Lockheed Martin’s Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) Extended Range successfully completed U.S. Air Force Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) flight testing, scoring 20 successes in 21 flights, a success rate of 95 percent.
The JASSM-ER missiles demonstrated their effectiveness against a wide variety of operationally representative targets. The missiles were employed in all of the operational flight modes at the full range of release conditions. These missions were designed to validate the full operational capability for the B-1B/JASSM-ER weapon system.
“These flight tests demonstrate the operational effectiveness, suitability and overall mission capability of the JASSM-ER system,” said Dave Melvin, long range strike systems program manager at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “The successful completion of the testing program was the final milestone before a planned full-rate production decision, expected later in 2013.”
The successful completion of IOT&E testing follows several JASSM program milestones including:
- Completion of Lot 6 baseline missile reliability assessment flights
- Letter of offer and acceptance from the Republic of Finland to integrate JASSM onto its F/A-18 C/D aircraft
- The U.S. Air Force Lot 10 contract award and integration on the U.S. Air Force F-15E.
JASSM is an autonomous, air-to-ground, precision-guided standoff missile designed to meet the needs of U.S. and allied warfighters. Armed with a penetrator and blast fragmentation warhead, JASSM cruises autonomously, day or night, in all weather conditions. The missile employs an infrared seeker and enhanced digital anti-jam GPS to find specific points on targets.
JASSM is integrated on the U.S. Air Force’s B-1, B-2, B-52, F-16 and F-15E. Internationally, JASSM is integrated on the F/A-18A/B for the Royal Australian Air Force. Future integration efforts will focus on the U.S. and international versions of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft and other international platforms such as the Finnish F/A-18 C/D.
Produced at the company’s award winning manufacturing facility in Troy, Ala., Lockheed Martin has assembled more than 1,100 JASSMs for testing and operational use toward a total objective of 4,900 JASSM missiles. The Pike County Operations facility was selected as an Industry Week “Best Plant” for 2012.
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control is a 2012 recipient of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for performance excellence. The Malcolm Baldrige Award represents the highest honor that can be awarded to American companies for achievement in leadership, strategic planning, customer relations, measurement, analysis, workforce excellence, operations and business results.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 118,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products, and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2012 were $47.2 billion.
