First CLAWS Test Flight Successful

First CLAWS Test Flight Successful

The first test flight of the Complementary Low Altitude Weapon Systems (CLAWS) was completed successfully at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., according to Raytheon Co.

Company officials said Sept. 1 that all mission objectives were achieved with the launcher in full tactical configuration. U.S Marines operated the equipment.

“Completion of this first flight-test moves CLAWS one step closer to providing Marines the expanded air defense protection that’s critical to their expeditionary warfare operation,” Tad Dickinson, CLAWS program manager at Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems (IDS), said in a statement.

“As a mission systems integrator, we’ve leveraged our experience and investment from the Ground Launched Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile program to provide the Marines an affordable, highly capable and low-risk CLAWS program.”

CLAWS is an all-weather, mobile air defense system for the Marine expeditionary forces. The system uses a Humvee as its platform and the AIM-120 AMRAAM as its interceptor.

The program is part of IDS’ Integrated Air Defense Systems product line and will be the first block fielded as the Marine variant to the Army/Marine Corps Ground Launched AMRAAM common launcher program, the company said.

The Marines awarded the CLAWS launcher contract to Raytheon in April 2001