Lockheed Martin has secured a foreign military sales contract from the US Air Force (USAF) for the delivery of the joint air-to-surface standoff missile (JASSM) to the Polish Air Force for its F-16 fleet.
As part of the new development, the company is responsible for providing hardware and software, documentation, programme management and missiles in support of the Polish Shield initiative.
The JASSM is a 2,000lb autonomous, long-range, air-to-ground, precision standoff missile, designed to destroy high-value, well-defended, fixed and re-locatable targets in the battlefield.
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control business development vice-president Joe Garland said: "JASSM provides Poland with operational flexibility, reliability and mission effectiveness to meet their national defence requirements.
"JASSM gives our allies a powerful, vital and affordable cruise missile capability."
Featuring an infrared seeker and enhanced digital anti-jam global positioning system, the stealthy missile is capable of cruising autonomously day or night in all weather conditions.
Available in two variants, the JASSM-extended range (ER) features a new engine and greater fuel load capability, and can function in heavily degraded GPS environments.
Low-rate production started in 2011 and the USAF successfully completed the initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) flight testing of JASSM-ER in May 2013.
JASSM is now equipped on the USAF’s B-1, B-2, B-52, F-16 and F-15E, and on F/A-18A/B and the F-18C/D aircraft internationally.
Developed in its Alabama manufacturing facility, Lockheed Martin has delivered more than 1,700 JASSM cruise missiles so far.
Image: A depiction of AGM-158 joint air-to-surface standoff missile. Photo: courtesy of the US Air Force.
