Raytheon has completed a third successful flight test of its DeepStrike JR3 rocket, a training system being developed for the US Army’s Joint Reduced Range Rocket programme.
The test took place at the Yuma Proving Ground, in Arizona, where the company rapidly fired multiple rounds.
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RTX, the parent company of Raytheon, said that the trial assessed the rocket’s range, trajectory, accuracy, and marking visibility, as well as the reusability and maintainability of its launch pod container.
The DeepStrike JR3 is intended to replace the Army’s Reduced Range Practice Rocket. It is designed to use the existing Multiple Launch Rocket System Family of Munitions pod, which can carry 24 rockets, and to operate with the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System and M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System launchers.
The Strategic and Operational Rockets and Missiles (STORM) Project Management Office (PMO) has established the JR3 design requirements to align the system with the existing Multiple Launch Rocket System Family of Munitions.
The programme calls for a minimum impact range of between 7.5km and 8km and a maximum range of no more than 15km at sea level. The rocket must also provide near-precision accuracy within 25–30m of the target point.
The system is required to support free-flight or trajectory-corrected fire over friendly troops, with a 2km fire-support safety distance. Its worst-case range safety fan must remain within the boundaries of the legacy Reduced Range Practice Rocket.
Raytheon developed the rocket through a rapid prototyping initiative and is preparing further flight tests before qualification.
The company is working with Combined Systems, Corvid Technologies, L3Harris Technologies, Northrop Grumman and the Letterkenny Munitions Center on the programme.
