U.S. Army places $720M order for HELLFIRE, JAGM missiles

The U.S. Army has awarded Lockheed Martin a $720.1 million contract modification for the fourth production year of HELLFIRE and Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) systems, expanding one of the service’s most widely used precision-strike programs.

According to a Department of Defense contract announcement, the modification (P00060 to contract W31P4Q-23-C-0005) brings the total cumulative value of the agreement to approximately $1.49 billion.

Work will be carried out at Lockheed Martin’s facility in Ocala, Florida, with completion expected by September 30, 2028. The Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

- ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW -

The Army obligated $720,120,883 in Fiscal 2025 missile procurement funds at the time of award.

The contract supports production of both HELLFIRE and JAGM missiles for U.S. forces and allied customers under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. HELLFIRE currently has more than 30 international users, with Poland joining as a new customer under the previous production year’s contract.

Lockheed Martin says the contract’s structure provides “maximum flexibility” to meet growing demand from both domestic and foreign militaries. The JAGM program, in particular, is expected to see increased international interest in the coming years as armed forces seek versatile, precision-guided munitions for rotary-wing, fixed-wing, and unmanned platforms.

With more than 140,000 missiles produced, the HELLFIRE family remains a staple of precision engagement capabilities for the U.S. and its allies. The system is widely deployed across multiple platforms, including Apache and Seahawk helicopters, as well as various unmanned aerial vehicles.

JAGM builds on the HELLFIRE legacy with enhanced guidance and targeting technology, enabling engagement of both stationary and moving targets in adverse conditions. The system uses a multi-mode seeker combining semi-active laser and millimeter-wave radar to increase operational flexibility and survivability.

Readers who wish to follow our weekly coverage can subscribe to the Weekly Defense Roundup.

If you wish to report a grammatical or factual error in this article, please let us know by using the online form.

Executive Editor

Support The Defence Blog

Independent reporting takes resources. Join us on Patreon.

Become a patron

More Like This

Laser drone-killer robot displayed at Detroit defense show

A robotic combat vehicle carrying an autonomous laser weapon system designed to shoot down drones rolled onto the floor of a Detroit manufacturing conference...

Boeing KC-46 boom falls into Atlantic in second snap-off in a year

A known design flaw in the U.S. Air Force's newest and most expensive aerial refueling tanker has now contributed to four separate midair accidents...

America’s new Air Force One is ready — and it came fast

The United States now has a new Air Force One, and it arrived faster than almost anyone in Washington thought possible when the program...

Idaho Guard swaps 70-ton tanks for light utility vehicles

An Idaho National Guard cavalry unit that once rode into battle on horses and later trained on 70-ton tanks reorganized from an armored combined...

U.S. Army launches $95 million biotech accelerator

The U.S. Army is building a biotech startup accelerator designed to fast-track biological defense technologies from laboratory bench to battlefield, and it wants nonprofit...

Europe missile maker develops new deep strike weapon

Europe's largest missile manufacturer has successfully fired its newest ground-launched deep strike weapon twice in the span of three months, completing a development cycle...