New Navy (LCS) ships may use small Raytheon missile

[unhappycamper]

New Navy ships may use small Raytheon missile
David Wichner Arizona Daily Star Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Tuesday, January 18, 2011 12:00 am

A small, guided missile that Raytheon developed for use on aircraft may take to the seas aboard the Navy's emerging fleet of fast coastal-defense vessels - replacing another Raytheon system canceled last year.

The Navy is considering the Griffin missile, developed by Tucson-based Raytheon Missile Systems, as a guided missile system for its Littoral Combat Ship, a senior Navy official says.

Rear Adm. Frank Pandolfe, director of the Navy's Surface Warfare Division, said he is recommending the Griffin as a replacement for the Non Line of Sight (NLOS) missile system, which was under development by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin before the Army canceled it last year.

At a meeting of the Surface Navy Association in Arlington, Va., last week, Pandolfe said the 42-inch-long, 45-pound Griffin costs less and will be cheaper to install than the NLOS system.

The Army formally canceled the NLOS system in May amid concerns about poor test performance and the system's high cost. The Pentagon had spent more than $1 billion on the program, and a long-term production contract could have been worth more than $2 billion.