Raytheon's Joint Standoff Weapon Block II Variant Has Successful First Flight

, TUCSON: Raytheon Company's Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) Block II, an updated version of the battle-proven weapon that offers significantly lower unit costs and an additional payload option, successfully flew its first US Navy test flight Oct. 12. 
 
The test, flown at China Lake Naval Air Station, Calif., on an F/A-18, demonstrated both weapon system performance and aircraft compatibility. 
 
“We have teamed with the Navy to create JSOW Block II, the most cost-effective standoff weapon,” said John O'Brien, Raytheon's JSOW program director. “Our first flight of a Block II JSOW represents a major step forward in this program and offers warfighters improved battlefield capabilities at a fraction of the cost of most standoff weapons available worldwide.” 
 
Block II continues to maintain JSOW's low radar cross section and infrared signature. These are key stealth features and ensure a high probability of JSOW survival en route to highly defended targets. 
 
Raytheon is under contract with Naval Air Systems Command to produce Block II JSOW-C missiles for the Navy and Marine Corps starting in 2007. Block II has significantly reduced unit cost through airframe redesign to a major single piece, employment of less expensive components, advanced technology and a reduction in parts count. JSOW's shelf life has been doubled, eliminating major lifecycle costs. Block II reduces the unit cost of JSOW by more than 25 percent. 
 
“The cost reduction provided by the Block II program enables the Navy to provide more weapons to the fleet with more capability,” said Capt. Mat Winter, the Navy's program manager for Precision Strike Weapons. “JSOW Block II savings allow us to incorporate future increased capability without asking for additional JSOW funds.” 
 
JSOW won the 2005 Department of Defense David Packard Award for Excellence in Acquisition for Block II cost reduction initiatives. 
 
Raytheon funded the development of a new payload option for the JSOW A that is also part of the Block II program. This new version uses a 500-pound 
BLU-111 (MK-82) warhead and is designated the AGM-154A-1. The BLU-111 variant is the lowest cost JSOW variant and eliminates unexploded ordnance concerns of cluster munitions while maintaining or increasing effectiveness against a broad target set. It is primarily intended for the international market. 
 
Development of a Block III variant of JSOW has started. It will add moving target capability by adding a weapons data link, and it will continue Block II cost reduction efforts. A weapon data link provides the capability of in-flight communications. Missile health, status and position can be transmitted by the weapon up to the time of impact. The weapon can also receive in-flight target updates. Anti-ship capabilities are provided by using the JSOW-C imaging infrared seeker for targeting. The first Block III weapon is scheduled to be produced in 2009. 
 
Raytheon Company, with 2005 sales of $21.9 billion, is an industry leader in defense and government electronics, space, information technology, technical services, and business and special mission aircraft. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 80,000 people worldwide.  
 
Background Information 
 
JSOW Block II maintains all standoff and survivability capability of the current JSOW and includes an improved anti-jam capability. The RAPTOR SAASM (Raytheon Advanced Protection Technology Receiver/Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module) global positioning system (GPS) aids inertial navigation. RAPTOR GPS/INS (inertial navigation system) is an advanced navigator developed by Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems and is used in other Raytheon products. 
 
JSOW is a joint Navy and Air Force program. It is a family of low-cost, air-to-ground weapons that employ an integrated GPS/INS that guides the weapon to the target. The JSOW uses a common and modular weapon body capable of carrying various payloads. Its long standoff range, up to 70 nautical miles, allows delivery from well outside the lethal range of most enemy air defenses. More than 400 JSOW-As have been used in combat operations to date. 
 
More than 2,500 JSOW have been produced to date.