Lockheed Martin AGM-179 JAGM

overscan (PaulMM)

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Interesting, wasn't up to speed on this program.

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/JAGM022709.xml&headline=Lockheed%20Outlines%20Test%20Plans%20For%20JAGM%20Bid&channel=defense
 
You know, I figured one of the JAGM entrees would look like the Hellfire, but both of them?
 
And the "hellfire" sized missile is already fully integrated on all the strike platforms.
 
The competition aren't too happy about the current state of affairs:
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/06/06/357413/raytheonboeing-submit-jagm-bid-with-questions-left-unanswered.html
 
JAGM is a zoombie already, or some sort of eastern god, as it has died and come back at least three times already. Of course we have Hellfire. Oh wait! We have not bought any of those in a while. Is the production line even still warm?
 
I am not sure where you are from, but the Hellfire line is churning out several thousand Hellfires per year.
 
SpudmanWP said:
I am not sure where you are from, but the Hellfire line is churning out several thousand Hellfires per year.

Any idea if we're still building Mavericks?
 
SpudmanWP said:
I am not sure where you are from, but the Hellfire line is churning out several thousand Hellfires per year.
In this particular case I'm from Missouri. I would ask you to elaborate.
 
According to the FY2012 budget docs, the DoD (Army, USN & USAF) has ordered 10940 Hellfire missiles since 2010 (10-4684/11-4366/12-1890). This does not include any FMS deals. I was not able to find any recent Maverick sales.
 
SpudmanWP said:
According to the FY2012 budget docs, the DoD (Army, USN & USAF) has ordered 10940 Hellfire missiles since 2010 (10-4684/11-4366/12-1890). This does not include any FMS deals. I was not able to find any recent Maverick sales.

Interesting. I stand corrected. Thank you.
 
Actually, it takes two years to build a Hellfire, from year of order to year of delivery. So, there are still over 10,000 Hellfires waiting to be built & delivered (ie 2010 orders on). :)
 
Rare New Program Start, JAGM, Rises From Acquisition Cemetery

WASHINGTON: One of the few entirely new major Pentagon weapon systems appears to be rising from the dead, with the $5 billion Joint Air To Ground Missile living on roughly $300 million of money already appropriated and securing supportive language in the House Armed Services Committee's first draft of the defense policy bill.

"The rumors of the program's demise were greatly exaggerated," said J.R. Smith, Raytheon's head of business development for JAGM. He says "it's probably reasonable to assume there is about $300 million left" over from 2011 and 2012 funding to keep the program running through fiscal 2013. The Army, which has been named executive acquisition authority for the program, is expected to award two sole source contracts of the "not-to-exceed-undefinitized" type this summer to both companies.

Raytheon and Lockheed Martin have been locked in one of the more dramatic weapons contests in some time. It began with a fly-off, during which the Raytheon-Boeing team initially appeared to substantially best Lockheed, hitting the target three out of three tries, while America's number one defense company missed two of three tries. Since then both companies have successfully tested their nearly smokeless missiles for the vibrations and temperatures they would face being used on a helicopter or on a jet fighter and Lockheed put the missile through several shots on its own dime after the government sponsored tests ended.

The Raytheon-Boeing JAGM features an uncooled tri-mode seeker with semiactive laser (SAL), uncooled imaging infrared and millimeter wave guidance. Lockheed's system uses a cooled seeker that it claims provided much better resolution. Raytheon counters that its system is lighter, more reliable and cheaper.

The missile is designed to fire from the Army's AH-64D Apache attack helicopters, ARH-70 Arapaho scout helicopters, MQ-1C Sky Warrior unmanned aerial vehicles, Marine Corps AH-1Z Super Cobra helicopters, the Navy MH-60R/S Seahawk helicopters and F/A-18E/Fs.

The positive indicators for the program's survival aren't exactly legion, but they are pretty clear. Frank Kendall, undersecretary for acquisition, technology, and logistics, signed an Acquisition Decision Memorandum, granting new life to the program on March 20.

And we obtained markup language for the House Armed Services markup of the defense authorization bill. It OKs the $10 million in leftover 2011 money to be used to keep the program going for now. Here's what it says:

"The committee supports the JAGM program and approves of the decision to continue the program as outlined in the revised Acquisition Decision Memorandum (ADM) issued by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics on March 20, 2012. The committee notes that significant prior-year funding is available to continue the program and encourages expedited contracting actions to ensure that these funds can be obligated in fiscal year 2012. While the
committee agrees with the decision in the ADM to explore technical trades to achieve a more affordable solution, the committee recommends that the Army retain a requirement for an all-weather, moving target-capable missile, with an emphasis on missile solutions capable of being fielded within 3 years of contract award. Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Army to provide a briefing to the congressional defense committees by August 1, 2012, on the revised acquisition plan, anticipated requirements, and program schedule and funding
needs."

Meanwhile, in keeping with Kendall's ADM, the Army has produced a JAGM affordability study and provided it to the two companies. We hear they have provided comments. Raytheon's Smith said he believes all testing for the rockets can be finished in 18 months to two years.

http://defense.aol.com/2012/05/03/rare-new-program-start-jagm-rises-from-acquisition-cemetery/
 
SpudmanWP said:
Actually, it takes two years to build a Hellfire, from year of order to year of delivery. So, there are still over 10,000 Hellfires waiting to be built & delivered (ie 2010 orders on). :)

 
Lockheed Martin Demonstrates JAGM Dual-Mode Guidance Section in Recent Flight Test
ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 20, 2014 – Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] recently demonstrated the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) dual-mode guidance section engaging a laser-designated moving target during an internally funded flight test at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

The rail-mounted JAGM guidance section flew six kilometers, engaged its precision-strike, semi-active laser and hit the moving target. The flight test, which was part of Lockheed Martin’s internal research and development program, is an important risk reduction milestone critical to Lockheed Martin’s performance on the U.S. Army’s 27-month Continued Technology Development (CTD) program.

“This flight test demonstrates the maturity of Lockheed Martin’s JAGM solution, and our readiness to enter production upon completion of the Army’s CTD program,” said Frank St. John, vice president of tactical missiles and combat maneuver systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “We will continue risk reduction activities to ensure that our JAGM system is affordable and provides significant performance advantages to meet warfighter needs.”

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/press-releases/2014/february/mfc-22014-jagm-dual-mode-guidance-section-flight-test.html
 
I was posting on another blog (sorry, I've been unfaithful) and the topic of JAGM came up along with JAGM-F (???). A little digging found this gem from the FY2019 NDAA.

CoAspire personnel attended the open HASC Markup session on May 9, 2018 where JAGM-F and other issues were debated and voted on. JAGM-F Missile amendments (an additional $10M total authorized for Navy and Marine Corps) were voted on "En Bloc" and the vote was bi-partisan and unanimous. (CoAspire Photo)

On Wednesday, May 9th 2018 during the FY19 NDAA markup, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) passed two "En Bloc" amendments for the JAGM-F missile program for the FY19 National Defense Authorization Act. En Bloc amendments are cleared in a bi-partisan process in advance by the HASC and are voted on during the day-long markup process. Both En Bloc votes that included JAGM-F were unanimous.

For those not familiar with the process, the House Armed Services Committee conducts their mark-up of the NDAA in an open, televised forum and members of the public can sit in the limited public seating area and watch the debate and votes in person. Some of the amendments can be controversial. The ones on the JAGM-F were not, and had senior, bi-partisan support.

Here is a link to a Defense News article that lists the En Bloc amendments.

The first amendment passed by the full committee (EB7 117r1) authorizes an additional $5M for JAGM-F missile studies and analysis for the Navy for their F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and F-35C aircraft, and an additional $5M on a separate line for the USMC for their F/A-18C/D, AV-8B and F-35B/C aircraft.

The second amendment (EB2 177) requests a briefing by the Department of the Navy to the committee on the services' plans for JAGM-F integration on its fighter aircraft to replace the Laser Maverick missile that will be out of inventory in the coming decade. This type of briefing request is expected when the committee authorizes additional funding, to ensure the services have a good plan moving forward.

The US Air Force has requested $31.596M in the FY19 budget to begin JAGM-F integration activities on their aircraft, and the $10M for the DoN will allow both the Navy and Marine Corps to begin their studies and analysis in concert with the Air Force in FY19 and beyond.

The JAGM-F missile is an eject-launched, fighter-capable derivative the JAGM missile that is a dual-mode seeker missile incorporating an active millimeter-wave radar and a semi-active laser seeker. The JAGM missile is a follow-on to the the Hellfire missile and will IOC on the US Army's Apache helicopter and the US Marine Corps' Cobra helicopter.

More digging found this in the FY2019 budget.

Joint Air-to-Ground Missile for Fixed Wing Aircraft (JAGM-F) is an improvement to the Army's JAGM which will allow the missile to be released from fixed wing aircraft in order to eliminate time sensitive moving targets and high value covered/sheltered targets. JAGM-F will be able to combat adverse weather/low visibility battlefield and countermeasure environments and austere communication environments and have the ability to engage multiple targets types near simultaneously in multiple engagement modes. Efforts include but are not limited to testing, qualification, and design/build demo components to production standards. Intent is to meet all BRU-55, BRU-57, and BRU-61 environments.

So, the outstanding question of how the JAGM is to be internally carried in the F-35 is put to paper, it will use the SDB's BRU-61 rack. That should give it some good CAS flexibility. Imagine 2xSDB1, 2xSDB2, and 4xJAGM-F internal for CAS.
 
Why would you carry them internally? I mean, look at the range, it's a close-in weapon not intended for getting iads
 
For the same reason you store SDB internally, less drag & better range, regardless of the target set. They would also make a good weapon to launch at pop-up threats that you meet along the way to use your SDBs (think 2xJAGM & 6xSDB).
 
With the JAGM-F on a BRU-61 within the bay of an F-35 wonder how they'll lock it on target before it drops? Might it be limited in that situation to just the laser guidance?
 
JAGM, just like the Hellfire before it, has LOAL capability.
 
Anybody know what range is being claimed for launch from a fast mover?
 
yasotay said:
Anybody know what range is being claimed for launch from a fast mover?

I think they don't get fast-mover compatibility until Increment 3, which is nominally 16 km (10 miles) range. But that's from a rotary-wing platform. No published numbers for fast jet range.

Brimstone is similar in concept to JAGM and it gains something over 50% when fired from fast jets. So maybe 24 km or so for JAGM Inc 3 from a fast jet? That's respectable.
 
JAGM off the bench (ie Incr1) is fast jet compatible with similar rail launcher that Brimstone uses. JAGM-F adapts Incr1 JAGM for ejector launcher.

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Before you say "Brimstone", the easiest way to tell a JAGM from a Brimstone is that JAGM does not have forward fins and it's tail fin is nearly half of it's body length.

N2IUXJL.jpg
 

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Increment 1 is being integrated on Grey Eagle, which isn't particularly fast but should provide a little more range than launch from an Apache. The Navy has also been eyeing I1/2 for TERN.
SpudmanWP said:
JAGM off the bench (ie Incr1) is fast jet compatible with similar rail launcher that Brimstone uses. JAGM-F adapts Incr1 JAGM for ejector launcher.

yYmrtvL.jpg


5NzUMdA.jpg


Before you say "Brimstone", the easiest way to tell a JAGM from a Brimstone is that JAGM does not have forward fins and it's tail fin is nearly half of it's body length.

N2IUXJL.jpg
Those aren't I1 JAGMs, I1 is a Hellfire Romeo with a new nose containing the gual-mode seeker, it looks like this DN render. Those are older full-missile prototypes from before JAGM was restructured, and are today more of a preview of what I2/3 might look like.
 
Yeah, I just came back to fix that after doing some more Googling with time specific ranges. One interesting thing, that 3xLauncher is not the standard one for Brimstone.

I still think Incr1's motor is fast jet compatible as the timeline for JAGM-F is supposed to finish by 2020 which does not give it enough time to develop a new motor.
 
Pardon my ignorance, so JAGM for internal carriage will be ejected pneumatically from a BRU-61, and then presumably light the rocket motor once sufficient separation is achieved?
 
Hmmm....that means at some point JAGM will have to be modified with 14" lugs, right? Right now it has no suitable interface for being ejected. Unless there are other suspension means that i'm not aware of.
 
"Lugs" and the electrical interface is the reason for the recent JAGM-F contract and dev program.
 
The goal (per the budget doc) is be done with "JAGM-F - Design, Build, Test, and Integration" by the end of CY2020.
 
Predictive aimpoint does not look so good. Seems to me that it should have hit mid-body.
 
I'm not horribly impressed with JAGM compared to earlier plans for it and the previous JCM. It's basically a Hellfire that combines millimeter wave radar and SALH guidance in once missile which is an improvement but Brimstone 2 already does that and provides an increase in range. Plus there is Spear 3 as well now which I believe has the tri-mode guidance they originally wanted.
 

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