Lockheed Martin’s [LMT] Joint Air-To-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) recently completed Reliability Assessment Program (RAP) Lot 6 testing with two final flights, according to a company statement.
In the first test, a B-52 at the Utah Test and Training Range released a JASSM from 35,000 feet traveling at Mach 0.71 or 242 miles per second (mps). In the second test at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., a B-1B released JASSM from 25,000 feet traveling at Mach 0.85 or 289 mps. Both 2,000-pound cruise missiles navigated through preplanned routes before destroying their intended fixed targets.
Lockheed Martin said these tests met success criteria and demonstrated the effectiveness of hardware enhancements to Lot 6 missiles. Lockheed Martin spokeswoman Melissa Hilliard said yesterday those hardware enhancements include improved engine O-rings, fuze improvements and minor cabling changes. Hilliard said flight testing verified these changes and, as a result, subsequent JASSM Lots will also receive these enhancements.
The successful RAP tests follow several JASSM program milestones, including contract awards for Air Force Lot 10 missiles, integration into the Finnish F/A-18 fleet and integration into the Air Force’s F-15E fleet. Hilliard said Lockheed Martin has completed all of its contractually-obligated RAP flight testing and will focus on continuing to produce highly-reliable, cost-effective missiles.
Hilliard said Lot 10 JASSM production is scheduled to begin late 2013. Hilliard said the company’s Lot 10 contract does not require any flight testing. Lockheed Martin said in July it was awarded a $246 million Air Force contract for Lot 10 production of JASSM. Lot 10 includes 191 baseline missiles, 30 Extended Range (JASSM-ER) missiles, test instrumentation kits and systems engineering support. Lot 10 should start being delivered this summer (Defense Daily, July 2).
JASSM is an automated, air-to-ground, precision-guided standoff missile. Armed with a penetrator and blast-fragmentation warhead, JASSM cruises autonomously, day or night and in all weather conditions. JASSM employs an infrared seeker and enhanced digital anti-jam Global Positioning System (GPS) to find specific points on targets.
JASSM is integrated on the Air Force’s B-1, B-2, B-52, F-16 and F-15E aircraft.