Lockheed Martin gets $100M JASSM production order

April 19 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin received a $100 million contract from the U.S. Air Force to support efforts related for the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile.

Under the contract, the company will provide lifecycle support for the weapon and all of the variants operated by the service. These include the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile and the Extended Range variant.

The weapons will receive system upgrades, integration, production, sustainment, and logistical support.

Work will be performed at Lockheed Martin's facility in Orlando, Fla., and is expected to be completed by April 2020.

Lockheed Martin, the primary contractor for the missiles, received the contract as a sole-source acquisition. The company received no funds at the time of the contract award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center is the contracting activity.

The Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, or JASSM, is a long-range precision weapon designed for attacking high-value fixed and relocatable targets. Its manufacturer says it is designed to keep operators out of hostile areas while weakening enemy defenses.

The missile ways roughly 2,000 pounds, and is equipped with a penetrator and blast fragmentation warhead. It also uses guidance technology and an infrared seeker to hone in targets more accurately. It is typically integrated with F-16s, F-15Es, and various bombers.