Army Eyes August CAML Awards, Negotiates 20-System AeroVironment Laser Deal
Updated
Updated · Breaking Defense · Jul 15
Army Eyes August CAML Awards, Negotiates 20-System AeroVironment Laser Deal
3 articles · Updated · Breaking Defense · Jul 15
Summary
August is the Army’s target for awarding Common Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher contracts, Lt. Gen. Frank Lozano said, accelerating a timeline that another officer had previously put at year-end.
Multiple Other Transaction agreements are planned for CAML rather than a single award, as the service tries to avoid vendor lock, protect interface access and keep future system upgrades flexible.
CAML is meant to replace the Typhon mid-range launcher after the Army found that system too large for battlefield operations; earlier reporting said the service wanted medium and heavy variants.
AeroVironment is also in contract talks for the Enduring-High Energy Laser program, the Army’s first program of record for a new laser family aimed mainly at defeating Groups 1-3 drones.
The Army had signaled interest in buying 20 vehicle-mountable E-HEL systems, and Lozano said recent White Sands demonstrations showed enough promise to move the effort into negotiations.