13 September 2022

Lockheed Martin reveals work on new JAGM variants

by Andrew White

Lockheed Martin's JAGM-MR uses a new missile bus to increase range. (Lockheed Martin)

Lockheed Martin is designing a series of next-generation Joint-Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGMs), Janes has learnt .

JAGM-MR, a medium-range version of the missile, is in “proof of concept and evaluation” by the company, featuring increased range and sensor options compared with the legacy JAGM, and Lockheed Martin is considering additional variants such as maritime, extended-range, and short-range air defence (potentially for the US Army's Initial Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense programme), a company spokesperson told Janes .

Since November 2021 Lockheed Martin has completed several test firings for the JAGM-MR solid rocket motor. The development is part of a “planned product improvement” of the in-production JAGM, designed to “proactively meet” customer needs, the spokesperson said. Lockheed Martin plans to perform a tactical test flight later in 2022.

The AGM-179 JAGM features the same warhead and ‘back-end' of the AGM-114R (Hellfire Romeo), but added multimode seekers to engage on-the-move targets with precision guidance and fire-and-forget capability.

JAGM-MR can be launched from the same M299 launcher, retaining the length and diameter parameters while “minimising” weight growth, the spokesperson said. JAGM-MR weighs 53.3 kg and measures a length of 175.6 cm and diameter of 17.8 cm, according to the spokesperson. Legacy JAGM weighs 51.5 kg and measures a length of 175.8 cm and diameter of 17.8 cm.

Featuring a new missile bus with updated propulsion and control sections, JAGM-MR was designed to engage targets at ranges greater than 16 km when ground-launched, which is more than twice as far as the existing JAGM.

Lockheed Martin is designing a series of next-generation Joint-Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGMs), Janes...

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