{"id":20598,"date":"2019-04-16T01:28:51","date_gmt":"2019-04-16T01:28:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/04\/16\/us-army-isnt-impressed-with-lightweight-munition-offerings-for-unmanned-aircraft\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:50:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:50:35","slug":"us-army-isnt-impressed-with-lightweight-munition-offerings-for-unmanned-aircraft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/aaaa\/2019\/04\/16\/us-army-isnt-impressed-with-lightweight-munition-offerings-for-unmanned-aircraft\/","title":{"rendered":"US Army is unimpressed with lightweight munition options for unmanned aircraft"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

NASHVILLE, Tenn. \u2014 The U.S. Army is not impressed with lightweight precision munitions offered up by industry for the service\u2019s unmanned aircraft systems<\/a>, but the Army is continuing to look for smaller weapons that fit the bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roughly two years ago, the Army wanted to evaluate munition offerings and select some for operational testing, with the idea the service would buy more if they worked well in the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI do recall, certainly, several vendors that proposed they could do certain things, and we said: \u2018OK, prove it,\u2019 \u201d the Army\u2019s program executive officer for aviation, Brig. Gen. Thomas Todd, said during a press briefing at the Army Aviation Association of America\u2019s annual summit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once proven, he said, the program office would take the munition and try to help integrate it onto platforms, then test it in the field before purchase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn that arena we asked industry to put money where your mouth is and give us some test data showing your assertions, and in this case they have yet to be able to prove their assertions for their test data in particular,\u201d Todd said. \u201cSo we are waiting anxiously for them to continue to invest and make their product something ready from a technology level that we could actually adopt quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t