Friday, November 19, 2010

JASSM-ER Test Flights Highlight Outstanding Development Effort

JASSM-ER Test Flights Highlight Outstanding Development Effort: "Lockheed Martin's Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile - Extended Range (JASSM-ER) recently flew two successful test flights at White Sands Missile Range, NM, increasing the program's success rate to 91 percent in 11 flights. The live 2,000-pound class missiles, released from B-1B bombers, effectively navigated to and destroyed their intended targets.
The primary flight test objectives were to demonstrate end-to-end system performance while exercising the missile's alternate terminal engagement profile and Time-on-Target (TOT) mode: the ability to control time of flight to engage time critical targets. During the TOT first-time event for JASSM-ER, the missile adjusted its cruising speed throughout the flight profile based on winds and other atmospheric data.
The first JASSM-ER missile was released from an altitude of 13,000 feet and a speed of 0.72 Mach, while the second missile was released from 30,000 feet at 0.88 Mach."