ORLANDO, Fla., 8 June 2011. The new Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) version from the Lockheed Martin Corp. Missiles and Fire Control segment in Orlando, Fla., acquired and tracked several moving surface ships during high-speed company-funded flight tests over the Gulf of Mexico near Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., demonstrating the attack missile is capable of filling its role as the next-generation air-to-ground missile for the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps, company officials say.Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) tested the JAGM tri-mode seeker mounted in the nose of a Sabreliner Series 60 business jet against a Revenge Advanced Composites (RAC) low-signature, high-speed patrol craft and other surface ships, during which the RAC performed evasive maneuvers against the missile seeker.Lockheed Martin is competing for a multi-billion-dollar missile contract with a team of Raytheon and Boeing to replace Airborne TOW, Maverick, and HELLFIRE missiles air-to-ground missiles. The JAGM guidance section blends semi-active laser guidance, uncooled imaging infrared sensor, and millimeter wave radar to guide the new missile to its target.
The aircraft expected to carry JAGM include the Army AH-64D Apache attack helicopter, MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned aerial vehicle, and OH-58D CASUP Kiowa Warrior armed reconnaissance helicopter; the U.S. Marine Corps AH-1Z Cobra attack helicopter; and the U.S. Navy’s MH-60R Seahawk armed reconnaissance helicopter and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet jet fighter. The missile is expected to enter service in 2016 and 2017.
The most recent Lockheed Martin tests were to demonstrate the JAGM's performance on fixed-wing aircraft in attacks on one of the most challenging targets that JAGM is expected to face, Lockheed Martin officials say. Testing also showed the missile's seeker can perform adequately in humid conditions typical of coastal waters and harbors where the JAGM typical would be used.
Speeds during the test approached 400 knots at 20,000-foot altitude. For more information contact Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control online at www.lockheedmartin.com/mfc.
