Precision Strike Association (PSA) Announces That BLU-129B Team to Receive Its 18th Annual William J. Perry Award
Arlington, VA (PRWEB) February 26, 2014 -- Precision Strike Association (PSA) is pleased to announce that BLU-129B Team has won its William J. Perry Award. The award – the the18th annual of its kind – will be presented at PSA’s Annual Precision Strike Annual Review (PSAR-14), March 18-19, 2014, at the Waterford at Springfield Conference/Convention Center in Springfield, VA.
The award honors the immediate and long-term impact the BLU-129/B has had and will have on combat operations. Until the introduction of the BLU-129/B, there was no munition capable of being safely deployed near friendly soldiers and non-combatants. The award also honors the impressive public and private sector partnership that led to this technological advance. The government-industry team demonstrated a remarkable combination of technical innovation and cost affordability. The accomplishments of this team are truly a testament to the criteria of this award and honor Mr. William J. Perry.
The award is named in honor of former Secretary of Defense Dr. William J. Perry (1994-1997) and recognizes exceptional contributions to precision strike systems in the private or public sector by an individual or team. The recipient's contributions must lead to the strengthening of national security by a direct application of precision strike capabilities to a Department of Defense system or enhance the industrial technology base for application to precision strike technology, according to award guidelines.
The first BLU-129/B, Precision Lethality Mk-82, 500-lb bomb, was delivered to theater in Afghanistan in 2011. This weapon represented a new class of innovative munitions, integrating disruptive technologies that significantly reduce collateral damage while enhancing near-field blast lethality. The ability to couple sophisticated guidance systems with weapons that have a more accurate lethal footprint has been profound. By making the effect of weapon commensurate with the accuracy, the BLU-129/B design team provided the military with a highly effective munition for fighting in close quarters. This unique combination of enhanced effectiveness and reduced collateral damage is being used by the warfighter to neutralize threats to our troops on the ground and to prosecute adversaries stationed near damage-sensitive areas, allowing Combatant Commanders to target areas previously considered off limits.
Delivery of the BLU-129/B was the culmination of 18 months from inception to fielding of dedicated effort by the Air Force Research Laboratory, Air Armament Center and 46th Test Wing (now the Armament Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center and 96th Test Wing, Air Force Test Center), the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and the Aerojet Rocketdyne Corporation. The technologies applied were the product of the Joint DoD/Department of Energy Munitions Technology Development Program executed out of OUSD(AT&L)/S&TS/LW&M. The BLU-129/B project is a prime example of what can be achieved when multidisciplinary teams from several institutions in the government and private industry work toward a common goal. It serves as a blueprint for future research and technology transfer of engineered munitions. The design architecture of the BLU-129/B made an old Mk82 weapon system new and rapidly gave the warfighter a new and needed capability.
For more information on PSAR-14, email info(at)precisionstrike(dot)org or visit http://www.precisionstrike.org/Events/4PPR/4PPR.html.
About The Precision Strike Association (PSA): The Precision Strike Association is an affiliate of the National Defense Industrial Association. PSA is a world-class organization dedicated to advancing the art and science of precision engagement concepts and technologies. The Association focuses on DoD's Kill Chain by supporting the development of systems that find, fix, track, target, attack, and assess hard and soft targets. PSA is a coalition of military, government, academic and industrial subject matter experts and organized as a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization.
Angie De Kleine, CAE, CMM, CMP, CEM, +1 703-247-2599, [email protected]
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