BLACKEAGLE
SENIOR MEMBER
Pentagon awards JAGM development contract
Marina Malenic, Washington, DC - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
03 August 2015
An artist's rendering of Lockheed Martin's JAGM. Source: Lockheed Martin
Key Points
Frank Kendall, the Pentagon's acquisition executive, authorised the programme to enter the EMD phase and award the contract via a 29 July Acquisition Decision Memorandum, said Colonel James Romero, the army's project manager for joint attack munition systems.
The EMD contract includes two additional options for low-rate initial production valued at approximately USD60 million each, army officials said.
Frank St John, vice-president of Tactical Missiles and Combat Maneuver Systems at Lockheed Martin, speaking during a separate teleconference, said the company is already preparing for initial operational capability (IOC), scheduled for 2018. To reach IOC, the missile must be integrated onto the army's Boeing AH-64 Apache and the US Marine Corps' (USMC's) Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters, the JAGM production line must be qualified, and "limited quantities" of the missile must be delivered to the army, said St John.
JAGM is expected to replace the Pentagon's inventory of Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles and air-launched TOW missiles for use on joint rotary wing and unmanned aircraft for the army, navy, and USMC. Army officials said Foreign Military Sales customers are likely to emerge among current Hellfire users. In addition to the United States, Hellfire has 27 operators in all major regions of the world.
Pentagon awards JAGM development contract - IHS Jane's 360
Marina Malenic, Washington, DC - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
03 August 2015
An artist's rendering of Lockheed Martin's JAGM. Source: Lockheed Martin
Key Points
- Lockheed Martin has received a USD66 million EMD contract for JAGM
- The missile will be integrated onto the Apache and Viper attack helicopters while the production line is qualified
Frank Kendall, the Pentagon's acquisition executive, authorised the programme to enter the EMD phase and award the contract via a 29 July Acquisition Decision Memorandum, said Colonel James Romero, the army's project manager for joint attack munition systems.
The EMD contract includes two additional options for low-rate initial production valued at approximately USD60 million each, army officials said.
Frank St John, vice-president of Tactical Missiles and Combat Maneuver Systems at Lockheed Martin, speaking during a separate teleconference, said the company is already preparing for initial operational capability (IOC), scheduled for 2018. To reach IOC, the missile must be integrated onto the army's Boeing AH-64 Apache and the US Marine Corps' (USMC's) Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters, the JAGM production line must be qualified, and "limited quantities" of the missile must be delivered to the army, said St John.
JAGM is expected to replace the Pentagon's inventory of Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles and air-launched TOW missiles for use on joint rotary wing and unmanned aircraft for the army, navy, and USMC. Army officials said Foreign Military Sales customers are likely to emerge among current Hellfire users. In addition to the United States, Hellfire has 27 operators in all major regions of the world.
Pentagon awards JAGM development contract - IHS Jane's 360