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Increasingly capable long-range air-launched munitions have already granted new life to elder statesmen like the B-52 Stratofortress, but the Air Force’s Rapid Dragon program aims to take this concept to the next level. Rather than relying solely on heavy payload bombers and strike fighters to deliver stand-off munitions, Rapid Dragon will allow America’s large fleets of cargo aircraft to join the fight as missile-packing arsenal ships. In fact, this system could even turn cargo aircraft into incredibly potent warship hunters if a conflict were ever to break out over the Pacific.

Japan was given a preview of the stealthy JASSM-ER “standoff” missiles that it is considering purchasing after U.S. officials said air force B-1B strategic bombers launched the weapons Friday for the first time in combat during strikes on the Syrian regime. The new Lockheed Martin Corp. air-launched cruise missile made its battlefield debut in the strikes, when 19 of the missiles were fired outside Syrian airspace by two B-1Bs that had targeted the Barzah Research and Development Center located on the outskirts of Damascus. The firing of the Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSMs), was first reported by The...

Direct Link to Bloomberg Article: New Lockheed Missile First Use

TOKYO (REUTERS) - Japan is preparing to acquire precision air-launched missiles that for the first time would give it the capability to strike North Korean missile sites, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. Japan plans to put money aside in its next defence budget starting April to study whether its F-15 fighters could launch longer-range missiles, including Lockheed Martin Corp's extended-range Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM-ER), which can hit targets 1,000km away, said one the sources with knowledge of the plan. "There is a global trend for using longer range missiles and it is only natural that...

The Boeing B-52H is the vintage bomber that just won’t quit, and now the Cold War-era “Stratofortress” is being outfitted with one of America’s newest and longest-range conventional cruise missiles. Lockheed Martin has been put on contract to arm the 54-year-old aircraft – which has outlived many of those who predicted its retirement – with the extended-range Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Weapon (JASSM) under a $9.1 million contract announced earlier this month. In a statement to Flightglobal, LM director of long-range strike systems Jason Denney confirms that the B-52 will be updated to carry the turbofan engine-powered cruise missile internally on...

Bethesda-based Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE: LMT) announced Monday that it is selling 40 of its Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) to the Polish Air Force. And what’s exciting is not that Lockheed is delivering on this sale — the terms of which were defined in a $500 million foreign military sales case approved by the Department of Defense in Sept. 2014 — but that it has the potential to expand sales of the JASSM’s longer-range variation to international customers. This current $500 million deal that includes the sale of 40 JASSMs, with an undefined number of potential follow-on sales beyond...

In August last year we analyzed the reasons for the possible Polish purchase of the Lockheed Martin AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missiles (JASSM). Now, in the light of the Ukrainian crisis, a contextual change has occurred and the deal seems to be closed-up soon.Nevertheless, there are still some unaswered questions. The latest development about the Polish air-launched cruise missiles deal started with the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DCSA) and the US State Department giving consent for the Polish procurement of the JASSMs in their AGM-158A variant, along with a modernization bundle for the Polish Air ForceÂ’s F-16C/D Block 52+ jet...

The RAAF’s AGM-158A Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-Off Missile (JASSM) has achieved its Final Operational Capability (FOC), Minister for Defence, Senator David Johnston has announced. The weapon – which is built by Lockheed Martin and is also in use by the USAF – was acquired under Project AIR 5418 to give the RAAF’s classic Hornet fleet a 300km+ stand-off precision strike capability. “The Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-Off Missile is now fully in service and is an extremely capable, long range missile that meets the future requirements of Air Force,” Senator Johnston said in a statement. “Successful JASSM integration forms a key piece of...

S.Korea to buy bunker busting missiles from Europe (Reuters) - South Korea is to buy Taurus bunker-busting air-to-ground long range missiles for its F-15K strike fighters in a move to boost its strike power amid rising tensions with North Korea, its defence minister told a parliamentary committee on Thursday. The decision to pick a European supplier is due to Washington's unwillingness to supply Seoul's first choice missile, the U.S. made JASSM, a person familiar with the plans later told Reuters and is a rare decision for a military that primarily picks U.S.-made equipment. The decision comes as South Korea is...

Lockheed Martin Completes JASSM F-15E Integration with Successful All-Up Round Flight Test (Source: Lockheed Martin; issued July 26, 2012) ORLANDO, Fla. ---- Lockheed Martin's Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) recently completed F-15E platform integration with a successful all-up round (AUR) flight test at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. The successful AUR test marked the first time JASSM, or any missile, has been integrated onto a platform using the Universal Armament Interface (UAI). The U.S. Air Force initiated the UAI program with the goal of improving the integration cycle of new precision-guided munitions onto aircraft without changing each weapon and platform's...

Finland to buy air-to-surface cruise missiles from Lockheed Martin in $237 million deal HELSINKI — Finland's Defense Ministry says it has approved the purchase of air-to-surface cruise missiles from U.S. aerospace and defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. in a deal worth €178.5 million ($237 million). The ministry declined to specify how many of the AGM-158 JASSM-type missiles it would buy. The long range missiles will be installed into the fleet of Finnish Air Force F-18 Hornet fighter planes.

U.S. To Sell Finland Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles For Its F-18s From the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA): Washington - WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2011 – The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress Oct. 28 of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Finland for 70 AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $255 million. The Government of Finland has requested a sale of 70 AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM), 2 test vehicles, support and test equipment, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, U.S....

RAAF Hornet fighters to be armed with Joint Air to Surface Stand-off Missile Mark Dodd From:The Australian August 03, 2011 THE fleet of RAAF Hornet fighters will soon be armed with a potent new weapon following a successful test firing last week at the Woomera test range. The Joint Air to Surface Stand-off Missile has a range of more than 200 kilometres and was selected in 2006 by the former Howard government to equip the F/A-18 Hornet fleet pending the retirement of the F-111 fleet. The JASSM has been listed on the federal government's "projects of concern" watch list, but...

Australia has added the acquisition of Lockheed Martin's AGM-158 JASSM missile for its Boeing F/A-18 A/B fleet to its Projects of Concern list. Australia's Department of Defence says the project is behind schedule and "risks to capability remain". In 2006, Australia selected the joint air-to-surface stand-off missile over Boeing's SLAM-ER cruise missile for its F/A-18 A/Bs. "The government has not been kept properly and fully informed as to the progress with respect to this major project," says defence minister Stephen Smith. The next milestone in the project is a live firing from a Royal Australian Air Force Hornet in the...

Australia adds JASSM to Projects of Concern list By Greg Waldron Australia has added the acquisition of Lockheed Martin's AGM-158 JASSM missile for its Boeing F/A-18 A/B fleet to its Projects of Concern list. Australia's Department of Defence says the project is behind schedule and "risks to capability remain". In 2006, Australia selected the joint air-to-surface stand-off missile over Boeing's SLAM-ER cruise missile for its F/A-18 A/Bs. "The government has not been kept properly and fully informed as to the progress with respect to this major project," says defence minister Stephen Smith. The next milestone in the project is a...

B-1 carries record-setting missile load 07:01 GMT, September 10, 2010 DYESS AFB, Texas | A Dyess Air Force Base B-1B Lancer carried a full load of 24 AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missiles on a flight over the Gulf of Mexico, Sept. 7 -- a first for the B-1 and AGM-158. "The mission was a success," said Maj. Brian Owen, the chief of wing weapons and tactics. "Everything went as planned, and we can verify that the B-1B can in fact operate its full capacity of JASSMs." The purpose of the flight was to ensure maintainers, ammo and munitions Airmen and...

The U.S. Air Force has ordered 160 AGM-158 JASSM air-to-ground missiles. These will cost about $1.5 million each, and several dozen of them will be shipped off to South Korea, which expected to get them last year. JASSM has been delayed due to test failures. However, tests late last year were over 90 percent successful. That kind of good news has arrived just in time. For the last three years, the U.S. Department of Defense has been on the verge of cancelling the $6 billion JASSM cruise missile program. Lobbying, pleading, a large order from South Korea, and the growing...

Finland Getting Top US Missiles? published Apr 1 05:32 PM, updated Apr 2 03:20 PM The Finnish Air Force is buying at least 200 million euros worth of new equipment for its F-18C Hornet jet fighters. American JASSM air-to-surface missiles may become the latest addition to Finnish fleets. The government’s financial affairs committee gave the go-ahead on Wednesday to buy the weapons from the US Navy. The hardware includes long-range air-to-ground missiles. The upgrade is part of a 17-year development programme with a total price tag of about one billion euros. Under the plan, the entire fleet of Hornet jets...

Outside View: JASSM in crisis -- Part 1 Published: Oct. 10, 2007 at 2:23 PM By THEODORE GAILLARD UPI Outside View Commentator WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- When it comes to weapons procurement, the United States is its own worst enemy. Witness the flawed hull design that sabotaged the Coast Guard’s Deepwater fleet modernization effort, the glitch-plagued and crash-marred 26-year development of the MV-22 Osprey headed for deployment in Iraq, and the inexcusable cost escalation in the Littoral Combat Ship program -- triggering cancellation of Lockheed Martin’s follow-on prototype. Then there’s the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile -- JASSM. In development...

UPDATE 1-U.S. says mulls killing troubled Lockheed missile Thu May 17, 2007 10:35am ET WASHINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force is considering killing a troubled $5.8 billion-dollar Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT.N: Quote, Profile , Research) cruise missile as well as other options "to get this program well," the Air Force's top weapons buyer said Thursday. "Termination is one of the things on the table" for the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, Sue Payton, assistant secretary for acquisition, told a breakfast session. "We don't want to throw out the baby with the bath water here," she said. "At this...