Pre-LCS test of Longbow

The Navy’s Littoral Combat Ships program office completed a restrained firing test of the Longbow Hellfire missile for the ships’ Surface-to-Surface Missile Module, the Navy announced Oct. 6. The Longbow has been undergoing developmental testing for incorporation into the module, part of the LCS surface warfare package. The demonstration launch showed the module's ability to withstand heat and fire in the event of an unplanned rocket motor ignition. The test was conducted at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren, Va. Prior to integrating and testing the Longbow aboard an LCS, a series of tests must be accomplished to prove the safety of the system. The Navy plans to deploy the Longbow missile aboard an LCS by December 2017. Structural test firing from an LCS is scheduled for March 2017. (Source: Navy News Service 10/05/16) Gulf Coast Note: Austal USA shipyards of Mobile, Ala., builds the Independence class variant of LCS.