LM Receives $34 M JASSM Contract for Additional Integration onto Finish AF F-18

JASSM photo Lokheed Martin

Jun 11, 2013 ASDNews Source : Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] received a $34.2 million Foreign Military Sales contract from the U.S. Air Force to support additional integration of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) onto the Finnish Air Force F-18C/D aircraft.

Finland is the second international customer for JASSM. This second contract for Finland includes test missiles, software development and engineering documentation. The first contract was awarded in 2012, which initiated the six-year integration, production and sustainment effort.

The program is a joint effort between the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, Lockheed Martin and the Finnish Air Force. Airworthiness activities will occur at NAS Patuxent River, Md., followed by flight testing at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division in China Lake, Calif.

“JASSM’s capabilities and proven reliability will play an essential role in assisting the Republic of Finland to achieve their national defense objectives,” said Bob Adams, international program manager of long-range strike systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “We are on schedule to support the operational requirements of the Finnish Air Force’s F-18 mid-life upgrade effort.”

The contract award follows several recent JASSM program milestones, including successful completion of the Lot 6 Reliability Assessment Program and completion of the JASSM-ER initial operational test and evaluation program, which resulted in recommendation for full-rate production.

JASSM is an autonomous, air-to-ground, precision-guided standoff missile designed to meet the needs of U.S. and allied warfighters. Armed with a penetrator and blast fragmentation warhead, JASSM cruises autonomously, day or night in all weather conditions. The missile employs an infrared seeker and enhanced digital anti-jam Global Positioning System to find specific points on targets.

The stealthy JASSM is integrated on the U.S. Air Force’s B-1, B-2, B-52, F-16 and F-15E. Internationally, JASSM is certified on the F/A-18A/B for the Royal Australian Air Force. Future integration efforts will focus on U.S. and international versions of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft and other international platforms.