An F-35C launched an AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon for the first time March 23, according to a press release. The air-to-surface guided glide bomb was cleanly released from an internal weapons bay in the test aircraft, Navy test pilot Cmdr. Ted Dyckman, who flew the mission, said in the release. The F-35 Lightning II Pax River Integrated Test Force released one JSOW over the Atlantic Test Ranges during the flight, but will release more JSOWs throughout the year. The weapon is integrated and in operational status on F-16, F/A-18, B-52, F-15E, B-1B, and B-2; the JSOW is a joint Navy-Air Force program, but Navy is in the lead. (See also: First F-35 External Weapons Release.)
The Pentagon has concluded a new agreement to buy laser-guidance kits that turn rockets into drone-killing weapons. BAE Systems and the Defense Department announced a framework deal of up to seven years for 25,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System guidance kits annually for the U.S. military.