Well, it’s beginning to look the army is going to take another look at a guided 2.75-inch rocket after the congress took the money from their advanced precision kill weapon system program, and transferred it to the Marine Corps, who were apparently much further along on the task of integrating guided rockets into combat units that the Army.

The original concept was to have a guided weapon to hang from the OH-58 and similar helicopters, but given the hot and (very!) high operating conditions in Afghanistan, and the nature of the targets, a Hellfire is overkill for a truck or an ox cart.

As the picture shows, you can carry 7 rockets (right of picture store) for each Hellfire:

A market survey released on 28 August by the army’s joint attack munition systems office says that high-altitude conditions require the army to trade the number of “stowed kills” on board an aircraft in favour of adding extra fuel.

“This undesirable trade is believed to be unnecessary given recent developments by industry on lightweight precision munitions,” it adds. “Industry efforts have resulted in a number of semi-active laser (SAL) munitions that may have the potential to satisfy army aviation’s need for a lightweight, precision munition.”

Market survey? I know what they mean, but the juxtaposition of the phrase “Market Survey,” and US Army is a bit odd.

Background here.