Raytheon has completed a fit check of the Joint Standoff Weapon in the internal carriage bay of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft.
“The capabilities of the JSF combined with JSOW C-1’s ability to precisely engage moving ships at sea from standoff ranges would give the US and coalition warfighter a powerful capability,” said Commander Samuel Hanaki, US Navy JSOW deputy program manager.
During the fit check, Raytheon technicians loaded a JSOW shape in the JSF’s internal carriage bay and conducted a series of tests to prove the bay door could close properly without damaging the aircraft or the weapon.
“JSOW C-1 is the world’s first net-enabled standoff weapon that can engage a moving maritime target,” said Phyllis McEnroe, JSOW program director for Raytheon Missile Systems.
“With its more than 110 kilometre range (68 statute miles) and tunnel defeat capability, JSOW C-1 will give members of the JSF a critical capability no other weapon can provide.”
JSOW is a family of low-cost, air-to-ground weapons that employs an integrated GPS- inertial navigation system and terminal imaging infrared seeker, guiding the weapon to the target.
JSOW C-1 adds moving maritime target capability and the two-way strike common weapon datalink to the combat-proven weapon. The US Navy completed the first free-flight test of JSOW C-1 on July 26, 2011.
In December 2010 Australian Super Hornets conducted two firings of the JSOW C at the Woomera Test Range against two separate hardened concrete targets between August 30 and September 15, 2010.
Both targets were successfully destroyed and all test outcomes were achieved.
The RAAF has placed an order for the JSOW C-1, which is currently in production; deliveries are expected to begin this year.
The JSOW C-1 maintains the land attack capability of JSOW C and adds a moving maritime target capability by incorporating a datalink.
This enables the JSOW to receive target updates as it flies to its target.
However, whether Australia acquires JSOW, or its extended range, powered variant JSOW-ER for equipping RAAF F-35s with a maritime strike capability or perhaps plumps for the Joint Strike Missile, Kongsberg’s air-launched variant of its NSM anti-ship missile, a much newer development, will rest with the US Navy’s choice in the matter.
If the USN decides to equip the F-35 with the superior Norwegian JSM, that will be the only opportunity for the RAAF to equip its own JSFs with the better weapon.—Defpro.com and ADM