JASSM Continues to Demonstrate Operational Effectiveness
Critical Hardened Target Destroyed in Test
ORLANDO, FL, December 17th, 2001 -- By destroying a critical Air Force hardened bunker target in a flight test on Saturday, Dec. 15, Lockheed Martin's Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) provided another demonstration of its operational effectiveness.
This test, at the Western Test Range in Nevada, was typical of an Air Force operational attack on a high value target. The missile was launched from a B-52 Stratofortress at an altitude of 24,000 feet and autonomously flew to the mission planned target. It used its seeker to provide precision guidance and destroy the target.
JASSM is a 2000-pound class weapon with a multi-purpose penetrator warhead. It is planned for deployment on B-1, B-2, B-52, F-16, and F/A-18 aircraft. JASSM gives Air Force and Navy aircrews long-range capability against a wide range of high value, heavily defended targets. It cruises autonomously in adverse weather, day or night, defeating the target with pinpoint accuracy. Its anti-jam GPS satellite navigation system, state-of-the-art infrared seeker, and stealth airframe make it extremely difficult to defend against.
"We understand how critical JASSM's capabilities are to the Air Force," said Larry Lawson, Vice President of Strike Weapons at Lockheed Martin. "Being able to destroy hardened targets from long range is important to the Air Force. This test shows that JASSM is capable against these target types as well."
Saturday's test was designed to further validate JASSM system performance and warhead effectiveness. This was the missile's seventh development test and ends the series for 2001. There will be one more development test in early 2002, then the program will begin the Independent Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) series.
"With the success of this test, the baseline JASSM development program will be complete following our final test early next year," said Colonel Tim Moore, JASSM Joint Program Office program manager. We have clearly demonstrated that the missile exceeds the operational requirements. Completion of development testing positions JASSM for success during the operational testing phase."
Employing more than 8,500 people, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with additional base operations in Orlando, Fla., and manufacturing and assembly facilities in Sunnyvale, Calif., Chelmsford, Mass., Camden, Ark., Horizon City and Lufkin, Texas, Ocala, Fla., White Sands Missile Range, N.M., and Troy, Ala. The company is a business unit of Lockheed Martin Systems Integration in Bethesda, Md.
Nettie Johnson, 407-356-5351
e-mail nettie.r.johnson@lmco.com
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