What will be the USNs primary F-35 naval strike weapon?

[Corsair1963]

The U.S. Navy says it will begin deploying a cruise missile derivative of the stealthy AGM-154 Joint Stand-Off Weapon glide bomb, or JSOW, no later than the end of 2023, as an option for its F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and F-35C Joint Strike Fighters. The weapons will give these jets a significant additional extended-range strike capability, which is important given the increasingly advanced nature of integrated air defenses among potential opponents, especially Russia and China.

On Feb. 7, 2019, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) announced its intention to issue a sole-source contract to Raytheon for work related to the new weapon, known as the JSOW-Extended Range, or JSOW-ER, on the U.S. government’s main contracting website, FedBizOpps. The Massachusetts-headquartered defense contractor developed the unpowered JSOW and you can read about it and the cruise missile derivative in depth in a previous feature from The War Zone. The notice also said that the JSOW-ER would be compatible with the U.S. Air Force’s F-35A Joint Strike Fighter, but it is not clear if that service actually intends to purchase the missiles.

Source: http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/26 ... side-f-35c

[element1loop]

The notice also said that the JSOW-ER would be compatible with the U.S. Air Force’s F-35A Joint Strike Fighter, but it is not clear if that service actually intends to purchase the missiles.

I think that point is related to RAAF using them on SH now, and may keep using them on F-35A. Not much point in the USAF buying them.

[Corsair1963]

The notice also said that the JSOW-ER would be compatible with the U.S. Air Force’s F-35A Joint Strike Fighter, but it is not clear if that service actually intends to purchase the missiles.

I think that point is related to RAAF using them on SH now, and may keep using them on F-35A. Not much point in the USAF buying them.

If, they can fit inside the F-35A. I would say plenty of good reasons for the USAF to acquire it...

[zerion]

Raytheon Wins F-35 Role For New JSOW-ER

Raytheon will develop and deploy a powered and extended-range variant of the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW-ER) to attack land and maritime targets from within the weapons bay of the Lockheed Martin F-35A and carrier-based F-35C fighters, the U.S. Navy ...

http://aviationweek.com/awindefense/ray ... ew-jsow-er

[marauder2048]

Spending money on a version of JASSM-XR that fits in the F-35 bays would make far
more sense but the Navy having burned a decade on JSOW-C-1 which isn't useful in the high-end
threat environment needs something to show for it.

[wrightwing]

Spending money on a version of JASSM-XR that fits in the F-35 bays would make far
more sense but the Navy having burned a decade on JSOW-C-1 which isn't useful in the high-end
threat environment needs something to show for it.

There's no need to put JASSM-XR in the bay. It has a range of over 1000nm. Even the standard JASSM allows F-35s to stay well outside of IADS MEZ.

[SpudmanWP]

Put JASSM on the wings and MALD-J in the bays

[marauder2048]

Spending money on a version of JASSM-XR that fits in the F-35 bays would make far
more sense but the Navy having burned a decade on JSOW-C-1 which isn't useful in the high-end
threat environment needs something to show for it.

There's no need to put JASSM-XR in the bay. It has a range of over 1000nm. Even the standard JASSM allows F-35s to stay well outside of IADS MEZ.

My assumption is that there's probably only going to be one wing+chine combo for JASSM moving forward.

People are connecting JASSM-XR to the earlier Lockheed concept which was a ~ 7,000 lb weapon with a boosted
penetrator intended strictly for internal carriage on the bombers. My view is that JASSM-XR as contracted is just
JASSM-ER with the new laminar-flow wing/chine which is a nice range bump but not the 1000 nautical mile
range of the earlier concepts.

[wrightwing]

Spending money on a version of JASSM-XR that fits in the F-35 bays would make far
more sense but the Navy having burned a decade on JSOW-C-1 which isn't useful in the high-end
threat environment needs something to show for it.

There's no need to put JASSM-XR in the bay. It has a range of over 1000nm. Even the standard JASSM allows F-35s to stay well outside of IADS MEZ.

My assumption is that there's probably only going to be one wing+chine combo for JASSM moving forward.

People are connecting JASSM-XR to the earlier Lockheed concept which was a ~ 7,000 lb weapon with a boosted
penetrator intended strictly for internal carriage on the bombers. My view is that JASSM-XR as contracted is just
JASSM-ER with the new laminar-flow wing/chine which is a nice range bump but not the 1000 nautical mile
range of the earlier concepts.

JASSM-ER is already a 600nm weapon. Why would you suppose the XR variant wouldn't be exactly that?

[marauder2048]

JASSM-ER is already a 600nm weapon. Why would you suppose the XR variant wouldn't be exactly that?

I'm skeptical they can get a 400 nautical mile range bump from an improved wing.

[squirrelshoes]

Spending money on a version of JASSM-XR that fits in the F-35 bays would make far
more sense but the Navy having burned a decade on JSOW-C-1 which isn't useful in the high-end
threat environment needs something to show for it.

I can definitely better use of resources than spending money trying to fit a weapon that is being developed to have a range of 1,000 miles into the internal bays of a fighter. They could launch it from over Germany and hit Moscow, hell they launched CALCMs from the wings of B-52s and JASSM-XR should have significantly longer legs than CALCM.

[marauder2048]

Spending money on a version of JASSM-XR that fits in the F-35 bays would make far
more sense but the Navy having burned a decade on JSOW-C-1 which isn't useful in the high-end
threat environment needs something to show for it.

I can definitely better use of resources than spending money trying to fit a weapon that is being developed to have a range of 1,000 miles into the internal bays of a fighter. They could launch it from over Germany and hit Moscow, hell they launched CALCMs from the wings of B-52s and JASSM-XR should have significantly longer legs than CALCM.

If only straight line range could be converted into something else useful like say loiter.

[wrightwing]

JASSM-ER is already a 600nm weapon. Why would you suppose the XR variant wouldn't be exactly that?

I'm skeptical they can get a 400 nautical mile range bump from an improved wing.

It carries more fuel in addition to better aerodynamics.

[marauder2048]

JASSM-ER is already a 600nm weapon. Why would you suppose the XR variant wouldn't be exactly that?

I'm skeptical they can get a 400 nautical mile range bump from an improved wing.

It carries more fuel in addition to better aerodynamics.

Where?

[popcorn]

They could always reduce the warhead weight but still have a big BOOM. Other areas could be an improved engine efficiency.