Lockheed Martin is at least nine months behind schedule on initial delivery of some 30 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range cruise missiles to the Air Force, reported Bloomberg. The missiles originally were slated for delivery on Aug. 31, but now are expected to be delivered by April 30 because of flaws in the missile’s motor, reported the news organization. Lockheed Martin has since changed the way it builds the missile to allay durability concerns, a company spokesman told Bloomberg. In the meantime, the 30 missiles remain in storage at Lockheed’s production facility in Troy, Ala., “awaiting verification of a fix to the bond, which the company called an ‘isolated anomaly’ from a subcontractor to Lockheed,” reported Bloomberg. Despite the delay, the Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin two Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile contracts totaling a combined $449 million on Jan. 9. The contracts for 340 JASSM and 100 extended-range variants “bring the total number of JASSM cruise missiles on contract to over 2,100,” said company missile program director Jason Denney at the time.
Competitors Not Picked for CCA Look Forward to Increment 2
April 25, 2024
While none of the major aircraft contractors were selected to develop the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, all three say they are seeking further autonomous aircraft work for the Navy, foreign partners, or in the classified arena, and maybe future versions of the CCA itself.