Following test misfires and a Nunn-McCurdy breach, the Air Force-industry team behind the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile conducted an ambitious scrub that scrutinized everything from suppliers to testing practices, ending with one of the service’s most ambitious cruise missile test series. The Air Force awarded a contract for Lot 7 in June, working toward a total of some 1,050 missiles under current contracts. The program office plans next year to start work on an anti-surface warfare variant. (Read more in Putting JASSM Back Together)
Lawmakers are growing impatient for an overdue fighter recapitalization study from the Air Force, and members say they'll demand more detailed justifications for future aircraft retirements.