U.S. arms maker Lockheed Martin Corp. received an $8,1 million U.S. Army contract modification for engineering services of the newest Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM), according to a U.S. Department of Defense news release.
Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, with an estimated completion date of March 2, 2021.
The JAGM is an aviation-launched, precision-guided munition for use against high-value stationary, moving and relocatable land and naval targets. JAGM utilizes a multimode seeker to provide precision point and fire-and-forget targeting day or night in adverse weather, battlefield obscured conditions, and against a variety of countermeasures.
A multipurpose warhead provides lethal effects against a range of target types, from armored vehicles, thin-skinned vehicles and maritime patrol craft to urban structures and field fortifications. JAGM delivers the joint services a single air-to-ground missile with improved lethality, operational flexibility and a reduced logistics footprint.
This summer, JAGM Program Manager Col. Dave Warnick with Joint Attack Munitions Systems said JAGM demonstrates performance required by the Army.
“Over the past year the JAGM missile was put through an extremely rigorous series of tests to ensure the Warfighter was being delivered a capability that provides a decisive edge against a near peer competitor,” he said.
“The JAGM allows the aircrews to fire a single missile at any target without having to choose between numerous missile types. The end result is distruction of the target with less exposure time and greater aircrew survivability chances,” said Mclendon.
The JAGM system hardware that demonstrated over 95 percent reliability in flight testing is built on the active HELLFIRE missile family production line by the same team that has produced over 75,000 missiles with a fielded reliability exceeding 97 percent.
Test of Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) pic.twitter.com/iRrSOxb8XR
— Dylan Malyasov (@DylanMalyasov) September 5, 2019