Following a series of successful reliability characterization tests, Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] received U.S. Government approval to continue development and production of the Joint Air-To-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM). During the recent tests, the stealthy standoff cruise missile demonstrated its capabilities across a wide variety of targets – including hardened, underground bunkers and air defense systems.
JASSM is an autonomous, long-range, conventional, air-to-ground, precision standoff missile designed to destroy high-value, well-defended, fixed and relocatable targets. It is integrated on the B-1, B-2, B-52 and F-16 aircraft. Future platforms include the F-15E, F-35 and RAAF F/A-18. A 2,000-pound class weapon with a penetrator/blast fragmentation warhead, JASSM cruises autonomously in adverse weather, day or night, using a state-of-the-art infrared seeker in addition to the anti-jam GPS to find a specific aimpoint on the target. Its stealthy airframe makes it extremely difficult to defeat.
The recertification approval also paves the way for continued development of the longer range JASSM-ER system. The extended range variant has over twice the range of the baseline missile. As a result, aircrews and their aircraft are kept well outside the lethal range of an enemy’s air defense systems. While still being compatible with the B-1, B-2, B-52, F-15, and F-16, JASSM-ER will maintain the same outer mold line, reliability, survivability and lethality of the baseline JASSM missile.
Image Credit: Lockheed Martin photo
The Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT]-led LCS team recently completed another successful milestone in the production of the nation’s first Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) with the light off and testing of 
After many years of technology refinement, the Electronic Systems Center-led land-based increment of the Joint Precision Approach and Landing System is poised to progress to the system development and demonstration phase.
Known as JPALS, the system uses the Global Positioning System, or GPS, to enable accurate and reliable landing guidance for approaches, including those conducted in low-visibility conditions. It is, in fact, designed to provide precision approach and landing for all the military services in any weather and for virtually any mission, according to 1st Lt. Patrick Ris of the 853rd Electronic Systems Group. He is the ESC deputy program manager.
BAE Systems will lead a team of scientists that will develop miniature robots to improve military situational awareness. The company signed a $38 million agreement with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory to lead an alliance of researchers and scientists from the Army, academia and industry.
The Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology (MAST) Collaborative Technology Alliance will research and develop advanced robotic equipment for use in urban environments and complex terrain, such as mountains and caves. The alliance will create an autonomous, multifunctional collection of miniature intelligence-gathering robots that can operate in places too inaccessible or dangerous for humans.