Posted by John McHale
ORLANDO, Fla., 3 April 2010. Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] 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," says 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 MartinÕs seeker and electronics production facilities in Ocala, Fla, and Troy, Ala.
"The SIAs 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 says. "Seeker maturity is the key to controlling program risk and ensuring an affordable, producible and supportable product."
