PAUL LEWIS / WASHINGTON DC
The US military used $3 billion worth of weaponry in just under a month of fighting in Iraq and, with US President George Bush having signed off a $62.9 billion supplemental defence budget, there is no shortage of programmes lining up for extra funding either for production acceleration or development.
The US Navy alone fired more than 800 Raytheon BGM-109 Tomahawks, worth more than $1 million each, severely depleting its inventory of land attack cruise missiles. In recent testimony to Congress, assistant navy secretary for acquisition, John Young said a heavier than expected reliance was placed on the weapon to hit targets out of reach of tactical aircraft or during adverse weather.
Waiting in the wings to replenish stocks is the new Block IV Tactical Tomahawk, already in low- rate initial production (LRIP) at an agreed price of about $600,000 each. The supplemental budget includes a provision to increase production of the missile.
Also in LRIP is the $400,000 Lockheed Martin AGM-158 JASSM air-launched cruise missile, with deliveries starting this month. After the final successful development test in March, following a series of setbacks, the US Air Force hopes to finish operational testing by July and get the go-ahead for full-rate production in November.
The 110km (200nm)-range missile will enter service in September on the Boeing B-52H bomber, and next year will be carried on the Rockwell B-1B, Lockheed MartinF-16 and Northrop Grumman B-2.
Work on fitting JASSM to the USN's Boeing F/A-18E/F started this month and development of a 270km extended-range version, with a new turbofan engine and large fuel tank, will begin later this year for delivery in 2008, according to Dr Marvin Sambur, air force assistant secretary acquisition.
Source: Flight International
