Officials of the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., are asking the Raytheon Missile Systems segment in Tucson, Ariz., to produce 200 AGM-154C Block III joint standoff weapon (JSOW) munitions. The contract also calls for Raytheon to build 212 containers, spare parts, and technical support for the government of Qatar.
The AGM-154 JSOW is medium range precision-guided glide bomb for attacking defended targets from outside the range of standard anti-aircraft defenses. Pilots typically fire JSOW from ranges of 22 to 70 nautical miles. The JSOW Block III adds a Link-16 weapon data link and moving maritime target capability to the AGM-154C.
The weapon can be launched from F/A-18, F-16, F-15, F-35, and Jas Gripen jet fighter-bombers; as well as from B-1B, B-2A, and B-52H long-range jet bombers. The AGM-154C JSOW unitary variant uses an imaging infrared seeker with autonomous guidance.
The two-stage AGM-154C carries the BROACH warhead made up from a WDU-44 shaped augmenting warhead and a WDU-45 follow through bomb, and is designed to attack hardened targets like armor, concrete, and earth to enable a large following warhead to explode inside the target. The JSOW is 13 feet long and weighs about 1,000 pounds.
On this contract Raytheon will do the work in Tucson, Ariz.; Glascoed, Wales; Dallas and Richardson, Texas; Glasgow, Scotland; Vergennes, Vt; Minneapolis; Andover, Mass.; McAlester and Tulsa, Okla.; Joplin, Mo.; Goleta and Valencia, Calif.; Williamsport, Pa.; Berryville, Ark.; Bohemia and Orchard Park, N.Y.; Pinellas Park, Fla.; Boulder, Colo., and other locations, and should be finished by June 2020.
For more information contact Raytheon Missile Systems online at www.raytheon.com, or Naval Air Systems Command at www.navair.navy.mil.
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