The U.S. Navy achieved a first when it fired Raytheon's combat-proven Griffin B missile from a Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launcher.

"Griffin enables sailors to defend against small, fast-moving surface craft employed by pirates and other non-traditional threats," said Harry Schulte, vice president of Raytheon Missile Systems' Air Warfare Systems product line.

"Griffin provides warfighters with a powerful capability that is ready today without the time and expense of development because the weapon is mature, in production and combat proven."

During the demonstration, which took place late in the fourth quarter of 2011, a Griffin was fired from a land-based RAM launcher at a static target more than 3 kilometers (approximately 2 statute miles) away. The weapon, guided by GPS and laser, scored a direct hit on the target, achieving all demonstration objectives.

The Griffin missile is in production and integrated on the C-130 Harvest Hawk. Griffin A is an aft-eject missile designed for employment from non-conventional platforms such as the C-130 aircraft. Griffin B is a forward-firing missile that launches from rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft and ground-launch applications.

The Griffin enables the warfighter to engage targets via a user-friendly graphic interface and guide the weapon to the target using GPS coordinates or laser designation. To maximize effectiveness, the user can choose to engage the target with height of burst, point detonation or fuze delay.

+ Griffin is 43 inches long, weighs 33 pounds and has a 13-pound warhead.

+ Griffin has been fired from C-130 platforms and most recently, a modified RAM launcher.

+ Griffin has a proven track record of successful rapid integration.