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| JASSM-ER (Wiki Info - Image: Wiki Commons) |
ORLANDO, Fla., May 13, 2013 – Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] 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.