Forum: F-35 Armament, Stores and Tactics

sferrin wrote:

g3143 wrote:

Will the LRASM fit in the F-35's weapons bays?

LRASM-A is based on JASSM so probably no. LRASM-B . . .Don't know. Probably no also. (They're blowing the dust off the 35 year old ASALM for that and it's about JASSM size.)

Wasn't there a,post a while back that LRASM-B had been cancelled?

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Yup, LRASM-B was killed off in Jan 2012.

Lockheed Martin Successfully Completes First LRASM Captive Carriage Test 17 July 2012

http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.ph ... amp;id=508

"Lockheed Martin’s Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) sensor suite recently completed its first flight during a captive carry flight test off the coast of northwest Florida using a modified Sabreliner business jet.

The objectives of the flight test included detecting, classifying and recognizing targets. Conducted at various airspeeds and altitudes, the flight tests exceeded all objectives and demonstrated successful sensor operation, as well as integration of the sensor suite with the missile electronics. Littoral imagery was captured during the tests, and target data processing algorithms ran real-time in the missile electronics, and demonstrated outstanding performance....

...“Testing and validation of subsystems is on schedule and will lead to All-Up-Round flight tests in early 2013. Our experience with related missile technology development efforts, such as the Joint Air-to-Surface Missile-Extended Range program, is directly benefiting our efforts on LRASM.”...

...This stealthy missile is in development with DARPA and the Office of Naval Research. Lockheed Martin is planning to offer both surface-launched and air-launched variants to attack sea-based targets at significant standoff ranges."

BEST to read entire article at source.

http://www.navyrecognition.com/images/s ... _DARPA.jpg

Lockheed Martin's JASSM Completes Lot 6 Reliability Assessment Program Testing 14 Feb 2013

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/p ... MLot6.html

"ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 14, 2013 – Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM®) recently completed Reliability Assessment Program (RAP) Lot 6 testing with two final flights.The tests met success criteria and demonstrated the effectiveness of hardware enhancements to Lot 6 missiles.

In the first test, a B-52 at the Utah Test and Training Range released a JASSM from 35,000 feet traveling at Mach 0.71. In the second test at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., a B-1B released JASSM from 25,000 feet traveling at Mach 0.85. Both 2,000-pound cruise missiles navigated through preplanned routes before destroying their intended fixed targets.

“These flight tests validate our ongoing efforts to enhance JASSM’s capability, dependability and affordability,” said Dave Melvin, long range strike systems senior program manager at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “The JASSMs used in these tests are identical to the missiles that would be used on the battlefield, with the exception of some additional instrumentation to measure performance.”

The successful RAP tests follow several JASSM program milestones, including contract awards for U.S. Air Force Lot 10 missiles, integration into the Finnish F/A-18 fleet and integration into the U.S. Air Force F-15E fleet.

JASSM is an autonomous, air-to-ground, precision-guided standoff missile designed to meet the needs of U.S. and allied warfighters. Armed with a penetrator and blast-fragmentation warhead, JASSM cruises autonomously, day or night, in all weather conditions. The missile employs an infrared seeker and enhanced digital anti-jam Global Positioning System to find specific points on targets.

JASSM is integrated on the U.S. Air Force’s B-1, B-2, B-52, F-16 and F-15E. Internationally, JASSM is integrated on the F/A-18A/B for the Royal Australian Air Force. Future integration efforts will focus on the U.S. and international versions of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft and other international platforms.

Produced at the company’s manufacturing facility in Troy, Ala., Lockheed Martin has assembled more than 1,200 JASSMs for testing and operational use toward a total objective of 4,900 JASSM missiles...."

That is it - press release.

Spend the time & money getting UAI working for the F-35 ASAP since JASSM is already UAI. Don't waist time & money on traditional integration efforts.

SpudmanWP wrote:

Spend the time & money getting UAI working for JASSM so it will be ready for UAI on F-35 at Blk4.

I can't see JASSM integration being high on the US list but I can see why other users would want it. For the US the priority would be as it relates to LRASM I would think. There are plenty of JASSM platforms and I would venture most will be flown off B-1's going forward.

JASSM ER's in the magazines of LHD's and the F-35B would make a great asymmetric strike force for someone.

If they brought UAI forward would it reduce the integration effort and get that part of the software completed earlier on the F-35?

Depends on what has been done already.

UAI drivers are available for all JDAMs, JASSM, and SDB.

By Blk3, SDB2 and some Paveways should be done.

The key thing to remember is that one does not have to come before the other and weapons do not have to be done one at a time. While work is accelerated on F-35 UAI, weapons manufacturers could be doing the UAI drivers for their products.

By Blk3 you could have every A2G weapon in the US inventory and a few others all ready to go on the F-35 with only separation tests needed.

UAI not only gets you F-35, but also F-15E and all up to date F-16s as potential customers.

From a manufacturer’s point of view, it’s a no-brainer.

Forum: F-35 Armament, Stores and Tactics

F-35 and JASSM