The U.S. Air Force and Navy are seeking a joint dual-role aerial weapon known as Joint Dual Role Air Dominance Missile (JDRADM). The weapon will pack both air/air and air/ground capabilities in a single airframe. Boeing was recently awarded a $5.2 million contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), to demonstrate the Guidance Integrated Fuzing (GIF) technology considered for the JDRADM.
GIF was developed under the Seeker Integrated Target Endgame Sensor (SITES) developed at Boeing in 2007. According to David Moos, Boeing program manager for SITE, the guidance integrated fuze has the potential to reduce weight and save space in the future missile. Boeing designed the GIF approach and will lead a team including Science Applications International Corp.
Last year Boeing was awarded two contracts associated with DRADM. In May Boeing received a $4.2 million funding for the development and ground and laboratory testing of the missile’s propulsion and control systems in the laboratory. In 2006 the company was began working on the weapon’s warhead technology, known – as Multi-Role Responsive Ordnance Kill Mechanism (MRROKM). This thrust has since evolved into Phase 2 status.
