Washington DC: Raytheon and Boeing have completed flight testing of the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile’s fixed-wing launcher and Instrumented Measurement Vehicle on the Boeing F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet fighter aircraft.
An IMV is the same size, shape and mass as an all-up JAGM round, and it contains equipment that evaluates JAGM’s performance during a mission. The flight tests are a crucial first step toward qualifying JAGM for Super Hornet employment.
“The JAGM fixed-wing launcher is based on the BRU-33 and previous Boeing launchers, which are in service today,” said Carl Avila, director of Boeing’s Advanced Weapons and Missile Systems.
“The Raytheon-Boeing team designed JAGM for affordability; re-using existing technology and equipment is one way we are driving cost out of the program to provide a best-value solution for the warfighter.”
The Raytheon-Boeing JAGM features a fully integrated tri-mode seeker that incorporates semiactive laser, uncooled imaging infrared and millimeter wave guidance. The weapon leverages proven components from other Raytheon and Boeing programs, including the Raytheon Small Diameter Bomb II and previous Boeing-fielded launchers.
“The Raytheon-Boeing JAGM team has an affordable, simple design that meets the warfighter’s requirements,” said Bob Francois, Raytheon vice president of Advanced Missiles and Unmanned Systems. “Our three successful JAGM government test shots and this captive carry test prove the maturity of our missile system solution.”
During the tests, the JAGM launcher and IMVs were loaded on the Super Hornet’s outboard wing station. The aircraft then flew representative mission profiles that a JAGM-armed Super Hornet might experience during a combat mission.
As a necessary requirement for full envelope qualification, the test subjected the system to the harsh F/A-18 E/F flight environment: transonic speed, extreme cold and extreme vibrations.
JAGM, designed to replace three legacy systems, offers the warfighter improved lethality, range, operational flexibility, supportability and cost savings compared with older, Cold War era weapons like the Hellfire missile.
