Lockheed Martin Successfully Tests Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) Tri-Mode Seeker

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Lockheed Martin Successfully Tests Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) Tri-Mode Seeker
UNITED STATES - 31 MARCH 2010

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Lockheed Martin has successfully completed a wide-ranging series of tests on the multi-mode seeker for its Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) system. JAGM will provide a precision, adverse weather, low-collateral-damage weapon to rotary- and fixed-wing pilots, as well as the unmanned aerial system community.

Currently in the technology development phase, JAGM's tri-mode seeker includes imaging infrared, semi-active laser and millimeter wave radar sensors for precision-strike targeting.

"We've successfully demonstrated all of the sensor modes simultaneously and are very pleased with what we're seeing," said Rick Edwards, vice president for Tactical Missiles and Combat Maneuver Systems at Lockheed Martin. "Having fully functional seeker hardware this early in the program allows us to validate our software integration and test procedures. We are moving forward to deliver an unrivaled capability that will meet our Warfighters' needs."

Lockheed Martin has built several tri-mode seekers for tower, captive flight and missile flight testing. Upcoming captive-carry testing will verify performance in a flight environment. Additional testing in thermal and vibration performance, and electromagnetic interference effects will also take place this year.

Program officials also recently held Kaizen events, or Structured Improvement Activity (SIA), at Lockheed Martin's seeker and electronics production facilities in Ocala, FL, and Troy, AL.

"The SIA's were very successful and we have made significant progress in maturing our JAGM production manufacturing process. The recent tests and Kaizen events demonstrate the maturity of the tri-mode seeker, which is the heart of the JAGM weapon system," Edwards said. "Seeker maturity is the key to controlling program risk and ensuring an affordable, producible and supportable product."


Source: Lockheed Martin

 

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The JAGM is intended for joint service with the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps.

 

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Lockheed Martin, Aerojet Achieve Joint Air-To-Ground Missile (JAGM) Rocket Motor Breakthrough
UNITED STATES - 6 APRIL 2010

ORLANDO, FL, -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE:LMT] and Aerojet, a GenCorp [NYSE:GY] company and teammate on the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) program, achieved a technological breakthrough by successfully completing full temperature range testing and validation to support a single rocket motor solution for all JAGM fixed-wing and rotary-wing platforms. The final completed tests were a series of cold temperature missile motor firings conducted in Camden, AR.

The rocket motor was manufactured to a tactical configuration using a composite motor case and conditioned to -65ºF, replicating the highly stressful thermal requirements of a fixed-wing launch at altitude. Building upon a series of previous developmental static motor tests at various temperatures, including a prior successful test at -65ºF in a heavywall motor case, this test further validates that the Aerojet rocket motor offers a single-motor solution for JAGM’s challenging fixed-wing, rotary-wing and unmanned aerial vehicle requirements.

“Given the positive results of this rocket motor test and previous tests, we are confident we can deliver a single missile motor offering for the JAGM program as specified in the Statement of Work,” said Hady Mourad, JAGM program director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “Our motor has been optimized for employment off fixed-wing, rotary-wing and unmanned aerial vehicles, and it meets or exceeds every key performance parameter including maximum and minimum ranges, minimum-smoke propellant and, as just demonstrated, the hot and cold temperature parameters.”

“The JAGM launch environment provides an extremely challenging set of requirements for the rocket motor, using a minimum-smoke propellant over a very large temperature range while also providing the necessary high turn-down ratio (boost to sustain) to power the launch and sustain flight to maximum ranges,” said Aerojet’s vice president for Tactical Programs, John Myers. “Aerojet is pleased to be able to successfully demonstrate these capabilities in support of Lockheed Martin’s single-motor JAGM solution. We look forward to delivering rocket motors for their upcoming flight tests and ultimately to getting this vital new capability into the hands of our nation’s Warfighters as soon as possible.”

Developed along with partners Roxel, General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, and Pacific Scientific Energetic Materials Company, Aerojet’s advanced boost-sustain motor supports the Lockheed Martin JAGM team effort as part of the competitive Technology Demonstration phase of the program.

The JAGM TD program is being conducted by the U.S. Army’s Joint Attack Munition Systems Project Office in Huntsville, AL, to replace the currently fielded HELLFIRE, Longbow, Airborne TOW and Maverick missiles for the U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps. JAGM provides the next-generation air-to-ground missile for employment from the services’ rotary-wing, fixed-wing and unmanned platforms.

Threshold aviation platforms include the U.S. Army’s AH-64D Apache attack helicopter, the Army’s Extended Range Multi-Purpose (ERMP) Sky Warrior unmanned aerial system, the U.S. Marine Corps’ AH-1Z Super Cobra attack helicopter, and the U.S. Navy’s MH-60R Seahawk armed reconnaissance helicopter and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet jet fighter. Numerous Objective platforms are also in consideration, including the tri-service Joint Strike Fighter program. The initial operational capability of JAGM on the AH-64D, AH-1Z and F/A-18E/F is scheduled for 2016, and the IOC for the MH-60R and ERMP is 2017.

Source: Lockheed Martin

 

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Lockheed Martin’s Joint Air-To-Ground Missile (JAGM) Successfully Completes Limited Dirty Battlefield/Countermeasures Testing
UNITED STATES - 13 APRIL 2010

ORLANDO, FL -- Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] Joint Air-To-Ground Missile (JAGM) team has successfully completed an extensive series of static, tower-based and captive-carry flight tests of its tri-mode seeker in a limited dirty battlefield/countermeasure rich environment at Redstone Arsenal, AL. The tests successfully validated the capability and technological maturity of the Lockheed Martin tri-mode seeker, a critical element to a low-risk, on time, on-budget fielding of the JAGM system.

JAGM’s three seeker modes are semi-active laser, imaging infrared and millimeter wave radar. The seeker was tested against both active and passive countermeasure systems including white and red phosphorous, fog oil, smoke, millimeter wave chaff, flares, camouflage netting and mobile camouflage systems.

Test results demonstrated all three sensor modes successfully communicated and worked collaboratively to effectively address and defeat each countermeasure and obscurant. The test series was preceded by an array of successful captive-carry tests conducted by Lockheed Martin in clean, non-dirty-battlefield flight environments, during both favorable and adverse weather conditions including sun, rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow.

“We tested our tri-mode seeker against a variety of countermeasures and obscurants in a very challenging and realistic battlefield environment, and the seeker performed precisely as designed,” said Hady Mourad, JAGM program director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “We are exceptionally pleased with the results. JAGM will provide the right weapon at the right time in any environment.”

The U.S. Army’s Joint Attack Munition Systems Project Office in Huntsville, AL, is leading the JAGM Technology Development program to replace the currently fielded HELLFIRE, Longbow, Airborne TOW and Maverick missiles for the Army, Navy and Marine Corps. JAGM provides the next-generation air-to-ground missile for employment from the services’ rotary-wing, fixed-wing and unmanned platforms.

Threshold aviation platforms include the U.S. Army’s AH-64D Apache attack helicopter, the U.S. Army’s Extended Range Multi-Purpose (ERMP) Sky Warrior unmanned aerial system (UAS), the U.S. Marine Corps’ AH-1Z Super Cobra attack helicopter, and the U.S. Navy’s MH-60R Seahawk armed reconnaissance helicopter and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet jet fighter. Numerous Objective platforms are also in consideration, including the tri-service Joint Strike Fighter program. The initial operational capability of JAGM on the AH-64D, AH-1Z and F/A-18E/F is scheduled for 2016, and the IOC for the MH-60R and ERMP is 2017.


Source: Lockheed Martin