Lockheed nearing test of sea-launched JAGM, pitches for US and Australia

MELBOURNE — Lockheed Martin plans to conduct a vertical launch, live fire demonstration of the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) next year as it rolls out a plan to evolve the munition into a family of “multi-domain missile systems,” one the company hopes to sell to both the US and Australia in the future.

At the Land Forces exhibition in Melbourne, Australia, last week, the company displayed a model of a generic vessel which resembled the US Navy’s MkVI Patrol Boat, equipped with four JAGM Quad Launchers (JQLs) — Lockheed Martin’s vertical launch system which enables JAGM to be launched from medium and large surface vessels as well as tactical ground vehicles such as the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.

The JAGM includes the warhead and “back-end” of the AGM-114R (HELLFIRE Romeo) but also the integration of additional multi-mode seekers including a fire-and-forget millimeter wave (MMW) radar for moving targets which allows it to rapidly engage multiple “slow-moving fixed wing aircraft, helicopters and UAS simultaneously,” according to company literature.

Any integration of the JQL on board a surface vessel will mark the first time JAGM has been fired at sea.

Currently, Lockheed’s out-of-production AGM-114 Longbow Hellfire missile is integrated on board LCS ships in the Middle East, designed to engage small surface craft. Obviously, the region has seen an influx of threats that a more up-to-date weapon could be useful in countering.

Potential applications, a defense source told Breaking Defense, could include the engagement of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) and uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) which continue to be operated by Iranian-backed groups against US and international naval vessels and commercial shipping in the Red Sea since last year.

Media coverage of the JQL configuration was first reported in 2020, but since then the effort has gone quiet. But speaking to Breaking Defense at the conference, Patrick Sweeney, Lockheed’s senior manager for international business development, confirmed the effort was still moving forward.

Sweeney said the JAGM munition itself requires no hardware changes to be launched in the maritime environment, before stating “load exercises” had already been conducted with the JQL. “We are still in the development phase of the vertical launch capability and demonstrating to US DoD which is our near-term goal,” he said.

“JQL brings the JAGM family of missiles and M299 launcher to vehicles and surface ships using designs and technologies from the MK 41 Vertical Launching System,” Lockheed documents read. The JQL currently features a pair of naval variants which could see it integrated above or below decks for patrol boats and frigates/corvettes respectively.

Lockheed Martin is also pitching JAGM to international partners including the Australian Defence Forces (ADF) in a move which would provide “certain levels in commonality” with the DoD, Sweeney added.

The ADF is preparing to receive its first AH-64E Apache attack helicopters from Boeing next year, with JAGM being proposed as a potential armament solution for the platform, which would require no additional integration given it remains in service with US Army Apaches.

Sweeney also confirmed to Breaking Defense that Lockheed is proposing it’s next-generation JAGM Medium Range (MR) missile for the ADF — a capability which remains in development as an internal effort within the company but has already proven its ability to double range from eight to 16km.

Additional opportunities in Australia include the Land 8710 Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel program which could see landing craft equipped with JAGM for over-the-beach fire support.

“Everyone wants increased range,” Sweeney concluded.