TUCSON, July 10 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy has given Raytheon an $80.5 million contract to produce and deliver a new variant of the Joint Standoff Weapon.
The variant -- JSOW C-1 -- adds a weapon datalink radio and modified seeker software to the existing JSOW C, increasing the weapon's anti-surface warfare capability.
"JSOW C-1 enables the warfighter to precisely engage targets well beyond most enemy air defenses, thus limiting the threat of adversarial forces," said Celeste Mohr, JSOW program director for Raytheon Missile Systems. "JSOW is exceptionally dependable and provides immeasurable value to the warfighter."
The AGM-154 JSOW is a medium-range, precision-guided weapon for engagement of defended targets from outside the range of anti-aircraft defense. It features a GPS-inertial navigation system and terminal imaging infrared seeker.
Full-rate production of the original JSOW began at the end of 1999.
The weapon is used by the Air Force as well as the Navy.
"With more than 400 JSOW A's employed in combat, this weapon has stood the tests of time," said Harry Schulte, vice president of Air Warfare Systems for Raytheon Missile Systems. "Furthermore, the JSOW program has sustained on-time deliveries for 11 years while concurrently maintaining costs. The JSOW has a remarkable record of reliability, resourcefulness and accuracy."
Raytheon said deliveries under the contract will begin next year.
