STEPHEN TRIMBLE / WASHINGTON DC
Manufacturer seeks new capabilities for stand-off weapon as USAF withdraws support in favour of rival system
Raytheon is continuing work on new roles for its AGM-154 Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW), despite the recent loss of the weapon's second-largest customer.
The US Air Force earlier this month signed a contract for what is expected to be its final batch of 315 JSOW-A submunition dispensers, and has dropped a long-term plan to buy up to 3,000 of the weapons, says Raytheon. "The air force has asked for, and has [received] approval to quit buying JSOW in the [fiscal year 2005] purchase," says Raytheon.
The former joint weapons programme now rests in the hands of the US Navy, which may slightly increase its commitment to buy around 13,000 JSOWs. The navy's precise requirement remains fluid as the Department of Defense adds the last touches to its budget proposal for 2005, which is due out in early February. The plan is "not all a done deal at this point", says Raytheon.
The USAF has been steadily withdrawing its support for JSOW in favour of Lockheed Martin's Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser. Two years ago, the navy was forced to cancel the JSOW-B programme after the air force called off an order for 3,114 of the armour-piercing variants.
Raytheon has delivered 1,250 JSOW-As to air force and navy units since 1999, more than 400 of which have been used in combat.
Raytheon is continuing to study new capabilities for the navy's JSOW inventory, including a directed-energy payload. It also could be used to disperse propaganda leaflets across the battlefield. "None of that has moved forward to date, [but] we feel that fairly quickly we can configure one to do some alternate mission," says Raytheon.
The navy has also launched operational testing of its JSOW-C hard-target penetrator variant of the weapon, first deliveries of which are set for September 2004. Poland has signed a letter of agreement to buy the JSOW-C for its Lockheed Martin F-16s.
Source: Flight International
