The US Army has released a request for proposals for its joint air-to-ground missile (JAGM) contract.
Lockheed Martin and a Raytheon/Boeing team are competing for the requirement with tri-mode seeker-equipped offerings. The successful bidder will provide weapons to replace the army's current Lockheed AGM-114 Hellfire and Raytheon AGM-65 Maverick missiles for use by a variety of helicopters, unmanned aircraft and fixed-wing jets.
The rival teams participated in a technology demonstration phase that ended late last year. In addition to the new tri-mode seeker, the selected contractor must also deliver a rocket motor with at least twice the range performance of the 4.3nm (8km) class Hellfire, and a propellant that can survive the extreme temperatures of being carried by fixed-wing aircraft flying at high altitudes.
Source: Flight International
