The U.S. Army has developed and tested six government-owned critical component technologies for the Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System, or LMAMS, the service said.

The technologies were tested by the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center, or ARMDEC, which ensures that state-of-the-art components exist for potential vendors, the Army said.

For LMAMS, ARMDEC officials have developed and tested the small warhead, the small electronic safety and arming device, power, the secure micro digital data link, the image stabilization/auto-tracker function and the laser ranging height for the burst sensor.

The original use for LMAMS — a portable, man-launched loitering precision weapon — was to target snipers or those placing improvised explosive devices, the Army said.

It can also be used to counter enemy drones and other targets a soldier can't see.

The system can fly to a specific position or be diverted with a wave-off capability to minimize collateral damage.

U.S. Navy deploys latest JSOW variant
Patuxent River, Md. (UPI) Jun 22, 2016 –

The U.S. Navy's first air-to-ground network-enabled weapon, JSOW C-1, has achieved Initial Operational Capability and been deployed to the fleet.

JSOW, or Joint Standard Off Weapon, is a medium-range precision-guided glide bomb launched from aircraft operating from beyond the range of standard anti-aircraft defenses.

The C-1 variant, the latest of the Raytheon-made weapon, is integrated with a Link 16 network radio to engage moving targets at sea.

The radio allows the launch aircraft or another designated controller to provide real-time target updates to the weapon, reassign it to another target, or to abort the mission.

The weapon also uses a terminal IR seeker and GPS/INS for guidance.

"The precision targeting of this weapon and its ability to receive real-time target updates makes it the fleet's weapon for the fight …," said Cmdr. Sam Messer, JSOW program manager.

"JSOW C-1 provides the ability to engage our enemies at longer ranges and the flexibility to engage in direct attack even if enemy air defenses deny our aircraft access."

According to the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command, JSOW C-1 will be carried by F/A-18E/F and F-35A/C aircraft.