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Subject: JASSM to be axed???
DropBear    7/29/2005 10:16:34 AM
As reported in a respectable aircraft mag in Oz - "US House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee is looking to axe JASSM program to claw back budget cutting funds. The fiscal yr 2005/06 funding for JASSM was meant to be US$150M and is actually US$2M!!!" Program said to be suffering trials failures with the pop-out wings not doing the pop-out biz and several live firings failing to track to the right target or simply running out of puff on the way! The former fault is said to be simple manufacturing line issues, but the latter sounds a tad serious. It's currently in low rate initial production (LRIP) to be integrated on B-52, B-2, B-1, F-16, F-15, F-18. USAF/USN procurements are to be 4900/453 missiles, however, program could be shagged. Anyone have any news on this?
 
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EW3    RE:JASSM to be axed???   7/29/2005 10:40:32 AM
 
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DropBear    EW3   7/29/2005 10:49:50 AM
You could have replied to my email ;)
 
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westwords2020    JASSAM Salvage Idea   8/1/2005 2:25:02 PM
Since a big criticism of JASSAM is that it's range is not that much greater than SLAM-ER and is reason for USN withdrawal from program what is needed is for JASSAM to be more distinct from the USN weapon by focusing funds on the JASSAM-ER which has a range of 4-500nmi. vice 200nmi for baseline missile and 150nmi. for SLAM-ER. Also there is the JASSAM-XR which reaches 1000nmi. although only bombers and perhaps the proposed FB-22 in it's current 'big wing' variant can carry it and the proposed shrunk JASSAM which would fit JSF weapon bays to preserve stealth and the 1000lbs. JASSAM warhead. With such longer ranges JASSAM would have unique and unduplicated capabilities and might be a viable program again.
 
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EW3    RE:JASSAM still alive   8/24/2005 10:13:31 PM
Dyess AFB demonstrates B-1B's upgrades, combat capabilities DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- A B-1B from the 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron here releases a Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile over the White Sands Missile Range, N.M. The 7th Bomb Wing here became the first unit to achieve initial operational capability of the JASSM cruise missile Aug. 18, which means the missile is able to be used in combat operations. by Airman 1st Class Kiley Olds 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs 8/19/2005 - DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- The 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron here set a number of “firsts” recently for the B-1B Lancer. Those 'firsts' were demonstrated July 25 over the White Sands Missile Range, N.M., when two Lancers from Dyess auto-released a Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile as well as three dissimilar weapons from the same launcher. The 7th Bomb Wing became the first unit to achieve initial operational capability of the JASSM cruise missile Aug. 18, which means the missile is able to be used in combat operations. "This is a great step forward for the B-1 community and represents a tremendous leap in capability," said Lt. Col. Pete VanDeusen, 337th TES commander. The JASSM, or AGM-158A, is an air-to-surface, single warhead self-propelled missile. The July 25 launch continued the bomber's perfect record for JASSM launches when it struck its target after traveling more than 170 nautical miles. The mission's success was made possible by the final testing of new offensive avionics software designated as Sustainment Block 10, said Capt. Janette Ho, a 337th TES instructor weapons system officer and SB-10 project officer. An enhanced version of the Lancer’s flight software, SB-10 provides advanced weapons patterning capability and the ability to load more than one type of weapon in each of the B-1’s three weapons bays. "In the past, a set of target coordinates had to be entered for every guided weapon prior to release," Captain Ho said. "With block-10, I can specify (the) number of weapons in a linear or circular spacing around a single set of coordinates, greatly improving the ability to strike a maneuvering target." In addition to carrying one JASSM each, both B-1Bs used in the White Sands demonstration carried 28 MK-82 500-pound free-fall, general purpose “dumb” bombs, one GBU-38 500-pound Global Positioning System-guided Joint Direct Attack Munitions, one GBU-31 2,000-pound GPS-guided JDAM, and an MK-84 2,000-pound general purpose "dumb" bomb, said Capt. Scott Higginbotham, a 337th TES Lancer pilot who participated in the mission. Prior to the White Sands demonstration, the B-1B and 337th TES accomplished another first June 21 when a Lancer over the Gulf of Mexico dropped guided cluster weapons on a moving maritime target in support of Sinking Exercise East. SINKEX East is the latest in a series of Air Force Chief of Staff-sponsored maritime interdiction exercises to demonstrate the Air Force's capability to strike targets at sea. "(The) flight was a superb demonstration of the B-1's ability to effectively track and engage maritime targets," said Capt. Jeff Miller, SINKEX East project officer at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The flight was the culmination of a six-month test to evaluate the maritime role of an anti-tank weapon, the Cluster Bomb Unit-105 wind corrected munitions dispenser, Colonel VanDeusen said. The test also evaluated the B-1's use of its moving target radar mode to find, track and successfully target three remotely controlled motor boats on three separate runs prior to releasing two weapons in a single pass. After proving the B-1's capability in its mission over land and water, Colonel VanDeusen said the B-1's future looks bright. "The B-1 is already a combat-proven platform," Colonel VanDeusen said. "These recent upgrades only increase the B-1's agility, payload, and loiter capability for the combatant commanders." The JASSM platform is part of the B-1 Joint Standoff Weapon/JASSM Integration (JJI) program, an extension of the B-1B's Block E system upgrades and one part of the overall B-1B conventional mission upgrade program, officials said. The JASSM was designed to penetrate highly defended airspace as an independent cruise missile in order to eliminate high-value fixed targets. Officials said that once completed, the B-1B will have the largest JASSM capability in the Air Force with a maximum capacity of 24 missiles. Other platforms that are capable of carrying the JASSM are the B-52 Stratofortress, the B-2 Spirit, the F-117 Nighthawk and the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
 
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hybrid    RE:JASSAM Salvage Idea   8/25/2005 5:27:50 AM
hmm but at 1000 nmi is the JASSM cheaper than a current TacTom or normal Tomahawk? And what about payload?
 
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DropBear    RE:JASSAM Salvage Idea   8/27/2005 2:53:24 AM
How am I going to integrate Tomahawk onto my Bugs and Orions?
 
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doggtag    RE:JASSM Salvage Idea   8/27/2005 7:18:00 PM
In the early days of the Tomahawk program, the AGM-109 model was planned to be the air-launched variant. But other weapons proved adequate-enough for less weight (Harpoon/SLAM), so there was little need for it (IIRC, the -L model had a range of about 450 miles.) I wouldn't see any reason why a new-build AGM-109 couldn't be created that could sling onto P-3s and F/A-18s (at app. 3000 pounds). If you REALLY want a heavy-hitting strike weapon, the AGM-86 CALCM weighing 4300 pounds with the 3000 pound warhead would be ideal, but its weight will limit the platforms that can carry it. You should be able to sling 4 of them underwing on F-111s. They'd make one hell of an anti-shipping weapon. Back in the early 1990s, there was a proposal to outfit the Maverick ASM with a turbine: the "Longhorn" variant kept the 125- or 300-pound warhead and was about 2 feet longer, but offered almost triple the range of the solid-propellant models (roughly 80km). This would easily fit on any P-3 or F/A-18, but its performance didn't quite match the Harpoon/SLAM weapon. The benefit was that you could twin-carriage a pair of Maverick Longhorns on the same pylon you'd carry only one Harpoon/SLAM-ER sized weapon (it was expected to weigh under 800 pounds). Back in the late 1960s/early 1970s era, the USN was developing the Condor ASM, about 18 inches in diameter and roughly 15 feet long. It was eventually dropped, even though its almost-700 pound warhead proved very effective. Supposedly, the issue came up that too many USN weapons were overlapping each other's capabilities, and there was no reason to pursue Condor, especially when Harpoon was becoming the future program-of-choice. Funny thing though: the US eventually procured the Israeli-developed Popeye ASM, which is pretty close in dimension and capability that the Condor offered back in the 1970s. The only real improvement in the JASSM is that it is a stealthy, low-observable platform, and detecting it inbound will prove more difficult than the less-stealthy Popeyes, Harpoons, and other medium-to-large ASMs.
 
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blacksmith    RE:JASSM Salvage Idea   8/28/2005 6:06:00 PM
The Air Force bought the Popeye (AGM-142). The Navy did not. The Navy has the SLAM/SLAM-ER. The Air Force would pound its genitals with brick before it bought any of those. The Air Force started the JASSM program (which is aparently the ASSM program now since the Navy has bowed out.) 2,400 lbs is realy large to carry around from a carrier. I'm suprised the Navy didn't didmiss it due to bring back.
 
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