The missiles, which might present each kinetic and non-kinetic results, have been examined over 40 occasions since 2020 from each rotary and glued wing platforms.
L3Harris has shed extra mild on its household of launched results automobiles, formally figuring out them as Purple Wolf and Inexperienced Wolf, meant for kinetic and non-kinetic roles, respectively. In Might 2025, the U.S. Marine Corps revealed Purple Wolf because the designation of the thriller missile that NAVAIR (Naval Air Techniques Command) examined in November 2024.
Two of the missiles, with a vastly totally different design than those unveiled now by L3Harris, are seen on the outboard wing stations of an AH-1Z Viper assault helicopter in what was described as a Lengthy-Vary Precision Hearth (LRPF) missile check at Yuma Proving Floor, Arizona. The check was a part of the service’s Lengthy-Vary Assault Missile (LRAM) undertaking throughout the broader Precision Assault Strike Missile (PASM) Program of Document.
NAVAIR additional mentioned the missile was a “cost-effective” weapon for “maritime and land-based targets.” This might be according to a number of current packages which search the procurement of latest low value weapons for use by a number of platforms.
The missile seen on the Viper within the November 2024 check couldn’t be seen clearly. Nevertheless, a picture believed to indicate the precise Purple Wolf throughout the U.S. Military’s Undertaking Convergence Capstone 4 multinational train in 2024 and the brand new picture launched by L3Harris present vital design variations. It’s unclear if there are totally different baseline designs of the Purple Wolf and Inexperienced Wolf or if that’s the results of the design’s evolution.
The wait is over.
Introducing Purple Wolf ᵀᴹ and Inexperienced Wolf ᵀᴹ, the primary automobiles in our increasing pack of launched results programs. pic.twitter.com/d4oG7fgeE4
— L3Harris (@L3HarrisTech) July 17, 2025
Design configuration
The primary two sightings of the weapon confirmed the identical cruciform tail, however have differing air consumption placements. The Purple Wolf on the Viper – assuming it’s a pre-production mannequin earlier than L3Harris launched its precise picture now – has a big ventral inlet, protruding from the missile’s physique. The purported Purple Wolf on the Capstone 4 train has a small top-mounted inlet in direction of the rear, nearly flush with the missile’s physique.
#ICYMI Lengthy Vary Precision Fires (LRPF) was efficiently executed at Yuma Proving Grounds in Yuma, AZ, Nov 2024. The occasion was accomplished with an AH-1Z Viper launching a single weapon by means of a wi-fi utility. #MakeAnImpact #MarineCorpsAviation pic.twitter.com/RBksnVLsup
— NAVAIR (@NAVAIRNews) February 14, 2025
Nevertheless, the Purple Wolf revealed by L3Harris now diverges significantly, sporting a traditional tail, with a backside vertical stabilizer. The rear air intakes at the moment are moved to the edges, with the general physique being extremely faceted whereas the nostril is sort of shovel-like.
I feel I noticed an image of Purple Wolf at PC-C4 pic.twitter.com/ccv42tdffo
— 笑脸男人 (@lfx160219) Might 2, 2025
The wings are low-mounted and come out after launch. A product catalogue from the corporate reveals the Inexperienced Wolf with the very same design, however meant for “non-kinetic EW (Digital Warfare), EA (Digital Assault), DLIR (Detect Establish Find and Report)” roles. The Purple Wolf in the meantime is a kinetic strike weapon.
L3Harris’ idea video reveals the Purple Wolf hanging a PLA Navy Kind 52D destroyer, in step with earlier Marine Corps drills the place an AGM-179 JAGM (Joint Air to Floor Missile) was fired from AH-1Z Vipers on a maritime goal within the Indo-Pacific. We assessed again then that the purpose is likely to be to conduct mild disabling strikes on the sensor masts of the warships to blind them quickly to permit bigger follow-on strikes by AGM-158C LRASM (Lengthy-Vary Anti-Ship Missile).
The Corps beforehand has expressed a necessity to have the ability to attain ranges of 170 miles (278 kilometers). Prolonged vary variants of the Hellfire, just like the AGM-114R-4, or the JAGM’s ‘MR’ model have most ranges of 21 miles and 10 miles respectively, that are drastically shorter than what the Corps needs.
Moreover, as is the usual with at this time’s weapons design mantras, the missiles are scalable and modular, assembly the DoD’s want for low-cost mass munitions. Nevertheless, this has the added benefit that the weapons will be shortly and simply upgraded when new expertise is out there.
Pasifikte eldeki esnekliği arttıracak tüm kabiliyetler önemli olacak!US Marines Bell AH-1Z Viper ile Pasifikte ‘Mock Vessel’ hedefler üzerinde AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Floor(JAGM) füzelerinin testlerini gerçekleştiriyor.2022de tam üretim kapasitesiyle bantlardan çıkmaya başlayan👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/cQ5PyRJwyU
— Megatron (@decepticon46) October 17, 2024
Capabilities
L3Harris, whereas stating that it has “matured” the design with over 40 check flights and demonstrations “by means of packages with a number of DoD prospects,” places the Purple Wolf’s and Inexperienced Wolf’s endurance at over 200 nautical miles at low altitudes, with an endurance of 60 minutes and above.
The big testing marketing campaign additionally explains the huge divergence between the design seen within the November 2024 check and the present iterations. The configuration, particularly the elimination of the massive protruding ventral air consumption, means that the missile has been optimized for a sure diploma of stealth.
The check marketing campaign has been underway since 2020, with the automobiles having been efficiently launched from crewed, uncrewed fixed-wing, rotorcraft and ground-based platforms. Additionally they are able to rocket-assisted launches from floor or sea platforms.
The air respiratory engine is optimized for high-altitude, high-speed flight profiles, with the ability to begin at 40,000 ft “with out using pyrotechnics.” Its modular nostril bay permits as much as 300 cubic inches of quantity for kinetic and non-kinetic payloads.
The corporate reveals three illustrations of Purple and Inexperienced Wolves being launched by rotary wing platforms in ‘floor’, ‘expeditionary’ and ‘maritime’ missions, performing in live performance to overwhelm and strike radar emitting warships and floor stations. UAVs and satellites are a part of the networking and goal engagement chains, whereas USVs and floor automobiles are additionally proven to have the ability to launch the missiles.
L3Harris mentioned in a press release: “Each automobiles are versatile, modular and have superior software program for in-flight collaboration and re-targeting. Additionally they assist swarming functionality of autonomous plane.” L3Harris’ President of House and Airborne Techniques, Ed Zoiss, mentioned their “launched results ‘wolf pack’ offers […] vital benefit in closing long-range kill chains, defeating adversarial threats in difficult environments and defending belongings.”
