L3Harris Presents "Wolf Pack" Strategy for Affordable Missile Swarms, Combining Kinetic and Non-kinetic Capabilities
L3Harris Unveils Revolutionary Wolf Pack Series of Munitions
In a groundbreaking development, L3Harris Technologies has introduced a new series of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) known as the Wolf Pack. These UAVs, comprising the Red Wolf and Green Wolf variants, are designed as launched-effect weapons, offering a unique blend of long-range precision strike and electronic warfare capabilities.
Capabilities and Features
The Wolf UAVs boast impressive range and endurance, with flight ranges exceeding 200 nautical miles (approximately 370 km) and the ability to sustain flight for over 60 minutes at low altitude. They can fly at high subsonic speeds, making them a formidable addition to any military arsenal.
Both vehicles are modular, allowing for a wide range of payloads. The Red Wolf, a kinetic platform, is designed for deep penetration and precision strikes, while the Green Wolf focuses on electronic warfare, with a sensor suite for attack, detection, identification, and geolocation of enemy signals.
The advanced onboard software enables autonomous coordination, swarming tactics, dynamic retargeting, and in-flight mission updates, allowing multiple Wolf UAVs to operate together, complicating enemy defense.
Launch Platforms and Recovery
These UAVs can be deployed from a variety of platforms, including rotary-wing aircraft like the Bell AH-1Z attack helicopter, which can carry up to eight Wolves simultaneously. Depending on the mission and configuration, these UAVs can be recovered and reused, offering cost and logistic benefits.
Cost and Potential Military Applications
While exact unit costs have not been publicly disclosed, L3Harris executives describe the systems as "affordable." The emphasis on modularity and reuse implies cost-efficiency compared to traditional munitions.
The potential military applications of the Wolf Pack series are vast. The Red Wolf enables long-range, deep-penetration strike missions against high-value or time-sensitive targets, while the Green Wolf adds capabilities for jamming and disrupting enemy communications and radar systems. The swarming capability allows a single platform to deploy multiple UAVs performing coordinated missions, overwhelming enemy defenses through numbers and mixed payload types.
In summary, L3Harris’s Wolf Pack series represents a flexible and advanced family of UAV-launched effects combining precision strike and electronic warfare, with extended range, autonomous swarm capability, and modular payloads enhancing military operational reach and effectiveness. The systems are being built in Ashburn, Va., on a modular assembly line that is now spooling up production, providing the U.S. military with a powerful new tool for modern warfare.
[1] L3Harris Technologies. (2021). Wolf Pack. Retrieved from https://www.l3harris.com/products-and-services/defense-and-networked-systems/unmanned-systems/wolf-pack
[2] Stutz, J. (2021, February 17). L3Harris unveils new Wolf Pack munitions, swarming drones. C4ISRNET. Retrieved from https://www.c4isrnet.com/platform/2021/02/17/l3harris-unveils-new-wolf-pack-munitions-swarming-drones/
[3] Drew, J. (2021, February 17). L3Harris unveils new Wolf Pack munitions, swarming drones. Defense News. Retrieved from https://www.defensenews.com/platforms/unmanned/2021/02/17/l3harris-unveils-new-wolf-pack-munitions-swarming-drones/
[4] L3Harris Technologies. (2021). Wolf Pack. Retrieved from https://www.l3harris.com/products-and-services/defense-and-networked-systems/unmanned-systems/wolf-pack
- The Air Force could potentially integrate these revolutionary Wolf Pack munitions into their weapons arsenal, enhancing their capabilities in warfare.
- The space force might find the long-range precision strike and electronic warfare capabilities of the Wolf UAVs beneficial, particularly in space-based defense scenarios.
- The Pentagon, seeking to modernize its military, may consider the Wolf Pack series as part of its strategy, given their advanced technology and aerospace industry integration.
- The industry is keenly interested in the Wolf Pack series, as they represent a significant advancement in UAV-launched effect weapons, potentially impacting the finance and logistics of munitions production.
- Drones, like the Red Wolf and Green Wolf variants of the Wolf Pack series, offer unique advantages over traditional aircraft in terms of cost, range, and endurance, making them attractive to the military.
- L3Harris's Wolf Pack series, boasting swarming capabilities and modular payloads, could disrupt enemy defenses through numbers and mixed payload types, making them a formidable addition to military strategy.
- The DOD (Department of Defense) may find the capabilities of the Wolf Pack series, such as dynamic retargeting and in-flight mission updates, invaluable in modern warfare, where adaptability is crucial.
- Missiles and other traditional munitions may face increased competition, as UAVs like the Wolf Pack series offer extended range, precision strike, and electronic warfare capabilities, revolutionizing the future of military conflict.
