Asia Times: US Air Force Developing Low-Cost Cruise Missile Dubbed Drone Killer
US Air Force Develops Low-Cost Winged Vehicle rocket, known as the Extended Range Strike Munition (ERAM), which can be converted into a destroyer drones, but whether it will become one is still unclear, writes the Asia Times.
According to the authors of the publication, the ERAM program was launched, among other things, to meet the needs of the Ukrainian military. The project is managed by the Armament Directorate of the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, based at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
The ERAM project, currently in the early stages of development, aims to create a precision-guided munition with a range of up to 400 kilometers and the ability to operate in challenging conditions using GPS.
The US Air Force’s focus on more affordable air-to-air capabilities is driven by the need to counter drones and subsonic cruise missiles in the era of modern warfare. The war in Ukraine and the operation against Yemen’s Houthis have demonstrated the critical need for cheap, mass-produced interceptors to combat drones and missile attacks, Asia Times notes.
The ERAM project will provide more cost-effective means to combat drones and slow-moving aerial targets like the balloon shot down over US territory in 2023 (Washington claimed that the balloon was a Chinese spy). In addition, unlike more expensive air-to-air missiles like the AIM-9X and AIM-120 with a range of up to 55 kilometers, ERAM, as already mentioned, has a range of 400 km. How realistic this figure is will only be known when the missile is ready and tested.
Because ERAM can be modified to engage air, sea, and land targets, the U.S. will likely be able to engage multiple targets with a single munition, simplifying production and logistics while reducing the need for multiple specialized types. weapons.
The high cost and long production times of some U.S. missiles, such as the Tomahawk Block V and Patriot PAC-3, raise questions about the ability of the U.S. defense industrial base to meet the huge demand for precision-guided munitions in modern warfare, said Seth Jones, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
In this regard, the ERAM missile could be an important addition to other weapons the US needs to be prepared to effectively conduct combat operations in modern conditions. However, skeptics believe that it may be too slow to penetrate modern systems. Defense, and is not maneuverable enough to hit maneuvering targets.
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