JSOW C-1 on target

TUCSON, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- Developmental testing of the newest version Raytheon's air-to-ground Joint Standoff Weapon C-1 has been completed by the U.S. Navy.

During the test, the JSOW C-1, fired from an F/A-18, twice successfully tracked and struck small, fast-moving ships. The target in the first firing was 29 miles from the weapons' launch point and 39 miles distant in the second.

Raytheon said the DT "brings U.S. and allied warfighters one step closer to being able to engage moving ships as far as 60 nautical miles (70 statute miles) away with an air-launched weapon."

Developmental testing finished when the JSOW C-1 struck a small, fast-moving ship target during the weapon's second flight test. During the flight to target, the weapon transmitted tracking and target strike information through use of the Link-16-16 network.

"The JSOW C-1 is a network-enabled weapon which will be capable of receiving third-party target updates in-flight and strike a precise point on a moving ship using its autonomous terminal seeker," said Cmdr. Samuel Hanaki of the U.S. Navy's Precision Strike Weapons program office.

"In addition to marking the completion of DT, this test keeps the program on track for reaching initial operational capability in 2013."

The JSOW features Global Positioning System inertial navigation system and terminal imaging infrared seeker. JSOW C-1 adds moving maritime target capability and two-way datalink to the system.