"The successful GTV flight is a major milestone for APKWS II," said Rick Edwards, vice president for tactical missiles at the company's Missiles and Fire Control division. "Our previous successful ballistic test vehicle flights and the many tests that led up to these were all important, but here, we were trying to hit a target for the first time and we did it."

Lockheed Martin conducted the test on the C-72 range at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The test demonstrated safe launch and separation characteristics for GTV flight, as well as "stable flight and performance of the seeker de-roll bearing assembly and the semi-active laser guidance," the company said in a statement.

"The rocket hit the target board 2.8 kilometers downrange and the impact was less than half a meter from the laser spot designation," said Steve Barnoske, director of tactical missiles at the Missiles and Fire Control division. "According to the flight telemetry and range tracking data, we met all the objectives. This means that HELLFIRE Junior is on track to provide precision strike in a low-cost, smaller, yet lethal package."

The APKWS II is a 2.75-inch laser-guided rocket intended as weaponry aboard U.S. Army Apache and Marine Corps Cobra attack helicopters and other platforms against targets that do not require a 7-inch HELLFIRE missile - an option not presently available. APKWS II is designed to be a low-cost alternative that will destroy non-armored targets located close to civilians or friendly forces.

The company's suppliers for the project include HR Textron, in Santa Clarita, Calif., which provided the control-actuation system, and Honeywell, in Minneapolis, Minn., which provided the inertial sensor assembly.

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