The Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin two production contracts worth up to $449 million for Lots 11 and 12 of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile and its extended range variant. The contract includes production of 340 baseline missiles and 100 JASSM-ERs, as well as systems engineering, logistics support, tooling, and test equipment, states a Jan. 9 company release. “These contracts bring the total number of JASSM cruise missiles on contract to over 2,100, and underscore the US Air Force’s and Lockheed Martin’s commitment to the program,” said Jason Denney, program director of long range strike systems at Lockheed. The contract award follows a $34 million foreign military sales contract to integrate JASSM on to Finland’s F-18C/D aircraft. JASSM is integrated onto USAF B-1B, B-2, B-52, F-16, and F-15Es. The B-1B also carries the JASSM-ER.
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…