The first flight test of the stealthy Lockheed Martin Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missile (JASSM) ended in failure because of an apparent electrical problem, according to US Air Force officials.
The 8 April unpowered test flight at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, was terminated after the missile's wings and tail surfaces failed to deploy because of an incorrect flow of electricity. The JASSM prototype hit the ground 40s after cleanly separating from a Lockheed Martin F-16. Flight Test Vehicle No 1 crashed within the test range.
Project officials say the electrical failure could have been caused by a short circuit, electrical discharge or blown fuse. They call the failure "a small glitch" in the flight test series, and expect to have the problem fixed before the next JASSM test, due to take place mid-year.
The AGM-158 JASSM test article was built on production tooling. The USAF plans to conduct the missile's first powered flight using a production-representative vehicle. The third flight of a complete JASSM is expected in the third quarter of this year.
Lockheed Martin expects to earn more than $2 billion for supplying 2,400 AGM-158s to the USAF and, eventually, the US Navy, which has agreed to buy an undisclosed number.
Now in engineering and manufacturing development, limited production of the JASSM is set to begin in January 2001, with annual peak production reaching 360.
The USAF is buying the first five JASSM production lots at an average unit price of $275,000, 40% below the $400,000 target price.
Source: Flight International
