Textron Systems Corporation, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today it was awarded a prototype agreement from the U.S. Army for the Low Altitude Stalking & Strike Ordnance (LASSO) program. Under the prototype agreement, Textron Systems will deliver a Damocles^TM loitering munition system and demonstrate it to the U.S. Army.

The Damocles^TM loitering munition, equipped with Textron Systems’ advanced GEN2 Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP), is a cutting-edge system designed to deliver decisive lethality in peer warfare environments. For the LASSO program, the Damocles system is integrated with a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) to deliver top-attack capability. In the VTOL configuration, no launch or recovery equipment is required.

The Damocles system is built with a modular open systems approach (MOSA), allowing other payloads to be integrated into the system to support various concepts of operation (CONOPS), such as electronic warfare effects. For operational safety, the system includes features to prevent unexploded ordnance (UXO), reducing the risk of hazardous remnants on the battlefield.

“Loitering munitions technology will be key in protecting the warfighter on the battlefield – they allow warfighters to send systems like Damocles beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) to engage a target from a safer standoff distance,” said Henry Finneral, Senior Vice President, Weapon Systems. “Textron Systems is proud to support this mission and leverage our industry-leading EFP technology to provide next-generation capability at speed and at scale.”