Lockheed Martin has received a $302.2 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for continued production of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM®) and its Extended Range (ER) version.
The Lot 14 contract includes 146 baseline JASSMs for U.S. and international partners, 140 JASSM-ER missiles for the U.S., as well as data, tooling and test equipment. The award brings the total number of missiles under contract to more than 2,600.
“This Lot 14 contract continues to demonstrate how important JASSM’s capability is to strategic defense planning,” said Jason Denney, program director of long-range strike systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “Lots 13 and 14 were negotiated together, resulting in cost savings that led to more affordable missiles for our customers.”
The contract represents the sixth production order for JASSM-ER, which received full-rate production approval in 2014. Recent program milestones include the $305.4 million Lot 13 contract award in October 2015 and a Foreign Military Sales contract to integrate JASSM onto Poland’s F-16C/D aircraft.
Armed with a penetrating blast-fragmentation warhead, both missiles can be used in all weather conditions. They share the same powerful capabilities and stealth characteristics, though JASSM-ER has more than two-and-a-half times the range of JASSM for greater standoff capability. The 2,000-pound cruise missiles employ an infrared seeker and enhanced digital anti-jam GPS receiver to dial into specific points on targets.
Effective against high-value, well-fortified, fixed and relocatable targets, JASSM is integrated on the U.S. Air Force’s B-1B, B-2, B-52, F-16 and F-15E. The B-1B also carries JASSM-ER. Internationally, JASSM is carried on the F/A-18A/B and the F-18C/D aircraft.
Produced at the company’s manufacturing facility in Troy, Alabama, more than 1,800 JASSMs have been delivered.
Press release Lockheed Martin
Picture Rob Vogelaar
