20 April 2020

CSB accelerates JSOW C-1 NEW integration on F-35

by Robin Hughes

The F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) Configuration Steering Board (CSB) has approved an accelerated timeline to integrate a Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW) C-1 full Network-Enabled Weapons (NEW) capability on the F-35 Lightning II platform.

Sanctioned in February, the CSB decision accelerates by approximately two years the JSOW C-1 NEW capability on the F-35, with funding already programmed to support the C-1 integration effort. NEW effectively enables a Moving Maritime Target (MMT) capability for the C-1.

A joint US Navy (USN)-led USN/US Air Force (USAF) programme, the Raytheon Missiles & Defence (RMD) AGM-154 JSOW is comprised of a family of 1,000 Ib-class, advanced glide munitions. The AGM-154C-1, along with the AGM-154C (JSOW Block IIIC), are the latest design JSOW production variants.

The AGM-154C incorporates the UK-developed BROACH (Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented Charge) multi-stage warhead – consisting of a 100 kg (220 lb) penetrating shaped-charge in front of a 145 kg (320 lb) conventional follow-through warhead, an uncooled, long-wave imaging infrared (IIR) seeker with autonomous target acquisition algorithms for precision Stationary Land Target (SLT) engagements.

The AGM-154C-1 NEW variant adds a Rockwell Collins TacNet 1.5 dual-waveform (UHF and Link 16) Strike Common Weapon Datalink (SCWDL), enabling the weapon – which can interface with the USN/USAF Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS JTRS) – to be retargeted after launch, for Stationary Land Target (SLT)/Re-locatable Land Target (RLT) engagements. The JSOW C-1 weapon also incorporates a redesign of, and software modification to, the IIR seeker algorithm to support a network-enabled MMT engagement capability. The JSOW C Block III and C-1 variants have a stated range of 130 km (80.0 miles/70.0 n miles) at high altitude (40,000 ft), and 22 km (13.7 miles/11.9 n miles) at low altitude.