Raytheon marked a developmental milestone when it successfully demonstrated the underwater launch of a Raytheon AIM-9X air-to-air test missile shape from a submerged Tomahawk Capsule Launching System. This successful test is a significant step in demonstrating payload flexibility for submarines.

Conducted at the U.S. Army's Aberdeen Test Center, Aberdeen, Md., the test marked the first time an AIM-9X test missile shape has been launched from underwater. It is part of the Littoral Warfare Weapon (LWW) program managed by the Department of the Navy's Program Executive Office of Submarines.

"The Littoral Warfare Weapon program will test and develop increased capabilities as the U.S. Navy continues to expand undersea warfare in the littoral arena," said Michael Del Checcolo, vice president of Engineering, Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. "This successful launch demonstrates a new degree of submarine self-defense capability against threats our warfighters may encounter from the air, land and sea."

Raytheon's LWW approach leverages the technologies and expertise of a team of industry and military partners, including Northrop Grumman and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, R.I.