$21.1M for 12 JASSM-ER Test Missiles
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Contracts - Modifications, Lockheed Martin, Missiles - Precision Attack, New Systems Tech, Testing & Evaluation
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Lockheed Martin Corp. in Orlando, FL received a $21.1 million cost-plus-fixed fee with associated performance incentive fee contract modification. It covers procurement of 12 AGM-158 Joint-Air-to-Surface Missile Extended Range (JASSM-ER) missiles for additional testing under the Phase II development contract. At this time, $12 million has been obligated; work will be complete March 2009. The Headquarters 308th Armament Systems Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, FL issued the contract (FA8682-04-C-0004/P00030).
JASSM-ER extends the AGM-158’s 200 mile range to more than 500 nautical miles; it looks exactly like other JASSM missiles from the outside, but has a new engine and can carry more fuel. JASSM-ER’s development status may have been one reason Australia picked Lockheed’s JASSM to be its strike missile of choice, as opposed to Boeing’s Harpoon-derived SLAM-ER.
Other planned upgrades and enhancements related to the JASSM program include further development of the Universal Armament Interface, which the JASSM program helped pioneer. An even longer range JASSM-XR is on the drawing board, and work is underway to add a 2-way datalink to all JASSM variants for dynamic retargeting in flight. This capability is also being leveraged for the similar-looking but unpowered AGM-154C-1 Block III JSOW.
