The Air Force on Monday awarded Lockheed Martin [LMT] a $350 million increase to an ongoing indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) production support, the service said.
The award involves lifecycle support for all efforts related to the AGM-158 JASSM, including the extended-range version dubbed JASSM-ER, as well as the long-range anti-ship missile (LRASM) currently in development for the U.S. Navy.
The work will entail system upgrades, integration, production, sustainment, management and logistical support, according to the contract announcement. Work will be performed at Lockheed Martin’s Orlando, Florida facility and is expected to be completed in April 2022.
The increase lifts Lockheed Martin’s IDIQ JASSM contract, initially awarded in April 2017, up to $450 million. The missile was developed for use on Air Force bombers including the B-1, B-2 and B-52, and the F-15 and F-16 fighter jets. The B-1B Lancer bomber and the F-15E Strike Eagle fighter carry the extended-range version, which is currently being integrated onto the B-52 bomber and the Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter.
The U.S. military debuted the JASSM missile in combat this past April in Syria, when 19 units were fired by B-1B bombers at the Barzah Research and Development Center (Defense Daily, April 20).
Lockheed Martin is due to build its 16th JASSM lot, which is now completely comprised of the extended-range variant. The Air Force awarded the company a $390 million contract to build 360 JASSM-ER missiles for the latest lot in October (Defense Daily, Oct. 8).
The fiscal year 2019 defense appropriations bill includes $6 billion for the Air Force to procure 4,900 missiles over the life of the JASSM program, according to budget documents. The bill also includes $160 million for LRASM units.
The long-range anti-ship missile has undergone several flight tests since Lockheed Martin was awarded over $86 million for 23 low-rate initial production Lot 1 units last July. The missile is based off of the Air Force’s JASSM-ER, to be used in contested environments against maritime targets. Defense Daily previously reported that early operational capability was targeted for 2018 aboard the B-1B and for 2019 aboard the Navy’s F/A-18 aircraft (Dec. 13, 2017). Lockheed Martin did not respond to requests for comment before Defense Daily’s deadline Tuesday.