ORLANDO, FL, August 16th, 2010 — Lockheed Martin [LMT: NYSE] and teammates Marvin Engineering and Aerojet have completed successful component and system Preliminary Design Reviews (PDRs) on the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) Technology Development (TD) program, further demonstrating the missile’s technological maturity level.

The Lockheed Martin-led JAGM team has completed PDRs on the JAGM rocket motor, with test data supporting the single-motor solution, and on the U.S. Navy’s rotary- and fixed-wing launchers, with data supporting successful AH-1Z Viper (Cobra), MH-60R Seahawk and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet platform integration efforts.

“These successful PDRs are major milestones in the development of the JAGM missile and provide a high degree of confidence that JAGM will provide greater capabilities than existing weapons and will do so more affordably,” said Frank St. John, director of Close Combat Systems for Tactical Missiles/Combat Maneuver Systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “The PDRs confirmed the benefits of rigorous testing and the successful development path the team is taking to deliver this much needed precision, adverse weather, low-collateral-damage weapon.”

JAGM Rocket Motor PDR
Aerojet, a GenCorp [NYSE: GY] company, and Lockheed Martin have reported major strides in achieving the single-motor solution for JAGM through numerous tests and demonstrations.

“The Aerojet propulsion team has confirmed our JAGM single-motor solution,” said Aerojet’s vice president for Tactical Programs, John Myers. “Key to the outstanding propulsion characteristics of our design is Roxel UK’s minimum-smoke propellant grain technology solution, already well proven with other missiles in service.”

In addition to the successful PDR completion, two pre-flight readiness tests verified that the JAGM motor is certified for missile flight testing. The team continues to increase the severity of environmental testing to gain valuable reliability data for the current design in preparation for engineering manufacturing development.

JAGM Platform Integration PDR
Marvin Engineering and Lockheed Martin confirmed the successful development of prototype launcher hardware that meets Super Hornet, Viper and Seahawk platform integration requirements. The quad-rail Navy rotary-wing launcher will carry JAGM on the Viper and the Seahawk, and the triple-rail Navy fixed-wing launcher will carry JAGM on the Super Hornet.

“We are very pleased with the results of the PDR on the JAGM launchers,” said Jerry Friedman, CEO at Marvin Engineering. “We have extensive experience in the aircraft interface of launchers like those we are building for Lockheed Martin’s JAGM. This includes U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps aircraft, as well as the aircraft of many international customers. We have worked with and understand all the platforms that will be carrying JAGM.”

Threshold aviation platforms for JAGM include the U.S. Army’s AH-64D Apache attack helicopter and Extended Range Multi-Purpose Sky Warrior unmanned aerial system, the U.S. Marine Corps’ AH-1Z Cobra attack helicopter, and the U.S. Navy’s MH-60R Seahawk armed reconnaissance helicopter and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet jet fighter.

“During the JAGM TD program, we have enjoyed the opportunity to work cooperatively with NAVAIR and Boeing in the wind tunnel test program, integrating JAGM on the Super Hornet,” St. John added. “The same holds true for our longstanding working relationship with Boeing on the Apache and in our proven teamwork with Bell on the Kiowa and Viper, and with Sikorsky on the Seahawk. We are confident in our ability to integrate JAGM on all required platforms.”

Marvin Engineering Company is a broad-line manufacturer of missile launchers, ejector racks, test equipment and other hardware for branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and major U.S. defense contractors, as well as for international customers. The company is part of the Marvin Group, which also includes Aerospace Dynamics International, FLYER Defense, Geotest – Marvin Test Systems and Marvin Land Systems. Additional information about Marvin Engineering can be found at: http://www.marvingroup.com.

Aerojet is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader principally serving the missile and space propulsion, defense and armaments markets. GenCorp is a leading technology-based manufacturer of aerospace and defense products and systems with a real estate segment that includes activities related to the entitlement, sale, and leasing of the company’s excess real estate assets. Additional information about Aerojet and GenCorp can be obtained by visiting the companies’ Web sites at http://www.Aerojet.com and http://www.GenCorp.com.

Source and photo: Lockheed-Martin