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Lockheed Martin to test AGM-158 JASSM

The company will test telemetry and flight termination systems on the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile.

By James LaPorta
An F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 480th Fighter Squadron takes off for a night training mission at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany on Sept. 28, 2017. Photo by Staff Sgt. Jonathan Snyder/U.S. Air Force
An F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 480th Fighter Squadron takes off for a night training mission at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany on Sept. 28, 2017. Photo by Staff Sgt. Jonathan Snyder/U.S. Air Force

Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Air Force for Intelligence Test Instrumentations Kits for use on the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile flight tests for telemetry and flight termination purposes, the company announced on Tuesday.

The $44.1 million deal seeks to test the AGM-158 during flight, with Lockheed Martin saying these upgraded Intelligent Test Instrumentations Kits will "eliminate obsolete parts from previous generation test kits" which can be used on several different missiles.

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"The new iTIK provides a next generation telemetry kit for both JASSM baseline and Extended Range missiles, as well as the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile," Kim Oyler, program manager at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, said in a press release. "The electronic components in this new kit will provide enhanced reliability over the previous generation's mechanical configuration."

In July, Lockheed Martin received a $37.7 million contract action for the continued development of a new wing design for the Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range.

The new wing design will provide greater range for the JASSM-ER, which currently can strike targets more than 550 miles away.

The AGM-158 JASSM is a long-range air-launched cruise missile with a stealthy radar-evading airframe. It uses an infrared seeker and GPS guidance to autonomously strike fixed targets at long ranges with a 1,000-pound penetrating blast warhead.

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The standard model can be mounted on most Air Force and Navy fighters and bomber aircraft, while the JASSM-ER is currently deployed on the B1B Lancer heavy supersonic bomber. The ER version is being adapted for use with other aircraft.

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