Lockheed Martin Corp. [LMT] told defense journalists it is well positioned to vie for the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) system program, with a $122 million contract in hand for technology development and a team of household-name contractors.

In seeking to produce the JAGM, Lockheed squares off against a team of The Boeing Co. [BA] and Raytheon Co. [RTN].

Whether the Army, Marine Corps and Navy JAGM eventually will be supplied solely by a single downselected winner of the competition, or whether the Pentagon may decide to split the buy between the Lockheed-led team and the Raytheon-Boeing team is unknown at this point, a Lockheed briefer said.

In a briefing at the Association of the United States Army at the Washington Convention Center, the Lockheed argument was laid out by Rick Edwards, vice president for tactical missiles and combat maneuver systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

As for the possibility of a split award, “they have not supplied us with an acquisition strategy from this time on,” Edward said.

He included a heavy emphasis on Lockheed experience in missiles generally and in predecessor efforts prior to JAGM, including the Joint Common Missile.

For example, Lockheed has played a leading role in producing more than 20,000 Javelin missile seekers, 14,000 Longbows, and more.

JAGM will be even better, according to Edwards, with greater capability and a low price.

Also, he said Lockheed is taking many steps to reduce risk in developing the new weapon.

The strong point for JAGM is that it will permit an aircraft pilot to take off not knowing just what target, and what sort of target, must be eliminated.

JAGM will permit selection of various warhead modes, customized for the target selected.

“You can engage multiple kinds of targets with one missile,” a highly efficient arrangement, Edwards said. There also is a savings in production costs.

Further, with JAGM, there will be one type of missile that can be mounted on many military aircraft, including rotary-wing, fixed-wing and unmanned aerial system platforms.

In an earlier program, he said that Lockheed invested its own funds in risk reduction efforts, and was “on time, on cost, and met every milestone,” only to find that funding bled out in June last year.

But then the military decided to recompete the capability acquisition, this time as the JAGM. Lockheed has responded vigorously, with 80 people working on it, he said.

He also expressed gratitude for a strong effort by the Lockheed supplier base.

“It’s our job to get this capability delivered as quickly as we can,” he said.

In the latest $122 million development contract, for a 27-month effort, Lockheed will work for further risk reduction.

Total production for six initial Army, Navy, and Marine Corps platforms is expected to be approximately 35,000 rounds.

On the Lockheed team will be Aerojet making the rocket motor, Roxel providing propellant, General Dynamics Corp. [GD] providing the multi-purpose warhead, Lockheed contributing the tri-mode seeker, Honeywell with the inertial measurement unit, L3 the focal plane array, EMS Technologies the millimeter wave antenna, Marvin Engineering the JAGM launchers, Alliant Techsystems Inc. [ATK] the aircraft integration system, Moog the control actuation system, and PerkinElmer the warhead firing module.

Pointing to a screen with a map display, Edwards said the Lockheed team members will be producing segments of the JAGM at widely scattered points across the entire nation.

“There is no question in my mind this is an outstanding team,” Edwards said. “With respect to our competition, this is a challenge we welcome and are prepared to meet.”

JAGM will replace the Hellfire II and Longbow Hellfire missiles on the Army Apache attack helicopter, the Warrior extended-range multi-purpose UAS, the Arapaho armed reconnaissance helicopter, the Marine Corps Super Cobra attack helicopter and on the Navy Seahawk armed reconnaissance helicopter. JAGM will also replace the Maverick missile on the F/A-18 Hornet jet fighter. That is an aircraft carrier-based plane, meaning the JAGM that the Lockheed team produces will have to withstand the stresses of catapult launches and arrested landings.

Potential extension to other platforms, such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (one version of the JSF also will fly off carriers), and future international sales could push the total number of rounds much higher.

Lockheed is the prime contractor on the F-35 Lightning II, which at $300 billion is the largest defense contract in history.

The JAGM motor has a very low heat signature, and very low smoke, making it difficult for enemies to track, he said.

JAGM will have to withstand huge variations in temperatures, from minus 65 degrees Fahrenheit at high altitudes, to warm temperatures at lower levels.

Moving from the risk reduction phase to the main program, a request for proposals should be issued about 20 months from now, Edwards indicated.

Initial operational capability should be around 2018, he said.

While there is debate whether there eventually will be one supplier or two for the JAGM, “I’ve got the best missile,” he said. “There’s nothing in the performance requirements that we can’t handle.”