US Air Force seeks to increase max range of stand-off cruise missile

[F-22Raptor]

The Air Force wants to extend the maximum range of its Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile in response to growing threats in Eastern Europe and the Western Pacific.

Lockheed Martin received a $37.7 million contract from the Air Force for continued development of a wing design for the extended range JASSM, according to a company news release.

The current design, the AGM-158B JASSM-ER, has a range of roughly 540 nautical miles. Its predecessor, the AGM-158A JASSM, has a range of 200 nautical miles, according to The National Interest.

“We’ve developed a novel design that provides additional standoff range to further increase pilot survivability in an anti-access/area-denial threat environment,” said Jason Denney, program director for Long Range Strike Systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “Our customers trust our already proven design, and we look forward to enhancing its capabilities for warfighters.”

With significant advancements in air defense systems, such as Russia’s S-300 and S-400 surface-to-air platforms, the capabilities of fourth-generation aircraft are increasingly limited. Proliferation of these advanced platforms, known as anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) weapons, has become a growing problem.

While the F-35 Lightning II and the much anticipated Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider should be able to penetrate well-defended air space, the F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16C Fighting Falcon and the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet will still make up the majority of America’s air power for years to come.

The B-21, which will replace the B-1 Lancer and the B-52 Stratofortress, isn’t expected to enter service until 2025s.

The B-1B Lancer currently carries JASSM and JASSM-ER missiles. More than 2,150 of the stealthy, 2,000-pound missiles have been delivered, according to Lockheed Martin.

While it is not yet known how much of a range increase the new wing design will provide for the new missiles, the JASSM has shown to be quite versatile. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Navy teamed with Lockheed to develop a version of the JASSM-ER called the AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile. The LRASM will become operational on-board Air Force B-1Bs in 2018 and on-board the Navy’s F/A-18E/F fleet in 2019, according to the National Interest.

In addition to the stand-off missile systems, the Air Force is also looking at new sixth-generation fighter jet concepts. In January, the Air Force began an 18-month analysis of alternative concepts for what it calls Penetrating Counter-Air capabilities. This is all part of Air Force’s efforts to maintain air superiority in a post-2030 threat environment.

http://www.militarytimes.com/news/y...crease-max-range-of-stand-off-cruise-missile/

 

[Penguin]

From JASSM with 370km to JASSM-ER with 1000km to a development with a range of ....?

LRASM is credited with a range of 560km. Some naval advisors have proposed to increase its range by reducing the size of its 1,000 lb (450 kg) warhead. Increased range would be 1,600 km.

JASSM-ER also has a 450kg warhead. Go figure.

 

[Gomig-21]

From JASSM with 370km to JASSM-ER with 1000km to a development with a range of ....?

LRASM is credited with a range of 560km. Some naval advisors have proposed to increase its range by reducing the size of its 1,000 lb (450 kg) warhead. Increased range would be 1,600 km.

JASSM-ER also has a 450kg warhead. Go figure.

Amazing. US-built standoff weapons program has reached a point where it needs to keep up with the growth of stealth platforms. The threat of Russian S-400's and 500's might play a small factor in this need to produce a longer range JASSM, but I think it's more of a complementary new weapon to go with the new bomber to go with the F-35 & F-22.

The B-21 will need something better to justify upgrading the great B-1B. Why build a next generation bomber and use the same weaponry the old platform used? $37 mill is peanuts anyway, but it's still another contract for LM! lol

How much of a threat is the S-300/400/500 to these standoff cruise missiles in the first place anyway? We're yet to see the vaunted potency of these highly sought after Russian SAMs.

It would've been nice to see an S-300 take down one of the Tomahawks in Syria. If it did, it would have created a legitimate concern on top of promoting the system itself. But that's asking too much for either of those two to confront each other. It'll never happen.

In addition to the stand-off missile systems, the Air Force is also looking at new sixth-generation fighter jet concepts. In January, the Air Force began an 18-month analysis of alternative concepts for what it calls Penetrating Counter-Air capabilities. This is all part of Air Force’s efforts to maintain air superiority in a post-2030 threat environment.

I hope Northrop wins this contract this time around. Take the YF-23 and bring it into the next evolution of stealth platforms. If not to reward it for the loss to the YF-22, but to give LM some competition.

Why UAVs haven't altered the fighter jet concept yet is a bit strange, but maybe not.