Lockheed Martin AGM-179 JAGM

[marauder2048]

Predictive aimpoint does not look so good. Seems to me that it should have hit mid-body.

The dominant scatters from a flat bed truck (rear aspect) are the flat bed. This image is ku-band but you get the idea.

 

[SpudmanWP]

I guess with a 20+ lb warhead it won't matter much

 

[Moose]

I'm not horribly impressed with JAGM compared to earlier plans for it and the previous JCM. It's basically a Hellfire that combines millimeter wave radar and SALH guidance in once missile which is an improvement but Brimstone 2 already does that and provides an increase in range. Plus there is Spear 3 as well now which I believe has the tri-mode guidance they originally wanted.

B2 is only just in service for a couple years now after several delays, Spear 3 is a bit down the line. JAGM and the decision to move to an Incremental approach both predate their availability. The higher-spec JAGM weapons are still in the plan as future Increments, I1 is essentially confined to introducing a new guidance package so yes the spec isn't going to light the world on fire.

 

[yasotay]

I'm not horribly impressed with JAGM compared to earlier plans for it and the previous JCM. It's basically a Hellfire that combines millimeter wave radar and SALH guidance in once missile which is an improvement but Brimstone 2 already does that and provides an increase in range. Plus there is Spear 3 as well now which I believe has the tri-mode guidance they originally wanted.

Well it may not go further than a Hellfire or have any more targeting capability than Hellfires, but it did keep one JAGM increase - cost.

 

[marauder2048]

The point of JAGM is an IM-compliant, cockpit selectable multi-effects warhead with heigh-of-burst capability.
The UK just started funding that capability for Brimstone.

 

[AN/AWW-14(V)]

Air Cav conducts operational test of Joint Air to Ground Missile along Florida Gulf Coast

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Florida — Air Cavalry Brigade Soldiers from Fort Hood became the first to fire the Joint Air to Ground Missile during operational testing along the Florida

www.forthoodsentinel.com

 

[Deino]

JAGM off the bench (ie Incr1) is fast jet compatible with similar rail launcher that Brimstone uses. JAGM-F adapts Incr1 JAGM for ejector launcher.

Before you say "Brimstone", the easiest way to tell a JAGM from a Brimstone is that JAGM does not have forward fins and it's tail fin is nearly half of it's body length.

I don't want to nitpick, but usually the Chinese are accused of copying... looks very much like a KD-10A.

 

[AN/AWW-14(V)]

Lockheed had on display at AFA in September 2019 four impressive missiles/PGMs: the Spice 1000, JAGM-F on a BRU-61 Launcher, LRASM and JASSM

Lockheed Martin Missiles/PGMs displayed at #AFA2019 Trade Show #JAGM-F #LRASM #JASSM #Spice1000 — CoAspire

Lockheed had on display at AFA in September 2019 four impressive missiles/PGMs: the Spice 1000, JAGM-F on a BRU-61 Launcher, LRASM and JASSM. #CoAspire is proud to support Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

www.coaspire.com

 

[AN/AWW-14(V)]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1213242081067618306

Did The U.S. Use New Joint Air-To-Ground Missile To Kill Iran’s General Soleimani?

A photo purported to be of a fragment from the airstrike that killed the Iranian commander may provide evidence that the Pentagon employed a deadly new weapon.

www.forbes.com

 

[TomS]

Unlikely. For starters, look closely at the pic of JAGM that the Army is using in the program brochure. The lift weight shown is 53kg/116lb, not 52kg/115lb.

And why would they use an untested missile that has only just entered production instead of a time-tested one with a track record? It's not like this was a difficult target that needed any of JAGM's new features.

 

[TomcatViP]

Laser jammer?

 

[AN/AWW-14(V)]

Unlikely. For starters, look closely at the pic of JAGM that the Army is using in the program brochure. The lift weight shown is 53kg/116lb, not 52kg/115lb.

weight - 115 lbs, https://asc.army.mil/web/portfolio-item/ms-jagm/

its pic not serial version - feature khaki color,

And why would they use an untested missile that has only just entered production instead of a time-tested one with a track record? It's not like this was a difficult target that needed any of JAGM's new features.

it was difficult engagement, two cars (could be more) must be hit instantly, so that no one person escape
Hellfire not conform for that condition, time between launch pair missiles from single platform - 8 sec (autonomously designate) and 2 sec (Buddy laser)

but JAGM can engage multiple targets simultaneously:

 

[yasotay]

Honestly it could have been either. Units in theater usually get the best available. Conversely it is also possible that one AGM-114 was shot LOBL and one was shot LOAL, or both could have been launched LOBL with enough (time) separation between launch for the designator to slew to the second target.

 

[FighterJock]

Honestly it could have been either. Units in theater usually get the best available. Conversely it is also possible that one AGM-114 was shot LOBL and one was shot LOAL, or both could have been launched LOBL with enough (time) separation between launch for the designator to slew to the second target.

One thing that puzzles me why fire one missile with one mode (LOBL) then fire the next with (LOAL), it does not make sense.

 

[AN/AWW-14(V)]

another JAGM strike - this time in Somalia
fired by MQ-9

https://twitter.com/x/status/1213693511704424449

 

[yasotay]

Honestly it could have been either. Units in theater usually get the best available. Conversely it is also possible that one AGM-114 was shot LOBL and one was shot LOAL, or both could have been launched LOBL with enough (time) separation between launch for the designator to slew to the second target.

One thing that puzzles me why fire one missile with one mode (LOBL) then fire the next with (LOAL), it does not make sense.

By doing this one missile tracks direct at a target (LOBL) while the other (LOAL) is lofted and is looking for a laser spot using a different laser code. This has been a capability of AH64 since the A model. The challenge of shooting two in LOBL is that the second missile will track the same target as the first missile. If the targets are far apart the missile might not have the energy to get to the target with drastic changes in direction. Either method would work.

 

[FighterJock]

Honestly it could have been either. Units in theater usually get the best available. Conversely it is also possible that one AGM-114 was shot LOBL and one was shot LOAL, or both could have been launched LOBL with enough (time) separation between launch for the designator to slew to the second target.

One thing that puzzles me why fire one missile with one mode (LOBL) then fire the next with (LOAL), it does not make sense.

By doing this one missile tracks direct at a target (LOBL) while the other (LOAL) is lofted and is looking for a laser spot using a different laser code. This has been a capability of AH64 since the A model. The challenge of shooting two in LOBL is that the second missile will track the same target as the first missile. If the targets are far apart the missile might not have the energy to get to the target with drastic changes in direction. Either method would work.

Thanks for the info yasotay.

 

[sferrin]

JAGM off the bench (ie Incr1) is fast jet compatible with similar rail launcher that Brimstone uses. JAGM-F adapts Incr1 JAGM for ejector launcher.





Before you say "Brimstone", the easiest way to tell a JAGM from a Brimstone is that JAGM does not have forward fins and it's tail fin is nearly half of it's body length.

I don't want to nitpick, but usually the Chinese are accused of copying... looks very much like a KD-10A.

View attachment 616754

Ahem:

Lockheed Martin AGM-169 JCM

 

[Deino]

JAGM off the bench (ie Incr1) is fast jet compatible with similar rail launcher that Brimstone uses. JAGM-F adapts Incr1 JAGM for ejector launcher.





Before you say "Brimstone", the easiest way to tell a JAGM from a Brimstone is that JAGM does not have forward fins and it's tail fin is nearly half of it's body length.

I don't want to nitpick, but usually the Chinese are accused of copying... looks very much like a KD-10A.

View attachment 616754

Ahem:

Lockheed Martin AGM-169 JCM

View attachment 624283

That was a joke!

 

[sferrin]

I was joking too.

 

[AN/AWW-14(V)]

Predictive aimpoint does not look so good. Seems to me that it should have hit mid-body.

The U.S. Army and Marine Corps are working to refine the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile’s software after it failed to achieve desired lethal effects on a maritime target during its initial operational test, Col. David Warnick, the Army’s program manager for joint attack munition systems, told Defense News in a recent interview.

The JAGM is to replace the legacy Lockheed Martin-made Hellfire missile used across the services.

A report from the Pentagon’s chief weapons tester released last month called out the less-than-lethal results during maritime testing of the new missile, which is also made by Lockheed. The initial operational test and evaluation, or IOT&E, was held at Fort Hood, Texas, and Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, in April and May 2019.

The IOT&E consisted of six shots against stationary and moving targets in both land and maritime environments during the daytime. Following the two test shots that didn’t achieve desired effects, the program manager suspended further maritime testing to analyze results and tweak missile software to improve results, the report stated.

“What we had was a few shots that were taken, and we had impacts more toward the back of the boat than we would have liked,” Warnick said. “They were all successful in stopping the boats … but we would prefer to have a center mast hit, one that guarantees a little bit more high probability that we’re going to get the lethal effects desired.”

The team is incorporating changes into the next software build and is anticipating taking three more maritime shots this month at Eglin, Warnick said.

“Based off of how we’ve run the models, based off of the test readiness review that they just conducted this week, we’re confident that we’ve got it in there,” he added.

The Marine Corps originally planned to conduct its JAGM IOT&E in the second quarter of fiscal 2020, but that schedule has changed, according to Warnick. A new timeline for the testing should be ironed out soon, he indicated.

Still, the Army has overcome all of its earlier problems discovered in tests. In tests in 2017, JAGM missed two targets; and while 18 missiles were launched from an AH-64E Apache attack helicopter during tests, one of the four launches with a live warhead failed to detonate. The Apache’s targeting site and fire control radar passed “erroneous target velocities” to the missile, according to previous test reports.

The newest report from the Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation stated that JAGM “met hit performance and reliability requirements when launched by Version 4.5 and Version 6 AH-64E software,” even when targets were obscured by countermeasures or dust and proved more lethal than the legacy missile, particularly against an up-armored Russian T-72 [tank] and other light-armored vehicles.

“I think to date we’ve shot 103 JAGMs and really only had two that were near misses, and we are very pleased with the results at this point,” Warnick said. “Our costs are coming down the cost curve as we transition from that low-rate initial production that we’re in right now. And we will hopefully get a favorable full-rate production decision this May.”

The DOT&E Office provided more suggestions, including a recommendation that the Army develop, test and field a JAGM training missile. Warnick said the Army is funded in FY20 and FY21 to produce that asset.

The report also recommended the Army test JAGM in an environment where electronic warfare is a threat as well as against threats with active protection systems.

“We’ve got it planned and budgeted in [research, development, test and evaluation] to update the software every couple of years,” Warnick said, “and as that threat becomes closer in, we ensure that we stay ahead of it with implementing whatever changes we need to make sure we are capable of defeating it, so we’re on track at this point to stay ahead of threats, and I think we are comfortable with where the system is at this time.”

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[AeroFranz]

I'm a bit confused...the triple Hornet launcher seems to show a rail, so the missile fires its rocket and flies off. However, it would make sense for the version on the quadruple carrier to be dropped first, and then fire the rocket (otherwise firing the missile in the front row results in cooking the ones in the second row). The mockup JAGM-F picture above also seems to show 14" lugs as opposed to the legacy rail guides, which supports the possibility of dropping first. So does that mean there will be multiple versions for tailored to different types of mountings?

 

[yasotay]

Given AeroFranz's observation above, which I agree with, I suspect the "F" model is exclusive for fixed wing aircraft.

Think the "fighter" nomenclature in the second picture seals it.

 

[AN/AWW-14(V)]

The JQL uses the M299 helicopter quad Hellfire missile launcher and essentially wraps the M299 rails in a steel box and places it for vertical instead of horizontal launch. Both Hellfire and JAGM follow an overhead ballistic arc towards any sea surface or aerial target as these ATGMs are not sea-skimming missiles after launch.

Naval News reached out to Lockheed Martin and Lockheed said that land-based ground-launched testing of the JQL was slated for mid-2020, but due to the COVID pandemic, testing schedules are tentative now and JQL testing has slipped potentially to the Summer of 2021. Currently, there are no plans for JQL testing aboard any boats or ships yet and the JQL firing test will be from land to prove the JQL concept.

JQL Could be the “Game Changing Force Multiplier” for Small Naval Boats and Littoral Warfare Ships - Naval News

In the ever-changing dynamic arena of Littoral and naval warfare, rapid precision firepower could decide which ships survive and which ships don’t. Lockheed Martin’s Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) Quad Launcher (JQL) adds guided short-range missile firepower that many small boats and fast...

www.navalnews.com

 

[Lc89]

US Army sets first shoot-off for airborne, long-range precision munitions

The Army is planning for a shoot-off to search for a long-range precision munition to give its future aviation fleet stand-off from enemy assets.

www.defensenews.com

 

[AN/AWW-14(V)]

The United Kingdom has placed its first order for the Lockheed Martin AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) weapon system developed for the US military.

The US Department of Defense (DoD) announced on 11 March that the manufacturer had been awarded USD201.75 million for United States and international JAGM production, some of which will come from fiscal year (FY) 2010 UK Foreign Military Sales (FMS) funding.

No details as to the number of missiles were disclosed, although the contract notification noted that work would be complete by 31 December 2023. No platform type was mentioned, although in UK service the JAGM could be integrated onto any US-built rotary- or fixed-wing aircraft with an air-to-surface mission set, including the Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle, and the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.

UK signs up for JAGM missile

The United Kingdom has placed its first order for the Lockheed Martin AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) weapon system developed for the US military.

www.janes.com

 

[shin_getter]

The United Kingdom has placed its first order for the Lockheed Martin AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) weapon system developed for the US military.

UK signs up for JAGM missile

The United Kingdom has placed its first order for the Lockheed Martin AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) weapon system developed for the US military.

www.janes.com

Doesn't the JAGM overlay heavily with Brimstone in capabilities? What is this purchase for?

 

[SteveO]

Maybe the UK wants the ejector launched variant for F-35B? Seems like a wasteful duplication of Brimstone and SPEAR 3 capability. We’ll probably get some SDBs and JDAMs for laughs too

 

[red admiral]

Doesn't the JAGM overlay heavily with Brimstone in capabilities? What is this purchase for?

Probably small numbers for Apache or Protector fleets where the value is less than the cost of integrating Brimstone?

 

[Jimmo952]

Doesn't the JAGM overlay heavily with Brimstone in capabilities? What is this purchase for?

Probably small numbers for Apache or Protector fleets where the value is less than the cost of integrating Brimstone?

I found this currious as well. JAGM seemingly in competition with the local and highly vaunted Brimstone.

 

[FighterJock]

Any ideas as to why the UK ordered the JAGM missile? Is it to go with the Apache Block 3 order? It all seems rather strange to me.

 

[madhon]

Any ideas as to why the UK ordered the JAGM missile? Is it to go with the Apache Block 3 order? It all seems rather strange to me.

#

It's a single missile procured for evaluation only at this point

 

[FighterJock]

Strange that the UK are only buying one JAGM missile for evaluation purposes, I would have thought that the UK would have bought at least five or perhaps ten JAGMs if they were going to evaluate the missile properly.

 

[DWG]

Strange that the UK are only buying one JAGM missile for evaluation purposes, I would have thought that the UK would have bought at least five or perhaps ten JAGMs if they were going to evaluate the missile properly.

It's essentially a Hellfire with a new bi-mode seeker, isn't it? We're very familiar with Hellfire, so they can just take the seeker and test it in the lab or hung under a surrogate test aircraft, there's little need to actually fire the missile.

 

[Grey Havoc]

On the other hand, familiarity breeds contempt, as they say. There have been a fair few procurement disasters in the past because the relevant authorities thought that no testing was needed, or else that virtual testing and the like could substitute for physical & real world testing.

 

[aonestudio]

UK confirms JAGM missile for AH-64E Apache fleet

British AH-64E Apache helicopters will be armed with the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) in addition to Hellfire missiles.

ukdefencejournal.org.uk

 

[bobbymike]

After delay, Joint Air-to-Ground Missile full-rate production decision now due in mid-2022

Having failed to achieve desired lethal effects on a maritime target, the U.S. Army and Marine Corps had to delay fielding of the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile. But now a full-rate production decision is expected in the summer of 2022, according to Maj. Gen. Robert Rasch, the Army’s program...

www.defensenews.com

 

[AN/AWW-14(V)]

The US Marine Corps (USMC) in November finished testing the Bell AH-1Z Viper’s ability to launch AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM) at maritime targets – a capability the service sees as having potential to prevent enemy ships from transiting littoral zones.

“AH-1Z pilots tested JAGM off the coast of Florida, hitting moving target boats up to 3.8nm (7km) away, using both laser and radars sensors for guidance,” says the service on 6 December. “All of the launches were successful under planned test conditions.”

The service envisions Vipers as fighting in coordination with USMC forces deployed at expeditionary bases near the front lines.

The AH-1Z operational tests follow hardware and software upgrades made by the US Army to its AH-64E Apache in 2020, which allow that attack helicopter to target ships using its mast-mounted AN/APG-78 Longbow Fire Control Radar.

Both capabilities would help the Department of Defense’s premier attack helicopters – which previously focused on land-based missions such as anti-tank operations – play a role in naval warfare. Those capabilities would be useful for fights on and around small islands off China’s coast.
The USMC says the recent JAGM tests included multiple live-fire launches of the missile against “realistic operational threats”.

JAGM is intended to replace the US Army’s and USMC’s Hellfire missile. The new weapon is guided to targets with a semi‑active laser and millimetre-wave radar.

That dual-seeker configuration helps the missile navigate through smoke, dust or vegetation. The millimetre-wave radar also allows JAGM to find targets autonomously.

“The addition of [millimetre-wave radar] capability to the seeker allows a true fire-and-forget capability and increased flexibility for the operator on the battlefield,” says Major Chuck Smith, the USMC H-1 department head at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.

JAGM has already reached initial operational capability on the US Army’s AH-64E and is anticipated to reach that milestone on the USMC’s AH-1Z in 2022. The USMC expects JAGM to head into full-rate production in 2022.

Marine Corps expand AH-1Z Viper’s ship-hunting capabilities with JAGM tests

The US Marine Corps in November finished testing the Bell AH-1Z Viper's ability to launch AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles at maritime targets - a capability the service sees as having potential to prevent enemy ships from transiting littoral zones.

www.flightglobal.com

 

[rooster]

Predictive aimpoint does not look so good. Seems to me that it should have hit mid-body.

I was thinking the same thing! in the still image I'm thinking its gonna miss. Had that been armada.......

 

[AeroFranz]

I've ben reading in various places that JAGM weighs 100 lbs, and in other selected places 115 lbs (see below link).

Weapon Systems Handbook 2020-2021 - U.S. Army​

I'm inclined to believe the latter, and assume that 100 lbs is either a round or 'Hellfire-legacy' number. Can anyone confirm?
On a more practical level, is there a weight limit that two servicemen can lift, since Hellfire (and i can only assume JAGM) is manually loaded?