US Marines Test Secret Long-Range Weapon From AH-1Z Viper Helicopter

The US Marine Corps conducted the maiden test launch of a new Long Range Precision Fire (LRPF) capability in November, the service announced last week.

An AH-1Z Viper helicopter fired the munition at Yuma Proving Grounds, Arizona.

The launch was conducted through a wireless application called the Marine Air-Ground Tablet (MAGTAB).

The tablet-shaped device enables navigation and communication data exchange for enhanced battlefield situational awareness.

“The November test at YPG exceeded the threshold requirements with regards to position, navigation, and timing,” the service said in a press release.

“This activity marks the first time a Marine Corps rotary-wing platform has employed a weapon system using a tablet-controlled device.”

Secret Capability

The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering sponsors the Defense Innovation Acceleration project, led by the Expeditionary Maritime Aviation – Advanced Development Team (XMA-ADT).

The project seeks to “evaluate cost-effective, long-range disparate effects in expeditionary and maritime environments.”

“Assessments of current and future capability gaps of the fleet’s needs identified this LRPF initiative as a cost-effective, long-range precision weapon for use against maritime and land-based targets,” XMA-ADT Director Col. Scott Shadforth said.

No further details of the weapon’s specifications or development timeline have been disclosed.

Moreover, the over three-month delay in announcing the test enhances the project’s secrecy.

Helicopter-Launched Capabilities

The AH-1Z is armed with the Hellfire air-to-ground missile, which has a range of 11 kilometers (7 miles).

A longer-range AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missile has achieved initial operational capability with the platform and has a range of 8 to 16 kilometers (5 to 10 miles).

The Lockheed Martin missile was tested last year, sinking a mock vessel in its first Pacific launch.

Plans to replace the Hellfire with a long-range loitering munition were disclosed by the service in 2022.

The Long-Range Attack Munition project was conceived for the Indo-Pacific, with an expected range of hundreds of kilometers.