The US Navy’s Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division has air-launched a solid fuel integral rocket ramjet (SFIRR) from an unmanned vehicle for the first time, making an important step toward modernizing missile technology.

As disclosed, a BQM-34 unmanned aerial target, which was remotely piloted during flight, released a test missile over the Point Mugu Sea Range. As the lead prototype integrator, NAWCWD combined advanced propulsion, avionics and fire control technologies into the technology demonstrator over 12 months.