Army ACAT II Program



Prime Contractor

DESCRIPTION: The Hornet is being developed in four sequential phases: 1) basic hand emplaced (HE-Hornet), 2) HE-Hornet product improved (HE-Hornet PIP#1) with remote control on/off/on and redeploy capabilities, 3) HE-Hornet PIP #2 with improved performance capability including the ability to engage wheeled vehicles and improved countermeasure resistance, and 4) a deep attack version (DA-Hornet, delivered by rocket, missile or fixed wing aircraft). The Hornet, common to all variants, has standoff detection and engagement capability. It attacks targets from the top at ranges of up to 100 meters and provides a mobility kill. The basic HE-Hornet engages tracked armored vehicles, and may be armed manually or by the M71 MOPMS Remote Control Unit (RCU). The HE-Hornet PIP #1 will be remotely controlled by the CIRCE RCU, and can be recovered and redeployed prior to initial arming.

a communications module,

a ground platform module, and

a smart submunition/warhead (sublet) module.

STATUS:The Hornet program began in 1986 with a Department of the Army message. A required operational capability document was approved in 1990 that outlined a prioritized, three-phased WAM development plan: (1) deep-attack, (2) hand-emplaced, and (3) Volcano-emplaced. With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the rise in importance of early-entry operations, the priority was changed to (1) hand-emplaced, (2) hand-emplaced with two-way communication and redeployability, and (3) deep-attack.

EMPLOYMENT CONCEPT: Hornet can be used in offensive and defensive operations and in both tactical and operational level role. In the close battle, HE-Hornet will be emplaced by combat Engineers, maneuver forces under Engineer supervision, and at extended ranges by Special Operations Forces and Rangers. Hornet gauntlets, a series of randomly spaced clusters of 3-6 Hornets, will be employed along high-speed avenues of approach to disrupt and attrite the enemy. Hornet area disruption obstacles, consisting of 20 Hornets employed in an "X" pattern across a grid square, will disrupt and attrite the enemy as he moves cross country prior to the start of the direct fire battle. When employed deep, Hornet will disrupt a threat commander's operational tempo by attacking his follow-on forces, logistics and C2, by denying key terrain such as approaches to bridges/river crossing sites, and by selectively attacking high-value targets, such as Tactical Ballistic Missile (TBM) launchers.

BASIS OF ISSUE: Hornet is a Class V item.

TRAINING/PERSONNEL: USAES will provide training on the employment of Hornet. Individual and collective trainers are being procured to train operator tasks and for force-on-force training.