The US Air Force (USAF) has awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin to develop a new wing design for the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile – Extended Range (JASSM-ER).
Awarded for continued development of new wing design, the Undefinitized Contracting Action is valued at $37.7m.
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The new wing design is expected to increase the range of the cruise missile, which currently has a range of more than 500 nautical miles.
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control Long Range Strike Systems programme director Jason Denney said: "We've developed a novel design that provides additional standoff range to further increase pilot survivability in an Anti-Access-Area Denial threat environment.
"Our customers trust our already proven design and we look forward to enhancing its capabilities for warfighters."
Work to analyse an enhanced wing design commenced in March last year.
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By GlobalDataLockheed said that the current phase of the design work is progressing as anticipated and is on schedule to be incorporated into production lot 17.
The JASSM-ER features a penetrating blast-fragmentation warhead, infrared seeker and improved digital anti-jam GPS receiver to dial into specific points on high-value, well-fortified, fixed and relocatable targets.
Weighing 2,000lb, the cruise missile can be used in all weather conditions.
B-1B Lancer bomber aircraft currently carries JASSM-ER and integration of the missile on other aircraft platforms is ongoing.
More than 2,150 JASSM and JASSM-ER missiles have been delivered so far.
Earlier this month, Lockheed secured a $471m US Army contract for Lot 12 production of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rockets.
