Raytheon contracted for testing of joint standoff weapon

May 31 (UPI) -- Raytheon Missile systems has received a $8.9 million contract for flight test demonstrations of an extended range version of the Joint Standoff Weapon AGM-154C-1 All-Up-Round.

Fiscal 2016 and 2017 U.S. Navy research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $2.9 million have already been allocated for the program, $1.1 million of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year

The contract was non-competitive, with Raytheon as the sole-source. Work is expected to be completed by March 2018.

The Joint Standoff Weapon, or JSOW, is a GPS-guided and IR terminal-guidance glide bomb that can carry a variety of warheads, including cluster munitions, high-explosives and specially designed munitions for destroying hardened targets.

The AGM-154C-1 is a new variant being tested as a naval strike version of the weapon. It includes a two-way Common Weapon Datalink that allows the weapon system to target moving naval targets. It is network-enabled and has a range of more than 60 miles.

It can be carried and launched by a variety of Navy aircraft. It was first put into service in 1998 and has seen use in several operations in Iraq since its introduction.