Three US defence firms have outlined their plans to develop a multi-role missile capable of being fired from the latest generation of both manned and unmanned combat aircraft to be used by the US military in coming years.

Air-to-Air, Air-to-Ground Strikes

According to Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and Alliant Techsystems – the three companies in question – the dual-purpose missile will be able to be launched both at targets in the air and on the ground.

In this way, it will provide the US military with the ability to use a single weapon to carry out both air-to-air and air-to-ground strikes.

F-22 Raptor, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

Such a situation would allow those flying the likes of the Boeing F-22 Raptor or the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter/ JSF greater scope to change their attack profiles in line with changing warfare conditions.

In other words, if the battle intensified either in the air, or at ground level, they would be equipped/ prepared to deal with both scenarios.

The F-22 Raptor is currently flown solely by the USAF, while the F-35 is still at testing stage, but, in different versions, will be flown by the USAF, the US Marines and the US Navy, as well as by the Royal Navy.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

In addition to these two aircraft types, the firms highlighted how Unmanned Aerial Vehicles/ UAVs could also be fitted with the missiles.

In recent months, UAVs have been taking on an ever-more-dominant role over the world’s conflict zones.

Armed Forces International will provide future coverage of this new weapon’s development and production as more facts emerge.

Source – Armed Forces International’s US Correspondent

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