// UNMANNED SYSTEMS AND NEXT-GEN WARFARE TERM
JASSM-ER
The JASSM-ER is a long-range, air-launched cruise missile used to destroy high-value, well-defended targets from a safe distance. Its extended range allows the launch aircraft to stay far away from enemy air defenses.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
The AGM-158B JASSM-ER (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile - Extended Range) is a long-range, low-observable, precision-guided cruise missile manufactured by Lockheed Martin. Launched from aircraft like the B-1B, F-15E, and F-35, it uses GPS/INS and an imaging infrared seeker to engage and destroy high-value, fixed or relocatable targets deep within heavily-defended enemy territory.
BACKGROUND
The AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile is a low detection standoff air-launched cruise missile developed by Lockheed Martin for the United States Armed Forces. It is a large, stealthy long-range weapon with a 1,000-pound (450 kg) armor piercing warhead. It completed testing and entered service with the U.S. Air Force in 2009, and has entered foreign service in Australia, Finland, and Poland as of 2014. An extended range version of the missile, the AGM-158B JASSM-ER, entered service in 2014 as well as an anti-ship derivative, the AGM-158C LRASM in 2018.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- AGM-158B
- JASSM Extended Range
- long-range standoff missile
- stealth cruise missile
- ALCM
- standoff weapon
USAGE NOTE
The 'ER' is a critical distinction, as this variant has nearly three times the range of the original JASSM, fundamentally changing mission planning against near-peer adversaries.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to JASSM-ER.
The prime contractor responsible for the design, development, and production of the JASSM-ER missile system. They oversee the integration of all components and manage the overall program.
Manufactures the F107 turbofan engine that powers the JASSM-ER, providing the long-range propulsion necessary for the missile to reach its targets from a standoff distance.
Develops and supplies the advanced infrared seeker for the JASSM family of missiles. This seeker enables the missile to precisely identify and strike specific targets in the terminal phase of its flight, even in GPS-denied environments.
An RTX business that provides the highly accurate and jam-resistant GPS/Inertial Navigation System (INS) units for JASSM-ER. This system guides the missile during its mid-course flight to the target area.
The primary scientific research and development center for the U.S. Air Force. AFRL was instrumental in developing and testing the foundational technologies for the JASSM program, including guidance, control, and materials.
Provides secure, resilient data link technology for the JASSM-ER, specifically for the Weapon Data Link (WDL). This allows the missile to receive in-flight target updates, enhancing its operational flexibility.
Manufactures the WDU-42/B (J-1000) penetrating blast-fragmentation warhead used in the JASSM-ER. This 1000-pound class warhead is designed to defeat hardened and deeply buried targets.