, the Navy revealed it had decided to cancel procurement of the LRLAP. This was due to rising costs resulting from the trimming of the Zumwalt-class destroyer fleet to just three ships, raising individual shell cost to $800,000-$1 million, about as much as the Tomahawk cruise missile. About 90 rounds had been secured for testing aboard the three hulls, but a full buy of about 2,000 planned rounds would be about $1.8-$2 billion.^[3][4]

Specifications

155/62 AGS

• Caliber: 155 mm.
• Weight:
  • Total: 225 lb (102 kg).
  • Bursting charge: 24 lb (11 kg).
• Length (propellant and projectile): 88 in (223 cm).
• Guidance: GPS/INS.
• Accuracy: Circular error probable of 50 m or less.
• Range: 100 nautical miles (190 km) max. (Different sources report 83 nautical miles (150 km), or 74 nautical miles (140 km).
• Warhead: Unitary high-explosive.^[5]
• Cost: 150 LRLAP guided projectiles were procured in FY2015 with a unit cost of $476,946.67^[6]

127/54 mk. 45

• Caliber: 127 mm (5-inch).
• Weight:
• Length (propellant and projectile):
• Guidance: GPS/INS.
• Accuracy:
• Range: 53 nautical miles (100 km) max.
• Warhead: Unitary high-explosive.^[7]

Program status

• June 2005 - Successful guided flight test of the LRLAP sets gun-launched guided projectile range record of 59 nautical miles (109 km).^[8]
• September 2010 - Successful unguided flight test.^[9]
• August 2011 - Two live fire tests of 45 nautical miles range.^[10]
• June 2013 - Four full cycle live fire tests conducted.^[11]
• September 2013 - Lockheed receives $18 million contract to transition the LRLAP to production. Fielding planned for 2016.^[12]
• November 2016 - USN moves to cancel LRLAP projectiles citing excessive costs.^[3]

See also

• Advanced Gun System
• Zumwalt class destroyer
• Extended Range Guided Munition
• Ballistic Trajectory Extended Range Munition

References

1. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/lrlap.htm
2. http://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed/data/mfc/pc/LRLAP/mfc-lrlap-pc.pdf
3. New Warship’s Big Guns Have No Bullets - Defensenews.com, 6 November 2016
4. Navy Planning on Not Buying More LRLAP Rounds for Zumwalt Class - News.USNI.org, 7 November 2016
5. Long Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLAP) - BAE Systems
6. "Department of Defense Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 President's Budget Submission" (PDF). p. 137. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
8. DD(X) Team Flies Long-Range Land-Attack Projectile to Record Range - Space War
9. BAE Systems Completes Successful Rocket Ballistic Test of 5-Inch Long Range Land Attack Projectile
10. "Navy Conducts DDG 1000 Round Testing." Naval Sea Systems Command Office of Corporate Communication, 23 September 2011.
11. "Navy Successfully Tests Long Range Attack Projectile."
12. Lockheed Martin Receives $18 Million Contract to Transition the LRLAP to Production - Navyrecognition.com, 24 September 2013

External links

• Advanced Gun System/Long-Range Land Attack Projectile - Lockheed Martin
• Long Range Land Attack Projectile - Global Security
• LRLAP Gallery- DD(X) National Team