The JSM missile for the F35

[steve2267]

There is a long Joint Strike Missile thread where it has been made clear that the JSM will fit only internally in F-35A/Cs. Otherwise the JSM can be carried externally on all variants: viewtopic.php?f=54&t=23247&p=308896&hilit=Internal+Joint+Strike+Missile#p308896

Spaz, I'm aware of that thread. Perhaps I posted in the wrong JSM thread? This one is the most recent JSM thread my search revealed.

May I infer from your reply that

1. The UK has not expressed any real interest in the JSM?
2. There has been no publicly announced intent to further refine the JSM to fit the Killer Bee?

To one of my original questions... has anyone any idea how much further the JSM would have to be shortened to fit the Bee? Round numbers are fine. Are we talking a couple inches? (e.g. 5cm) A foot? (0.3m) More?

[spazsinbad]

Questions that cannot be answered can linger forever. Good luck. AFAIK no intent to internalize JSM for F-35Bs so why bother? Big Market already known for the F-35A (& perhaps C is incidental) so why bother for smaller market? There is also the SOM-J competitor - look that up in your funk&wagnall

[squirrelshoes]

If using hunter/killer teams I'm not sure how much we should care whether JSM/LRASM fits internally since your killer is plinking from outside reasonable detection range anyway.

[steve2267]

BAE Systems locks in F-35 JSF missile deal
By Paul Cleary April 7, 2017

Australia is on track to acquire the high-stealth Joint Strike Missile for its fleet of 72 F-35 fighter-bombers with the federal government set to announce a further $23 million investment in the program with Norway.

The Australian understands the Defence department has signed a contract with Norway’s Kongsberg Defence Systems to continue development of the missile ­together with BAE Systems ­Australia.

Under the terms of the contract, Kongsberg will work towards integrating BAE’s passive radio frequency (PRF) sensor into the missile system.

The deal positions BAE to sell its missile guidance technology globally. With as many as 3000 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to be produced over the next decade, the market for Australia’s technology could be very big. The missile can also be deployed externally on the F-16, F/A-18 and F-15 aircraft.

The PRF would be made at BAE’s Edinburgh Park facility in South Australia.

Kongsberg’s vice-president for missile systems, Pal Bratlie, told The Australian how the idea of converting its naval strike missile (NSM) into the JSM came from an Australian missile expert. Subsequently, the Australian government funded BAE Systems to develop an advanced sensor system for the JSM. Mr Bratlie says the Australian support for the project goes back to 2004.

“All through the development of the JSM we’ve had close dialogue with Australia,” Mr Bratlie said. BAE brought “certain unique capabilities” to the project.

The missile is designed to address a serious capability gap in that Western powers, the US especially, have been so focused on ground wars in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan that they have not been looking at air-to-sea capability, Mr Bratlie said.

The JSM is the only fifth-generation strike missile that is designed to fit inside the bomb bay of the F-35, which means it does not impair the aircraft’s stealth.

The JSM has twice the range than the original NSM, which can reach only 100 nautical miles, and it is a very accurate missile.

While its speed of 1000km/h and range are not as great as Russian competitors, the JSM makes up for this with very low detection. The missile minimises enemy detection and protects the launch aircraft by using a so-called stand-off range at the time of being launched. Further, it flies close to sea level when launched over sea and tracks the terrain when launched over land.

Existing missile capability would detract from the JSF’s performance given that they would hang beneath the wings, and they do not have the stealth qualities of the JSM.

“There’s been very little done since the Harpoon — they have a lot of catching up to do,” Mr Bratlie said. “The JSM has seeker capability including an imaging infra-red seeker providing target selection technology for detection, recognition and discrimination of targets which ensures we are not hitting the wrong target.”

BAE Systems’ aerospace director Steve Drury said the contract between Defence and Kongsberg would position the company’s technology “a step closer to being used in the JSM”.

“The contract will enable Kongsberg to continue the integration and qualification of BAE Systems’ passive radio frequency sensor into the system,” he said.

To this end, BAE Systems will supply qualified and low-rate initial production sensors to Kongsberg for use in its qualification activities.

Together with the PRF, Mr Drury said BAE would supply a highly sensitive electronic support measure (ESM) receiver for incorporation on the JSM.

Asked how the BAE technology would enhance the effectiveness of the missile, he said: “The combination of this PRF sensor with Kongsberg’s existing Imaging Infra-Red seeker provides a significant enhancement enabling the platform to detect, identify and geolocate all radio frequency emitters in the environment at long range. These identifications when fused with the data from the Imaging Infra-Red seeker will provide an increase in operational capability.”

BAE’s work on the JSM since 2009 has been supported by other federal government programs.

The company obtained support from the now-defunct Priority Industry Capability Inno­vation Program (PICIP).

Under this Defence-funded program, BAE Systems received a grant in 2013 to help commercialise the PRF technology.

The JSM is on track for final qualification next year. The US carried out a test firing last year at its Utah range. The test completed another “milestone towards full integration on the F-35”, said Eirik Lie, acting president Kongsberg Defence Systems.

BAE Systems is Australia’s specialist manufacturer of missile control and guidance systems.

Kongsberg, founded in 1814, has also partnered with Raytheon to develop and market the JSM in the US.

Defence department did not respond to questions.

Source: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/busines ... b73bcf5a93

This PRF may give the JSM a home-on-emissions capability similar to the AGM-158 JASSM.

[spazsinbad]

The next follow on link at ALERT 5 is FLUMMOXED to a J-15 story so do not bother clicking on it - I guess link may be fixed.

Japan may equip its F-35 with JSM
28 Jun 2017 ALERT5

"A report by Yomiuri Shimbun on Jun. 26 says Tokyo mulls giving its F-35A fleet a air-to-surface missile strike capability.

One of the options being considered is to buy the Norwegian Joint Strike Missile (JSM) that is being developed for the F-35. Japan’s current fighters are only equipped with anti-ship missiles and this will be a leap in capability for the Self-Defense Force.

Source: http://alert5.com/2017/06/28/japan-may- ... more-63555

[spazsinbad]

Amongst things already known (repeats by SLDinfo are LEG END ARY) at the end there is info about Japanese interest JSM.

Allies, Missiles and the F-35: The Case of the Joint Strike Missile 29 Jun 2017 SLDinfo

http://www.sldinfo.com/allies-missiles- ... e-missile/

[spazsinbad]

Kongsberg prepares to qualify the Joint Strike Missile
04 Oct 2017 Robin Hughes

"Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace is set to conduct the final flight test (FTM-5) of the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) in early 2018, in preparation for the weapon’s integration with the Royal Norwegian Air Force’s (RNoAF) F-35A Lightning II multirole stealth fighter.

FTM-5 is the culmination of a two-year flight-test campaign to qualify the missile for integration with the F-35A. In a first end-to-end flight test for the missile, a JSM equipped with a live warhead will be launched from a legacy F-16C/D Fighting Falcon from the US Air Force’s 445th Flight Test Group against a ‘realistic’ land target at the Utah Test and Training Range in the United States.

A Norwegian Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson told Jane’s, “The ongoing effort of qualifying the JSM missile includes a small number of test-firings using a legacy F-16 as launch platform. The objective is to prepare and qualify the weapon for the subsequent integration on the F-35A. We have so far completed five events and have one remaining test-firing in the qualification programme, planned for March 2018. These activities are funded as part of the JSM Development Phase 3 as approved by Parliament in 2014.”

Kongsberg conducted the first flight test (FTM-1) of JSM in October 2015. In October 2016 the company conducted the first long-range powered flight test (FMT-2) of the missile over the Utah Test and Training Range – although FMT-2 was a re-run of an earlier failed flight test. In the May–June period of 2017, the company conducted the FTM-3/FTM-4 trials, with the missile flown without a seeker capability in both tests. “The tests were designed to measure the missile flight in real life and compare it to simulations to check that both correspond, and to measure fuel consumption at different altitudes. Actually, the fuel consumption measured a little better than in the modelling,” Hans Kongelf, vice-president of Kongsberg's Missile Systems division told Jane’s...."

Photo: "An F-16C/D Fighting Falcon from the USAF 445th Flight Test Group prepares to launch the JSM during FTM-2 over the Utah Test and Training Range on 29 October 2016. (Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace)" http://alert5.com/wp-content/uploads/20 ... e-F-16.jpg

Source: http://www.janes.com/article/74609/kong ... ke-missile

[sunstersun]

nordic countries are insanely impressive given their size.

[pron]

In a new article about the JSM in tu.no they also tell about the work to stack more AMRAAMS inside the F-35.
Here the actual text translated:

It is also about other ways of utilizing the bombroom. One example is the aircraft manufacturer's own project "Sidekick", which is about stacking Amraam missiles on top of each other so that F-35 is able to fly with six such air-to-air missiles internally instead of four as today. Lockheed Martin has a prototype that will soon be over in operational testing.

The article in norwegian can be found here - https://www.tu.no/artikler/kun-ett-krys ... erg/412047

[krorvik]

Thanks pron, hadn't seen that article tu.no is a great source

[spazsinbad]

GOOGLE TRANSLATE: https://translate.google.com.au/transla ... g%2F412047

F-35 JOINT STRIKE MISSILE Only one cross missile fits the abdomen on the F-35 - it is made on Kongsberg
18 Nov 2017 Av: Per Erlien Dalløkken

"This is more than a Norwegian weapon," emphasizes Locheed Martins F-35 boss.

ØRLAND: One of the fighter's best-in- flight F-35s is the so-called "stealth" capability, that is, the snowiness that makes it difficult to detect.

However, the radar signature should be kept intact, it does not make it a pleasure to fly around like a Christmas tree with missiles, bombs, sensors and fuel hanging on the wings and under the abdomen, as is the case today when the F-16 is flying with full warfare. The equipment must fit into the body.

Still, there is only one cross-missile that is adapted to the F-35 weapon room. It's called Joint Strike Missile (JSM) and is designed by Kongsberg.

Soon exam
It's been 15 years since the work on a F-35 customized version of Naval Strike Missile (NSM) started. The biggest developments in development have been done in recent years:

The first major milestone in the third and final stages of development was passed on October 28, 2015. Then the first JSM slip was conducted, aiming to demonstrate safe separation from the aircraft. The missile is equipped with a separate control system that lasts for a few seconds, ensuring that it does not collide with the plane after it is released.

About the day one year later, 29 October 2016, a motorized missile was released for the first time. It flew far over 200 kilometers while performing a lot of demanding maneuvers and varied height and speed, and demonstrated that Kongsberg calls extreme benefits for this type of missile.

In June this year, No. 3 and 4 were completed, also this Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR) off Salt Lake City. This shooting field is the only place in the United States to test cross-missiles across land.

"Here JSM flew very advanced tracks with different levels of altitude and speed at which the missile's flight characteristics were tested to the extremes. The tests were conducted as planned and included complex maneuvers with simulated attacks. The result was very successful and all exit criteria were met, says Øyvind Kolset, director of the miss division in Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace.

With this, the flow test approaches. What remains is the exam itself - a sharp missile demonstration fire that is scheduled for the first half of 2018.

New ability for Norway
Tekniske Ukeblad hits Kolset in Ørland where he participates in the official reception ceremony for the first three Norwegian F-35A aircraft with the rest of the Norwegian defense industry. Here both defense and political leadership argued that the new combat aircraft give Norway a defense capability we have never had before.

Central to the new impact is the five-generation missile JSM. Like the plane, the long-range missile is designed to be difficult to detect, and to have very good maneuverability. It can be used both against sea and hill targets.

In addition to deterring any opponents, the combination of F-35 and JSM will enable the Armed Forces to find and defeat well-defended targets over long distances.

Until last autumn all pieces of the missile were completely developed. That is, all subsystems and components have been through qualification, electronics and hardware are now production standard. The coal says that the design is as good as finished and that they are on track to complete the qualifying program for the Norwegian defense for summer 2018.

In parallel, integration work on F-35 is in progress with aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin. We are talking about both logical and physical integration. This is part of the first major upgrade on F-35, which is called Block 4, and will be performed on the Norwegian aircraft in the period 2022-2024. All missiles must be delivered and integrated so that the Air Force achieves so-called full operational ability (FOC) by 2025.

Australian applicant
This is of course more nations than Norway demands. One of them is Australia, which over the past two years has collaborated to add search capacity to the missile.

Specifically, BAE Australia is to integrate an RF searcher in addition to the existing image-forming infrared viewer (IR).

The coal says that they are very interested in JSM from all F-35 countries. But it is still important to win concrete contracts. That it will come, there is no doubt, according to Jeff Babione, who heads the F-35 program in Lockheed Martin.

This is incredibly advanced technology that contributes to a massive increase in capacity on an already highly capable aircraft. This will give their air force and defense a huge boost to any opponent, "said Babione, adding:

"I see no limit on how many F-35 countries want this ability. That way, I do not consider JSM only as a Norwegian weapon, although developed by Kongsberg, "said Babione to Teknisk Ukeblad.

He says that the opportunity to sell this missile to many, many customers poses a huge potential for Norwegian industry. At the same time, he remembers that at least three thousand aircraft are planned for eight other partner countries, three US weapons grenades and three other foreign customers.

In the abdomen or on the wings
For still, JSM is the only cross missile that fits internally in the F-35 weapon room. Other similar missiles, such as Lockheed Martin's own AGM-158 JASSM, do not fit into the abdomen and must therefore stay under the wings.

In addition to JSM becoming the first and second generation "Small Diameter Bomb" (SDB) and the King Mountain Partner Raytheon's AGM-154 «Joint Standoff Weapon», internally integrated into the F-35 in the combat aircraft's early operational life, it appears that (JSOW). It is this sliding bomb that forms the template for the bomb room of the F-35. It is thus not motorized and consequently has less range and maneuverability.

Babione emphasizes that it is a major arsenal that will be integrated when F-35 development is completed in 2018 and in Block 4 in about five years. All partner countries have weapons they want to integrate on the plane.

It is also about other ways of utilizing the bombroom. One example is the aircraft manufacturer's own project "Sidekick", which is about stacking Amraam missiles on top of each other so that F-35 is able to fly with six such air-to-air missiles internally instead of four as today. Lockheed Martin has a prototype that will soon be over in operational testing.

Kongsberg looks most likely that a 2xAmraam installation must use the JSM drive. In that case, four Amraam will not be possible next to two JSM.

Turkish competitor
Inside the bombroom, there is potentially a cross-missile competitor for JSM, from Turkish Roketsan.

- Yes, they also have ambitions to integrate their SOM-J missile internally in F-35, but they are still very early in development. Our sister company Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control helps them with the integration. They would like to do this for the time around Block 4, but there is still a lot of testing," emphasizes Babione.

With regard to the development of JSM, there has been a mood in public in the last year. Such Technical Weeklies understand this, largely because the information flow is government-controlled, from Norway and the United States, and they do not necessarily have an interest in minute-to-minute dissemination of such weapons programs.

Silence does not necessarily mean trouble. Perhaps on the contrary in certain cases:

- In my job, I will usually be notified when problems arise. Because I have not heard anything about the JSM integration, it should be sure that everything goes according to plan, says the F-35 boss."

Source: https://www.tu.no/artikler/kun-ett-krys ... erg/412047

[krorvik]

"snowiness"?

Ørland certainy can be snowy, but - in this case the right words are "ability to sneak up on".

[steve2267]

I stumbled across the pdf attached below. It is from 2014, but seems to show some details I have not seen on this thread, and my searches have not shown this posted before... so... here is is.

Kongsberg Naval and Joint Strike Missiles Update Precision Strike Annual Review (PSAR-14).pdf

(3.56 MiB) Downloaded 1373 times

[popcorn]

I stumbled across the pdf attached below. It is from 2014, but seems to show some details I have not seen on this thread, and my searches have not shown this posted before... so... here is is.

Kongsberg Naval and Joint Strike Missiles Update Precision Strike Annual Review (PSAR-14).pdf

Good stuff. Thanks.

[mor10]

Looks like it is official that Japan will acquire the JSM for their F-35 fleet.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/08/asia/japan-missiles-purchase-intl/index.html