The future of the US Air Force/Navy Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missile (JASSM) programme is being thrown into doubt, with the latter service considering pulling out of the joint project.
USAF sources claim that the USN's interest in the programme is waning. Instead of pushing ahead with development of the JASSM, there is a growing lobby within the Navy in favour of a further modification of the McDonnell Douglas (MDC) Stand-off Land Attack Missile - Expanded Response (SLAM-ER), the SLAM-ER Plus.
Senior USN officials say that the SLAM-ER Plus is a viable alternative to the JASSM, and they are urging Joint Requirements Oversight Council members to consider SLAM ER Plus when they undertake a SLAM-ER/JASSM review on 28April
Lockheed Martin and MDC are competing for the contract to build 2,400 JASSMs for the USAF and USN, starting in 2000. The USAF has a well-defined JASSM acquisition strategy, but USN planning has been unclear.
The JASSM is intended to be deployed on a variety of USAF and USN strike aircraft to attack high-priority targets at long ranges. The low-observable conventional cruise missile would fly autonomously along a low-level circuitous route.
The SLAM-ER was recently given the go-ahead for low-rate initial production after a successful initial fight test. Provisions have been made in the missile for an automatic target-recognition system which would form the core of the SLAM-ER Plus upgrade.
Source: Flight International