Mary-Louise Hoffman
Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $66.3 million contract to help the U.S. Army develop a joint air-to-ground missile system, Defense News reported Sunday.
Joe Gould and Andrew Chuter write Lockheed will build the JAGM technology as a replacement for Hellfire and TOW missiles that Army, Navy and Marine Corps integrate onto rotary-wing and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The company is working on a dual-mode seeker with a semi-active laser and a millimeter fire-and-forget wave radar through the program, according to Defense News.
Gould and Chuter said the contract covers development of up to 185 missiles and the Army could award two $60 million contract options for low-rate initial production work.
The Army expects the JAGM platform to achieve initial operating capability status by 2018.
JAGM will be built to integrate with aircraft platforms such as AH-64 Apache and AH-1Z Viper helicopters as well as to operate with Hellfire II firing systems, the report said.
