Jassm – Back On Track?

The test failures came at a critical time for the program, as it was already under review by Pentagon officials after breaking through a 15 per cent cost increase barrier which, by a US law colloquially known as ‘Nunn-McCurdy’ after its sponsoring Senators, means the program automatically must be reviewed as to whether it is healthy enough to move forward, or if alternative options can fulfil the requirement.

Despite the Pentagon reportedly attributing the cost increases to additional engineering resources being put into the program for capability enhancements such as the addition of a datalink, a maritime strike application, the follow-on JASSM-ER extended range variant, and general reliability improvements, the legal restriction of no new government funding has remained in place since last April.

The ability to strike moving maritime targets came about largely at Australia’s request, as this capability is seen as a key one for the RAAF, and thus the ADF is helping to fund the development and is providing engineering resources for this task.

Critics in the US have also questioned, despite its low observable shaping, the missile’s survivability prospects against an integrated air defence system. US defence commentator Theodore Gaillard pointed out in a recent report that the JASSM flies at subsonic speeds, similar to that of the surface and sub-surface launched Tomahawk missile which reportedly suffered a near 50 per cent loss rate during the early stages of the 1991 Gulf and 2003 Iraq wars.

In the report, Gaillard rhetorically asked “Stealth-enhancing composite airframes help delay radar detection, but during (long) flights over enemy territory, how would JASSM and any similarly subsonic cruise missiles fare against layered, networked, multi-sensor air defence systems employing Russian-made S-300PMU or their SA‑N-6 ship-based counterparts – intercepting at a blistering 4500 miles per hour?” Lockheed Martin through its JASSM program director, Steven Barnoske, took up the challenge in an article published a few days later. “In developing requirements for the competitively procured JASSM, USAF planners carefully balanced considerations such as cost, performance and reliability, and determined that stealth was of paramount importance – precisely to enhance the missile’s survivability against a range of threats. ” “Extensive testing and modelling has proven that JASSM’s stealth capabilities work in extended flights against modern layered, networked air defence systems,” Barnoske continued.

“Although, understandably,the details of this testing are classified, JASSM’s stealth capabilities have never been questioned. ” In the meantime, Lockheed Martin and the USAF signed off on the US$68m (A$77m) JASSM Reliability Assessment Program (RAP) in July, more than half of which is to be funded by the contractor and the remainder coming from existing government funding due to the Nunn-McCurdy restrictions of no new funding.

The USAF’s Air Force Times reported on July 20 that “Normally, a program is rapidly re-certified to Congress as essential to national security, and new funds are allocated.

The Pentagon’s unprecedented delay in JASSM re-certification could indicate the Defense Department is not convinced the program can get back on schedule and stay there. ” The RAP will see modifications made to the missile, with the goal of conducting a series of successful test flights prior to the program being re-certified by mid 2008.

“The JASSM RAP is on schedule to complete the functional ground tests and the flight test program before the planned Office of the Secretary of Defense’s Defence Acquisition Board meeting in April 2008,” a senior Lockheed Martin executive told Australian Aviation. “The program is also on schedule to achieve JASSM re-certification, enabling Lot 7 production to commence in June 2008. ” “Several units were captive carried with no issues discovered,” he added. “Two units were captive carried to 150 per cent of the requirement and 75 per cent of the Re-certification Entrance Criteria required ground tests are complete thus far with the remainder planned to complete before the end of the year. The flight test program planning is underway for the February-March testing. ” This is good news for the USAF and for the RAAF.

There’s little doubt the Pentagon doesn’t want to cancel the JASSM program, as the baseline version not only promises much, but will form the basis of a new family of long range and persistent precision weapons for the next few decades.

However, perhaps as a hedge against this possibility, USAF officials are reported to have asked for information on possible alternatives such as the European Taurus KEDP-350 and MBDA Storm Shadow missiles, and Boeing’s proven AGM-84K SLAM-ER as used by the US Navy and which lost out to the JASSM in the RAAF’s selection process. All of these alternatives are subsonic, and are considerably less stealthy than JASSM.

Another reason to stick with JASSM, albeit a small one in the overall US scale of things, is that a key ally in Australia is already committed, while other allied F/A-18 and F-16 operators such as Finland and the Netherlands are reportedly considering the weapon to meet their own precision stand-off requirements.

Indeed, industry sources have indicated that Australia has been heavily involved in the RAP, providing engineering expertise and input into the structure of the program moving forward.

“The (DMO’s Air 5418) project office staff was able to provide the staffs of the USAF and the Office of the Secretary of Defense the results of their technical evaluation of JASSM and their experience on other programs to support the USAF JASSM Reliability Assessment Program investigation and program structure,” the Lockheed Martin executive said. “The close working relationship between the project office, Lockheed Martin, and the USAF has been advantageous in developing a successful path for the program. ” “Australian participation in the program includes contributions to technical analysis, participation in progress reviews both at the USAF working level and senior USAF/Office of the Secretary of Defense JASSM program reviews,” an Air 5418 project office spokesman said in a written response to questions. “This input has contributed in helping to shape the current JASSM RAP and has been recognised as providing an independent assurance of the US program developments. ” The RAAF has already received the first batch of JASSM captive air test rounds at its ARDU test facility at RAAF Edinburgh for flight test duties on the two F/A‑18s assigned to the unit. “JASSM air test vehicles have been delivered to Australia to support safety of flight analysis and testing being conducted by DSTO and RAAF Aerospace Operational Support Group,” the ADF spokesman said. “The aircraft stores clearance engineering program for the RAAF F/A‑18A/B has commenced and flight separation testing” commenced in late November.

“The Australian program is continuing to proceed on schedule with efforts to procure, test and evaluate, and integrate the JASSM onto the F/A-18A/B aircraft and to deliver the necessary support (including training and facilities) for introduction of the weapon into service, as planned. The integration effort includes engineering analysis, software development and testing in both ADF units in Australia and USN units at China Lake, California. Subject to the outcomes of the US RAP, the Australian program is on schedule to achieve IOC as planned by the end of 2009. ” The RAAF is still undecided on whether to equip is fleet of 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets with JASSM when they arrive from 2010, although one would imagine once integration with the classic Hornet is finished and the project office and ARDU engineers have a better understanding of the weapon, as GPCAPT Steve Roberton told AA at March’s Avalon Airshow, this would be a “not unlikely” proposition. Indeed, industry sources have suggested that the 800km+ range AGM-158B JASSM-ER, which is likely to be available from 2012, may be a better fit for the Super Hornets.

“There is no currently funded program to integrate the JASSM to the F/A- 18F,” the Air 5418 spokesman said. “However, Defence continues to evaluate all options for the ongoing provision of strike effects.

Capability Development Group is responsible for the balanced development of ADF capability. Should a need be identified for a missile more capable than JASSM, then JASSM derivatives would reasonably be considered amongst the options. ”