Posted by John McHale
ORLANDO, Fla., 30 July 2011. Engineers at Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] finished a Product Verification Test (PVT) of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. A B-52 released the missile at an altitude of 25,000 feet and at a speed of Mach 0.76. The missile then navigated through a preplanned route before destroying its intended target. The test validated software modifications for 158 Lot 8 JASSM missiles, which will start being delivered later this year.The JASSM PVT follows the Lot 9 contract award for 170 baseline and 30 Extended Range (ER) missiles and ongoing F-15E integration test flights.The program has more than 1,400 JASSM missiles on contract, with more than 1,080 delivered. The JASSM is used on multiple aircraft including the B-1, B-2, B-52, F-16, and F-18 aircraft. F-15E integration is proceeding as planned with the F-35 designated as a future platform.The missile has a dual-mode penetrator and blast fragmentation warhead and can cruise autonomously day or night in all weather conditions. The JASSM-ER missile has more than two-and-a-half times the range of baseline JASSM for greater standoff range. Both 2,000-pound cruise missiles employ an infrared seeker and Global Positioning System receiver to dial into specific target aimpoints.
