Navy League 2026: Lockheed Martin provides more details of 90º vertical firing of JAGM from the missile quad launcher
Lockheed Martin recently demonstrated vertical launch for its JAGM missile from the JAGM quad launcher mounted on a vehicle, shown here. (Lockheed Martin)
Lockheed Martin demonstrated a 90º firing of a Joint-Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) from a JAGM Quad Launcher (JQL) using JAGM's millimeter‑wave (MMW) doppler radar, company officials confirmed on 16 April during a briefing of the demonstration in advance of Navy League Sea Air Space 2026 maritime exposition 20-22 April.
The missile's dual-mode seeker also includes a semi‑active laser (SAL), which had been used in previous demonstrations, Casey Walsh, Lockheed Martin Multi-Domain Missile Systems programme director, noted during the briefing.
“The last time we shot the missile out of the launcher [for a previous demonstration] it was at 45º,” Casey said.
For the 90º vertical firing demonstration, Lockheed Martin mounted the launcher on a Richard Childress Racing (RCR) ground vehicle, Casey said. The target was a small Group 3-class unmanned aerial system (UAS).
The demonstration was conducted in China Lake, California, Lockheed Martin officials told Janes at a previous briefing in January.
With the proliferation of UASs, the Pentagon has been searching for counter-UAS (C-UAS) capabilities to protect ships, bases, and other platforms or assets. Lockheed Martin officials said vertical-launch capability eliminated the need for a clear forward firing arc, enabling a launch from more points.
“The big thing here is the 90º live-fire firing,” Felipe Benvegnu, Lockheed Martin Mission System & Weapons business development director, said during the briefing. “By integrating JQL with JAGM vertical launch, it enables operators to field a low-cost, high-precision interceptor from platforms that were previously unable to launch missiles,” Benvegnu said. He also noted the self-contained JQL gas management system is similar to that of the Mk 41 vertical launch system (VLS).
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