The US Department of the Navy has selected L3Harris Technologies’ Red Wolf launched-effect vehicle for the US Marine Corps’ Precision Attack Strike Munition (PASM) program, marking a major step toward extending the strike reach and survivability of rotary-wing aircraft. The system is intended to enhance the operational effectiveness of platforms such as the AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter in contested environments.
The selection follows an extensive test campaign involving 52 flight trials, including recent low-altitude live firings from an AH-1Z. The contract was awarded under an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA), a procurement mechanism designed to accelerate research, development, and prototyping efforts across the US defense sector.
Under the agreement, L3Harris will deliver all Red Wolf units, along with training materials, technical manuals, support equipment, and test systems for integration on the AH-1Z platform by the end of fiscal year 2027. The munition is designed to dramatically outperform existing helicopter-launched weapons, offering a range exceeding 200 nautical miles and an endurance of more than 60 minutes.
By comparison, legacy systems such as the AGM-114 Hellfire and JAGM have effective ranges measured in tens of kilometers. Beyond kinetic strike, Red Wolf can also execute non-kinetic missions, including electronic attack, communications relay, signal detection, and decoy operations. With an estimated unit cost of around $300,000 and scalable production capacity reaching 1,000 units annually, the system is positioned to supplement high-end long-range strike weapons during extended peer conflicts.
