A US Air Force (USAF) joint air-to-surface standoff missile (JASSM) has successfully completed Lot 7 reliability assessment programme flight tests.
The USAF conducted the tests using B-52 and F-16 aircraft against a range of targets in various operational scenarios and recorded 15 successes out of 16 flights.
The Lockheed-built JASSM is a 2,000lb class weapon with a penetrator/blast fragmentation warhead and a stealthy airframe.
The missile can cruise autonomously in adverse weather, day or night, using an infrared seeker. The anti-jam GPS system in the weapon aids in finding a specific aimpoint on the target.
Following the tests, a Lot 8 production contract is expected to be awarded to Lockheed to provide the USAF with JASSM capabilities.
