Lockheed Martin [LMT] has submitted its proposal to the Army for the next phase of the Joint Air-to-Ground (JAGM) program, while potential rival Raytheon [RTN] has decided not to enter the competition, the two companies indicated in separate statements April 6.
Frank St. John, vice president of tactical missiles and combat maneuver systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, said his company’s dual-mode weapon, which includes a semi-active laser sensor and a millimeter wave radar, would give warfighters “enhanced performance” on the battlefield. St. John said Lockheed Martin’s JAGM guidance section has already shown in flight tests that it “exceeds the Army’s requirement without added risk or cost.”
Image: Lockheed Martin.
Raytheon, which had considered offering a tri-mode seeker based on hardware it is developing for the Air Force-led Small Diameter Bomb II program, has “decided not to bid” for JAGM after evaluating the request for proposals (RFP), spokesman John Patterson said. Patterson added that Raytheon “will be prepared to offer its mature and affordable tri-mode seeker for future” JAGM developments or other guided weapon programs.
Both companies have conducted technology development for JAGM as a precursor to the program’s next phase, which is engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) and options for low-rate initial production (LRIP). The Army released the EMD RFP in early February and is expected to award a contract in the July-September quarter of this year.
According to Army budget documents, JAGM is an Army-led program with “joint interest” from the Marine Corps and Navy. The new aviation-launched missile will replace Hellfire laser and Longbow radar missiles and be used to destroy fixed and moving targets on land and at sea. JAGM will consist of a newly developed guidance section mated to the Hellfire Romeo missile’s backend, which includes a motor, warhead and electronics. Achievement of an initial operational capability is slated for the fourth quarter of FY 2018.