Joint air-to-surface standoff missile, US Air Force & Navy.

Historical Essay © Andreas Parsch

Lockheed Martin AGM-158 JASSM

The JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile) program was initated in 1995 following the cancellation of the AGM-137 TSSAM (Tri-Service Standoff Attack Missile) because of high cost. Development goal was a low-observable long-range precision guided stand-off missile for significantly lower cost than the TSSAM. In June 1996, program-definition and risk-reduction contracts were awarded to Lockheed Martin and McDonnell-Douglas (now Boeing). At the same time, the missile designations AGM-158A and AGM-159A were allocated to the two competing JASSM designs. In April 1998, Lockheed Martin won the development contract for the EMD (Engineering and Manufacturing Development) phase of JASSM.

Powered flight tests of the AGM-158A began in November 1999, and developmental testing of the missile began in January 2001. Low rate initial production of the JASSM was approved in December 2001. In mid-2002, the AGM-158 entered OT&E (Operational Testing & Evaluation) and service entry with the USAF is currently expected for 2003. Although the U.S. Navy is a partner in the JASSM program, it is more reluctant than the USAF to field the AGM-158, preferring the AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER for many missions instead.

The AGM-158A is a stealthy cruise missile powered by a Teledyne CAE J402 turbojet. It uses flip-out wings with control surfaces and a single vertical tail for flight control. It is guided by a jamming-resistant GPS-aided inertial navigation system, and uses an IIR (Imaging Infrared) seeker for autonomous pattern-based target selection and terminal homing. The missile is armed with a 450 kg (1000 lb) WDU-42/B insensitive munitions penetrating warhead, and accuracy is quoted as around 2.4 m (8 ft) CEP. The AGM-158A is also equipped with a data link to transmit status and location information until impact to assist bomb damage assessment. The DATM-158A is a fully inert version for ground handling training.

The JASSM will eventually be integrated with all current U.S. strike aircraft, inlcuding the F-15E, F-16, F/A-18, F-35, B-1B, B-2 and B-52. Current USAF requirement is for up to 3700 AGM-158 missiles. The Air Force is also studying all kinds of upgrades for the basic AGM-158A, including submunition dispenser warheads, new types of seekers, and the JASSM-ER for significantly increased range of up to 1000 km (600 miles).

Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!

Data for AGM-158A:

[1] Hajime Ozu: "Missile 2000 - Reference Guide to World Missile Systems", Shinkigensha, 2000
[2] Lockheed Martin JASSM Website

Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin Electronics & Missiles. Location: Orlando, FL, USA. Guidance contractor: Ryan. Total Mass: 1,021 kg (2,250 lb). Total Length: 4.27 m (14.00 ft). Maximum range: 185 km (114 mi). Guidance: GPS + Inertial.