Missile MGM-166 LOSAT / KEM

LOSAT originated from the Hyper-Velocity Missile (HVM) project, a multi-platform weapon intended for aircraft and ground vehicles. Following the withdrawal of air force support after the Cold War, development shifted to meet a 1988 army requirement for a lightweight, air-liftable anti-tank system capable of engaging armor beyond the range of main tank guns. This requirement, known as the Advanced Anti-Tank Weapon System - Heavy (AAWS-H), led to the development of the Kinetic Energy Missile (KEM).

The MGM-166 utilizes a solid steel kinetic energy penetrator rather than a conventional high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead. It relies on flight velocity to defeat armor. Guidance is provided via forward-looking infrared (FLIR) tracking and a low-power laser that transmits commands to the missile. The system can track and guide two missiles to separate targets simultaneously, enabling engagement of multiple armored vehicles in rapid succession. The missile reaches its maximum range in under four seconds, which restricts the ability of a target to return fire.

The system was designed for integration onto several platforms, including the M2 Bradley and the M8 Armored Gun System, before being finalized on an extended-length heavy-duty Humvee. This vehicle configuration carried four missiles in a ready-to-fire hard-top launcher, with an additional eight rounds stored in a trailer. Although a limited number of units were delivered for testing and evaluation beginning in 2002, the LOSAT never officially entered service. Production-qualification test firings occurred at White Sands Missile Range and Fort Bliss in 2003 and 2004. The program was terminated in favor of the Compact Kinetic Energy Missile (CKEM) before the low-rate initial production batch was funded. No other countries operated the system, and it saw no combat use.