AGM-158 JASSM

Forest Green said:
Sorry, I typo'd, the link actually says 1200 miles - corrected. It's a longer missile I think, basically an AGM-86C replacement.
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AGM-158D retains roughly the same volume AFAIK. There were rumors of a stretched version with thousand mile ranges, but nothing came of that in open source. It is possible some kind of black weapon was produced based on the 158; CHAMP comes to mind.
 
Josh_TN said:
That article seems to be misinformed. The warhead of the AGM-158 series is consistent as far as I konw; all have a 1000# class titanium penetrator, even LRASM. I also am unaware of any large scale range increase for the D version; I think there was a modification to airfoil to increase efficiency but otherwise I do not believe it is a larger weapon or has a different engine. The primary change is a weapon datalink and I think M code GPS, along with all the B2 airfoil improvements. Though M code might have been part of B2 as well.
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M-Code is part of B-3
 
www.twz.com

Marine Legacy F/A-18 Hornets Getting Major Firepower Boost With JASSM Cruise Missiles

JASSMs will let Marine Hornets hit targets further away than ever before, helping to ensure their relevance in the twilight of their careers.
www.twz.com www.twz.com
JASSM has substantially more reach than any strike weapon Marine Hornets can currently carry. Though the official maximum range for the baseline AGM-158A variant is classified, publicly available sources put it at between 230 and 330 miles. The extended-range AGM-158B JASSM-ER, the only version of JASSM currently in production, is understood to be able to fly roughly twice as far, at least. The AGM-48D Harpoon anti-ship cruise missiles and AGM-84H/K Standoff Land Attack Missile-Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) derivatives available for Marine Hornets now have reported ranges of around at least 80 and 170 miles, respectively.
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FlameCxbra said:
View attachment 740957

Lockheed Martin is doing a product reveal for well.... A JASSM-XR
lockheedmartin.com

XR – Taking Today’s Cruise Missile Further

Our commitment to the warfighter has driven us to develop the AGM-158 eXtreme Range (XR) cruise missile.
lockheedmartin.com lockheedmartin.com
"Taking Pre-Orders"
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Odd, doesn't look any longer physically than the existing JASSMs... Which suggests a more fuel-efficient engine installed (higher bypass turbofan, I'm assuming), and maybe a smaller warhead to allow a larger fuel tank (optionally, a wet fuselage section in increase fuel capacity). A new engine could be retrofitted to all existing JASSMs.

I was expecting a significant stretch to ALCM size, ~21ft long instead of ~14ft.
 
Scott Kenny said:
Odd, doesn't look any longer physically than the existing JASSMs... Which suggests a more fuel-efficient engine installed (higher bypass turbofan, I'm assuming), and maybe a smaller warhead to allow a larger fuel tank (optionally, a wet fuselage section in increase fuel capacity). A new engine could be retrofitted to all existing JASSMs.

I was expecting a significant stretch to ALCM size, ~21ft long instead of ~14ft.
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Maybe its larger just not by mutch. Given even more efficient packaging, the "new wing" and maybe new engine or wet fuselage. There are a lot of combinations how a larger range can be achieved.
 
Scott Kenny said:
Odd, doesn't look any longer physically than the existing JASSMs... Which suggests a more fuel-efficient engine installed (higher bypass turbofan, I'm assuming), and maybe a smaller warhead to allow a larger fuel tank (optionally, a wet fuselage section in increase fuel capacity). A new engine could be retrofitted to all existing JASSMs.

I was expecting a significant stretch to ALCM size, ~21ft long instead of ~14ft.
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We do not know anything yet, but it does look to be the same form factor. I doubt any major efficiency can be created via engine change and I cannot imagine it is remotely cost effective to retrofit engines to existing weapons.
My guess is a 500# warhead, something like SLAM-ER, with the extra vol used as fuel. If that is the case, then I suspect LRASM-ER / AGM-158C-3 uses the same method to achieve range extension.
 
Josh_TN said:
We do not know anything yet, but it does look to be the same form factor. I doubt any major efficiency can be created via engine change and I cannot imagine it is remotely cost effective to retrofit engines to existing weapons.
My guess is a 500# warhead, something like SLAM-ER, with the extra vol used as fuel. If that is the case, then I suspect LRASM-ER / AGM-158C-3 uses the same method to achieve range extension.
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Hmm yeah a new warhead could also be possible. We have seen more often than not of developments which show potential for similiar effects in smaller size. But i would also say that a more efficient engine may be possible given that we come quite far from the existing engind.
 
kqcke for you said:
Hmm yeah a new warhead could also be possible. We have seen more often than not of developments which show potential for similiar effects in smaller size. But i would also say that a more efficient engine may be possible given that we come quite far from the existing engind.
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I just do not think turbofan technology has changed enough to create any significant range extension. The PW 1000 series with geared turbines I think only generate ~5% more efficiency compared to similar size/fuel consumption. It’s just a mature technology with little room for further improvement.
 
Josh_TN said:
I just do not think turbofan technology has changed enough to create any significant range extension. The PW 1000 series with geared turbines I think only generate ~5% more efficiency compared to similar size/fuel consumption. It’s just a mature technology with little room for further improvement.
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The question is what tech Level the F-107 Wr 401/105 has. Also variable cycle could allow for the development of a larger bypass system for example.
 
Josh_TN said:
I just do not think turbofan technology has changed enough to create any significant range extension. The PW 1000 series with geared turbines I think only generate ~5% more efficiency compared to similar size/fuel consumption. It’s just a mature technology with little room for further improvement.
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Depends on how advanced the small engines are. I doubt they've had anywhere near as much development work to reduce fuel consumption as passenger aircraft sized engines.

For example, gearing the turbofan when you're diameter limited on the fan size means you use a smaller core. Smaller core = less fuel burned. I bet you could get a 20% increase in range there, if you apply all the other tricks for improved efficiency as well.
 
It would appear that a new round of upgrades to the USMC's legacy F/A-18C/Ds including the ability to carry the AGM-158 has given a new lease of life to these Hornets, from Defense Updates:


The U.S. Marine Corps' legacy F/A-18C/D Hornets are receiving a significant upgrade in stand-off strike capabilities with the addition of AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM). This enhancement revitalizes the aging Hornets, allowing them to engage land targets at much greater distances, keeping the aircraft further from threats and ensuring their continued relevance, particularly against near-peer rivals like Russia & China.
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According to a recent release from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (3rd MAW), in August, personnel at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, conducted evaluations of the procedures for loading JASSMs onto Hornets as part of ongoing integration efforts.
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An F/A-18D from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232 (VMFA-232) was used in the validation and verification tests, with support from Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 11 (MALS-11).
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In this video, Defense Updates reports how JASSM could breathe new life into U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18C/D Hornet ?
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#defenseupdates #JASSM #f18hornet
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Chapters:
00:11 INTRODUCTION
02:15 THE INTEGRATION
03:47 F/A-18 HORNET
05:20 JASSM
07:20 ANALYSIS
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AGM-158XR:

View: https://youtu.be/Zi-sKL3KilA

The threats our customers face while completing their missions continue to evolve in complexity, scale and severity. They need the right tools to complete their missions and come home safely. Stemming from the fully-qualified JASSM-ER weapon system and the evolutionary LRASM weapon system, AGM-158 XR offers a low-risk solution at a fraction of the cost of a new start program in significantly less time.
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Amazing how many Boeing products are featured in this LM add ;)
 
Defense Updates has just put out a video about the JASSM-XR:


Lockheed Martin revealed an in-development longer-range variant of the AGM-158 cruise missile, the XR or Extreme Range.
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This announcement took place at the Air, Space & Cyber 2024 event, the US Air Force Association's largest annual gathering near Washington, D.C., a venue often used for major official disclosures and product promotions.
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While the XR version of this weapon has been in development for some time, this is the first time we have seen it and have gotten official details about its configuration.
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In this video, Defense Updates reports on the new Lockheed Martin AGM-158 Extreme Range (XR)
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#defenseupdates #AGM158Extreme Range #usmilitary
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Chapters:
00:11 INTRODUCTION
01:36 OVERVIEW
02:55 CAPABILITIES
04:18 ADVANTAGES
06:08 ANALYSIS
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NMaude said:
Going from 550 AGM-158s a year to 1,100 a year should definitely drop the unit-price.
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Traditionally in aircraft manufacturing you get a 13% reduction in the acquisition price for every 100% increase in production. Additive manufacturing may have changed that a bit (LM have spoken about transitioning some parts to addative manufacture which would reduce complexity) but I expect not too far off given a JASSM is essentially an aircraft from a manufacturing perspective.
 
Ozair said:
Traditionally in aircraft manufacturing you get a 13% reduction in the acquisition price for every 100% increase in production. Additive manufacturing may have changed that a bit (LM have spoken about transitioning some parts to addative manufacture which would reduce complexity) but I expect not too far off given a JASSM is essentially an aircraft from a manufacturing perspective.
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Is that off the year 1 baseline price or a 13% drop in unit cost after the 2x+1 unit? Thx
 
www.defensenews.com

Air Force awards Lockheed $3.2B multiyear missile contract

The Pentagon aims to maximize industry's ability to produce vital weapons like the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile and Long Range Anti-Ship Missile.
www.defensenews.com www.defensenews.com
The sole-source contract is for AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM) and AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) and will include foreign military sales to Japan, the Netherlands, Finland and Poland.
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I do not think there will be any dramatic changes simply because this was already the direction the services, especially the USAF, were moving in. There already are programs like ETV, ERAM, MACE, etc and multi year weapons buys have been embraced as a cost saving measure for greater inventory (AMRAAM, JDAM, JASSM, etc). More over more and more private industry is starting to invest its own funds in producing products of this type and bringing them to market rather then waiting for programs of record (Ares, Anduril, GTS, etc).

So i doubt we see a single Manhattan project type effort or office and instead see continued incremental funding of new weapons and production lines, more expansion of existing lines, and more multi year buys of weapons to drive down costs. It will be a continuation of existing trends. If anything, Congressional funding is more relevant.
 
Defense Updates has just put out a video concerning the possibility of the JSDF acquiring the JASSM-ER in the near future now that the US state department has approved such a possible sale:


On January 15, 2025, as the Defense Security Cooperation Agency reported, the U.S. Department of State approved a possible sale of Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles with Extended Range (JASSM-ER) to the Government of Japan.
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A notification from the agency read. "The government of Japan has requested to buy up to sixteen (16) AGM-158B/B-2 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles with Extended Range (JASSM-ER). The following non-MDE items will also be included: AGM-158 JASSM Dummy Air Training Missiles (DATM) and containers; JASSM Anti-jam Global Positioning System Receivers (JAGR); munitions support and support equipment; spare parts, consumables and accessories, and repair and return support; integration and test support and equipment; classified and unclassified software delivery and support; classified and unclassified publications and technical documentation; personnel training and equipment; airlift and transportation support; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; studies and surveys; and other related elements of logistics and program support,"
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While the sale is not made yet, it is more or less a ‘done deal’.
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This high-end sale comes on the heels of Tokyo acquiring 50 JASSM-ER missiles in 2024 via a contract concluded in 2023 worth $104 million.
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In this video, Defense Updates analyzes why Japan acquiring the U.S. made JASSM-ER is a big headache for China?
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#defenseupdates #usvschina #japanvschina
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Chapters:
00:11 INTRODUCTION
02:50 BACKGROUND
04:24 AGM-158 JASSM-ER
06:23 F-15J & F-35 fleet as LAUNCH PLATFORM
07:22 ANALYSIS
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Marines deploy them and if you are going to send them halfway across the world where things can come up, it makes sense to get these low hanging upgrades.
 
Josh_TN said:
Replacing the radar is low hanging fruit?
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Yes, it is. The program goes back years and includes mostly non-developmental variants of proven/operational radars. Between USMC (about 80 upgrades) and Canada (36 upgrades), I think the total program is something like $300 Million. Raytheon had largely developed an AESA upgrade plan for the Classic Hornet about a decade ago, and even performed an installation demonstration back in 2014. APG-79V4 is a more modern version of that sensor (RACR) that combines that baseline with more recent work Raytheon is doing with the Navy (Super Hornet) and Air Force (F-15EX EV).

Under a 2020 plan the Naval Air Systems Command has selected 80-plus of the best-condition Hornets from the current fleet, including some recently-retired former Navy aircraft. Following a successful high-flight hour inspection at 8,000 hours, they will be cleared for a 10,000-hour life, sufficient to take then through to at least 2030. All are due to receive the APG-79(V)4, of which 50 have been contracted to date. The upgraded Hornets are intended to serve with up to seven 12-aircraft squadrons, each operating a mix of single-seat F/A-18Cs and two-seat F/A-18Ds.

www.ainonline.com

AESA Radar for ‘Classic’ Hornet Fighter Makes First Flight | AIN

The APG-79(V)4 radar is being procured in an upgrade effort to ensure that the U.S. Marine Corps Hornet fighters can meet the planned "sundown" date.
www.ainonline.com www.ainonline.com
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View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PIRDybC0bY
 
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NMaude said:
Since these F/A-18Cs are getting significant upgrades including a new radar shouldn't they have a new subtype designation? Something like F/A-18H?
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Radar swaps haven't been a new subtype in ages.
 
TomS said:
Radar swaps haven't been a new subtype in ages.
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An AESA radar is a dramatic improvement in an F/A-18C's capability over its' original AN/APG-73 radar so I think that such a change in its' designation is warranted.
 

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