ADFS Targets Military Efficiency With New Missile Launch Pods

By George Berkheimer, STAFF WRITER

Officials of Jessup-based American Dynamics Flight Systems (ADFS) have announced plans to develop a new aerodynamic missile launch pod made of composite materials. It's an idea, they say, that could result in a tremendous cost savings for the military and a much-needed image boost for the troops who are engaging terrorists in foreign countries.
Currently limited to two configurations - one for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and one for combat helicopters - the new launch pods would enable the nation's armed forces to reduce their reliance on overwhelming firepower and begin incorporating the more surgical Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS).
The innovation comes at a time when war fighters on today's high tech battlefield are increasingly using the Predator aircraft to great effect against elusive adversaries. The unmanned drone can deliver Uncle Sam's calling card with pinpoint accuracy, without risking the lives of pilots or tactical ground forces.
The only problem is the mess it leaves behind.

Breaking the Cycle
For all its sophistication, the Predator employs AGM-114 Hellfire missiles that were originally designed in 1974 as high-explosive anti-tank munitions that were intended to be fired from helicopters.
They have a proven track record of taking out high-priority Taliban and al-Qaida targets riding in Toyota Landcruisers or meeting in safe houses in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan. "Unfortunately, they also tend to take out the school, playground, hospital or private residence that sometimes happens to lie too close to the large blast zone," said Paul Vasilescu, director of technology development for the company.
The heavy collateral damage makes it very difficult to win the hearts and minds of the citizenry the weapon is used to protect.
But former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld famously observed that the nation goes to war with the resources it has, not the resources it wishes it had. And up until now, the military hasn't really had much of an option in terms of the missiles it uses to engage terrorists; and at the moment, the Predator doesn't have the ability to fire smaller munitions.
"The Hellfire missile is what we started using because it was the first thing we could use," said Michael O'Hanlon, a military analyst with the Brookings Institution, an independent public policy organization based in Washington, D.C. "It was right in terms of order of magnitude and it was the right size."
It's become the status quo partly because the time, money and effort to switch to other systems still make it the better choice.
To an extent, the current economic downturn is compounding the situation. Far-reaching defense programs have been pushed off while the focus of spending has shifted to more short-term programs. "Innovation is taking a back seat as small companies are trying to survive, but companies are still innovating," said ADFS President Wayne Morse.
It's important that they stay innovative and involved because "the system in Afghanistan is broken," Morse said. "We've stretched it to the breaking point in the last five years and need to be thinking about how to re-equip our forces."

Value Points
Inspiration for the new launch pod came to Morse at a recent Association of the U.S. Army convention in Washington, D.C., when he realized that military helicopters are still using the same aerodynamically-challenged Hydra 70 missile launchers he worked on in his early career with General Dynamics.
This particular lack of innovation carries a huge price tag. Due to the stress and heat of multiple firings, the aluminum launch drums must be replaced after roughly 30 launches.
"The Army spends $3 million a year alone just to replace old launch drums," Morse said.
Moreover, the maximum payload for the Predator at the moment is only two Hellfire missiles, which severely limits its mission capabilities.
The new system would allow the Predator to carry up to 10 APKWS missiles, five per side. The helicopter pods are designed to carry up to 13 missiles each.
"The true value comes from the reduction in weight and drag," Morse said. "It equates to less fuel used for helicopter missions and a significantly higher savings for UAVs because they can now fly faster, spend more time on station and engage multiple targets."
The company estimates that the launchers will offer up to a 90% reduction in drag over existing Hydra 70 launchers, while the payload weight would be reduced by half.

Launch Sequence
As an initial assessment, "it's probably a very useful thing to explore," O'Hanlon said. "Collateral damage is a very big issue with the Hellfire. It might make much more sense to use [the APKWS]; that's a very strong argument in its favor, but I don't know enough about that system yet to say for certain."
Another tentative argument in favor of using the laser-guided APKWS is its 98% hit ratio, Morse said.
The cost to flesh out the new system has been relatively low so far for ADFS. Following a patent search that gave the company a green light to proceed, Vasilescu designed the new pods in less than 30 days.
As for versatility, the pods could eventually be tailored for all aircraft platforms that have hard points for mounting weaponry, Morse said.
In bottom line terms of replacement requirements, ADFS expects that the lifespan of the new launch pods would "increase in an order of magnitude several times longer than existing technology," Vasilescu said.
The company is now waiting for a partner to fund development of a prototype that can be taken to White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico for proving. According to Morse, the system could be ready for testing within the year.