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To: FreedomNotSafety

You may want to look into the current situation with our cruise missiles. We cancelled earlier stealth versions and we have only in the last few years started serious production of new, stealthier ones.

Cancelled ones:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGM-137_TSSAM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGM-129_ACM

New one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGM-158_JASSM

Only has a 1000lb warhead, and it’s configured as a penetrator, not a blast weapon.

Note that the Russians may have got their hands on some of the 158s - and they may have a way to track them with the S-300/S-400 systems now.

Also note that the six B-52s we are devoting to this can carry between 6-20 of these things - but each of those F-35s can hypothetically carry two, possibly four. That’s potentially more JASSMs on the F-35s than the six B-52s.


53 posted on 01/06/2020 11:01:07 PM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: Spktyr

I would expect the JASSM to be carried by more survivable aircraft than the B-52 due to the limited range, even the ER variant. Likely the B-2 or F-35. Also, the JASSM carries a combination penetrator/blast fragmentation warhead. The fuse is programmable, and can detonate at or before impact, or act as a penetrator. Apparently, we have just retired the old AGM-86 ALCM’s, but I’m sure they would do a great job, fired in large numbers from max range, to defeat air defense systems. Why decommission or mothball them when you can launch them? They may not be stealthy, but with proper mission planning and numbers, they can challenge even the best air defense systems.


57 posted on 01/07/2020 1:26:33 AM PST by ETCM
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