Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $13.5 million contract to develop advanced Joint-Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM) for the US Army’s unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and manned attack helicopters.
The systems will be developed at the Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control segment in Orlando, Florida, and are expected to replace existing TOW, Maverick, and Hellfire air-to-ground missiles used by the US Army and Navy.
The JAGM will be launched from several manned and unmanned aircraft, including the Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, the Army MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAV, the Navy MH-60R helicopter, and the Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter.
Production is slated for completion by September 2024.
About the JAGM Missile
The army describes the JAGM system as an improved “air-to-ground missile capability for rotary-wing aircraft and unmanned aerial systems.”
It uses a multimode seeker and a semi-active laser sensor for added fire precision regardless of light or weather conditions. A multipurpose warhead makes the system lethal against various targets, from standard to armored vehicles and maritime patrol craft.
The missile can engage multiple targets simultaneously, and its laser mode can give any system that uses the JAGM increased accuracy while decreasing collateral damage.
The JAGM has a diameter of 7 inches (17.78 cm), weighs 115 lbs (52.16 kg), and is 69 inches (1.75 m) long. The missile has a firing range of 500-8,000 meters (0.31-4.9 mi).