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RAZER low-cost precision guided munitions have completed direct strikes on multiple targets during the latest round of flight trials, according to BAE Systems Australia.
The RAZER team completed flight certification in Cloncurry, Queensland, in August after almost three years of development since the concept was unveiled at Avalon Airshow in 2023. The effort was by led by future weapons program manager Leon MacLaren.
RAZER reportedly provides defence forces with an affordable way to increase the range and accuracy of a 155 mm shell or similar sized payload. The shell is carried inside the RAZER glide vehicle, comprised of a body and wing kit, tail control unit, and a flight guidance system.
Two variants of the air-launched capability struck the target directly, effectively demonstrating the range of potential payloads that the munition can carry.
“RAZER has proven it can accept payloads from 7 kg to 43 kg and attack a target effectively. The customer could implement mortars, five-inch shells, 155-millimetre shells, or even their own special to type warhead and fuse,” MacLaren said.
“You can pull RAZER out of the box, load the shell or custom ordinance, load a coordinate and have it ready to launch in 20 minutes.
“The goal of RAZER was to make it as cost-effective as we could to produce, because we know that customers are demanding value for money, flexibility and scalable mass.
“We’ve successfully proven that we can hit targets and we are ecstatic with the accuracy of this system. RAZER can now be produced faster and cheaper, while also being more operable for the customer.”
New for this year’s flight trials is a mission planning system. The trials have reportedly confirmed the resilience and robustness of the entire system in a tactical environment and the bulk of the activity in producing the low-cost vehicle is now complete.
These tests have expanded RAZER’s flight envelope and verified requirements that are key to its operational flexibility.
