JASSM Cruise Missile "TECHNOLOGY"

They aren’t really competitors in the same niche. The program is mostly complete, with expected delivery of all purchases and close-out of the program in September 2013. The US military intends to add the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet family to this list, and to extend F-16 compatibility to earlier Block 40 models. Also, the program maintains sequestration cuts have resulted in unfunded requirements, such as warranties for upcoming missile purchases, production tooling for full rate production ramp up, and some evaluation testing.”. Fuzes have been a problem in the past, and that has created production shortages. Guidance is via inertial navigation with updating from a global positioning system. A data link allows the missile to transmit its location and status during flight, allowing improved bomb damage assessment. 

The weapon began operational testing and evaluation in 2002. Russian strike missile designs, and derivatives like the Russo-Indian PJ-10 BrahMos, emphasize speed over stealth, and aren’t compatible with the same base platforms. That would have upped the price per missile, due to manufacturing inefficiencies. “According to the program office, they successfully completed operational testing in October 2012 with initial results indicating the missiles achieved a direct hit on 16 out of 16 targets. Initial inspections had yanked the facilities’ Explosive Limit Licenses due to design shortcomings, but Australia found alternative temporary storage facilities during the rectification gap. A 2,000-pound class weapon with a penetrator/blast fragmentation warhead, JASSM cruises autonomously in adverse weather, day or night, using a state-of-the-art infrared seeker in addition to the anti-jam GPS to find a specific aimpoint on the target. 

The internal oil leak was fixed, and program officials say that the issue with metal shavings in the oil have also been resolved with engine retrofits. Even as operating costs per flight hour are putting very large crosshairs on that same fleet’s continued existence. The program has yet to accept any ER missile deliveries due to these production issues. The warhead is a WDU-42/B 450 kg (1000 lb) penetrator. The program intends to move to an electronic safe and arm fuze that can be tested without destroying it, but the fact that smaller issues keep cropping up, and that fuze supply is an issue, pushes the program into moderate risk. Sequestration cuts for fiscal year 2013 have resulted in the Air Force deferring some missile purchases beyond fiscal year 2017, expanded obsolescence risk, and caused an increase in unfunded requirements.”. Program officials stated since 2006, JASSM-ER successfully performed 26 out of 27 flight tests, including developmental, integrated, and operational testing.”. These were successful, and production of the JASSM began in December 2001. 

Late that year, two missiles failed tests and the project was delayed for three months before completing development in April 2003. The AGM-158A is powered by a Teledyne CAE J402 turbojet. Once a budget passed, the USAF stepped in to remedy that by raising the order to 200, out of a maximum of 391 possible under the Lot 9 authority. Before flight the wings are kept folded to reduce size. “Prior to sequestration cuts, the program planned to reach its economic order quantity of 360 missiles per year in fiscal year 2016 but now plans to purchase missiles at the minimum sustainment rate for the foreseeable future. Specifically, the engine lubrication pump has a problem with metal shavings, and the fuel control unit has a sub-contractor problem involving diluted glue. Their Salt Lake City, Utah facility uses braiding, resin transfer mold, and vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding to produce the complex structures, and the release says that they have built more than 1,500 missile bodies and structures so far. 

Lockheed agreed to fix the missiles at its own cost and has tightened up its manufacturing processes. The B-1′s 24-missile payload capacity is double the B-52′s, and the new missile will make the USAF’s Lancer fleet its key strike force in the Pacific theater. There is a single vertical tail. If and when it’s certified for the F-35 family after 2020, it will have to be carried externally, because it’s too large for the internal weapon bays. Its stealthy airframe makes it extremely difficult to defeat. the Troy, AL plant’s current maximum of 360). The JASSM will be carried by a wide range of aircraft: the F-15E, F-16, F/A-18, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, F-35, B-1B, B-2 and B-52 are all intended to carry the weapon. Although significant, production issues are primarily limited to the new ER missile engine, as the rest of baseline and ER missile production has generally proceeded on schedule. A decision on whether to continue with the program was deferred until Spring 2008. In their June 1/11 teleconference, Lockheed Martin personnel said that funding under the Continuing Resolution would have meant a low number of JASSMs produced (125, vs. Upon launch the wings flip out automatically. That has affected the first 30 AGM-158Bs, and put a hold on further deliveries until financial responsibility for the fixes is resolved with prime contractor Lockheed Martin. 

Under current USAF plans, however, the B-1 Lancer will be the only plane certified with the new missile for a few years. 

JASSM will also be carried by the F-35, eventually, but it’s no longer on the list of weapons for certification by the end of the development program. Overall, the technologies are judged to be mature and the program is fairly stable, but it’s still assessed as a moderate risk. “The JASSM-ER program has experienced production issues that have resulted in delays to the full-rate production decision and may delay the deliveries required to provide for initial availability. Two live test firings occurred in mid-2013, and explosive ordnance storage facilities are available to meet all storage requirements. 

Two more launches failed, this time as a result of launcher and engine problems. The program has some obsolescence issues that are not funded because of sequestration cuts, according to the program, which could lead to production gaps. 

Target recognition and terminal homing is via an imaging infrared seeker. Reliability has been questionable and the program has been over funded resulting in considerations to drop the program entirely. In 1999, powered flight tests of the missile began. If those problems can be fixed, the rest is going well, though sequestration cuts will have consequences:. In July 2007, a $68 million program to improve JASSM reliability and recertify the missile was approved by the Pentagon.