The Navy earlier this spring awarded Raytheon [RTN] an $80.5 million contract for Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) C-1s, according to a company statement.
The JSOW C-1 adds a weapon data link radio and modified seeker software to the existing JSOW C variant, which increases the anti-surface warfare mission capability. The weapon is designed to provide fleet forces with the capability and flexibility to engage moving maritime targets, while retaining its robust capability against stationary land targets.
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| A Joint Standoff Weapon is dropped from an F-16. Photo: Air Force. |
Delivery of the missiles is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2014.
JSOW (AGM-154) is a family of low-cost, air-to-ground weapons that employ an integrated Global Positioning System- (GPS) inertial navigation system and terminal imaging infrared seeker. JSOW C-1 adds the two-way Strike Common Weapon Data Link to the combat-proven weapon, enabling a moving maritime target capability. JSOW C-1 will provide an advanced anti-surface warfare solution on the F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft. The F/A-18 is developed by Boeing [BA].
Raytheon recently demonstrated a new integrated fuel system for the company’s extended range version of JSOW (JSOW ER). During the test, a new production representative fuel tank and fuel delivery system were integrated with the TJ150 turbojet engine on a modified JSOW C-1 air vehicle (Defense Daily, April 15).
Raytheon last July retargeted JSOW C-1 to strike a large, moving maritime target during Navy integrated testing, which the company said kept the program on track for initial operational capability (IOC) at the end of 2013 (Defense Daily, Aug. 23). Raytheon did not respond to a request for comment by press time.