Lockheed Martin has tested a new configuration of its Miniature Hit-to-Kill (MHTK) missile at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, Friday, January 26th. The test comprised a controlled flight of the miniature missile to demonstrate the interceptor’s increased agility and to validate the performance of its airframe and electronics. The missile now uses a common configuration for both active and semi-active guided missiles.
The increased agility was required to enable the weapon to defeat its primary targets – rockets, artillery and mortar (RAM) and Counter-UAV target with greater accuracy, reliability, and range compared to current systems. Unlike other C-RAM weapon systems that use high explosive warheads activated at close proximity to the target, MHTK uses hit-to-kill technology, which destroys threats through an extremely accurate application of kinetic energy in body-to-body contact. Hit-to-kill technology eliminates the incoming threat while reducing the risk of collateral damage seen in traditional blast-fragmentation interceptors. The MHTK interceptor length is about 72 cm (less than 2.5 feet) with a diameter of four centimeters (1.6 inches) and weighs only 2.2 kg (5 pounds) at launch.