Raytheon has received a contract from the United States Navy (USN) to support the integration of its Joint Standoff Weapon Program system.
Through the Joint Standoff Weapon Program, Raytheon Missiles & Defence seeks to provide a medium-range, precision strike standoff system that will give fourth and fifth-generation fighter aircraft air-to-ground missiles.
According to Raytheon, the $34m contract work will ensure the US Navy and foreign military sales customers have engineering, training, analysis, integration, test events, and programme management review support for the missile systems.
Raytheon describes the Joint Standoff Weapon as “the first air-launched, network-enabled weapon to be used on fourth and fifth generation fighter aircraft”. It will include a GPS-inertial navigation system and thermal imaging infrared seeker.
The weapon system will enable the US Navy to engage from longer ranges with shorter response times. The JSOW C-1 variant deploys network-enabled missiles with a range of more than 100km.
As stated on Raytheon’s website, a two-way Strike Common Weapon Datalink has been added to the low-cost, combat-proven missile. It gives fleet forces the flexibility to engage moving maritime targets while retaining effectiveness against stationary land targets.
The contract maintains support for the Joint Standoff Weapon Program until February 2028. In January 2023, engine maker Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies, won a contract with Lockheed Martin to deliver F-35A aircraft starting in 2026.
According to the US Department of Defense (DoD), Raytheon will complete most of the work at Raytheon’s facility in Tucson, Arizona, the home of the company’s Missile Systems division.
