THE COMPETITION to supply a replacement for the cancelled Tri-Service Standoff Attack Missile (TSSAM) is expected to begin in January 1996, with the release of a request for proposals for the US Air Force/Navy Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missile (JASSM).
Development of the Northrop Grumman AGM-137 TSSAM stealthy tactical cruise missile was cancelled in 1994 because of cost and schedule overruns.
Compared with those for the TSSAM, requirements for the JASSM have been relaxed to reduce cost. The requirement calls for a missile with more than 185km (100nm) range, autonomous terminal guidance, and a $600,000 price tag.
The weapon is to be carried by the Rockwell B-1, Northrop Grumman B-2, Lockheed Martin F-16 and McDonnell Douglas (MDC) F-18.
Northrop Grumman has teamed with Raytheon to offer a low-cost TSSAM derivative.
The Raytheon-led JASSM proposal is for a 900kg turbofan-powered weapon, carrying a 450kg warhead, with global-positioning/ inertial-navigation mid-course and imaging-infra-red terminal guidance.
Other likely bidders include Lockheed Martin, with a weapon based on a classified missile developed by its Skunk Works; McDonnell Douglas, with the AGM-84H "expanded-response" variant of the SLAM stand-off land-attack missile;
Rockwell, with an extended-range, turbofan-powered, development of the AGM-130 stand-off missile; and Texas Instruments with a derivative of the AGM-154 JSOW joint standoff weapon with turbofan power plant, unitary warhead and terminal seeker.
Source: Flight International
