Raytheon Company and the U.S. Navy completed the final developmental test to integrate the Joint Standoff Weapon C onto the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter's C variant, keeping the low-cost, air-to-ground missile on track for full deployment in 2019.
Navy's Precision Guided Standoff Weapon is being integrated on the F-35 C variant. Screencapture from Raytheon video.
The JSOW glide weapon uses a GPS-inertial navigation system with an imaging infrared seeker that can identify and track targets autonomously. JSOW C weighs 1,000 pounds and is effective against high-value land targets at ranges greater than 70 nautical miles, day or night, and in adverse weather conditions.
Our video coverage on JSOW C at Sea Air Space 2018
"With JSOW C in its internal weapons bay, the Navy's F-35C can now eliminate the toughest ground targets from significant standoff ranges," said Mike Jarrett, vice president of Raytheon Air Warfare Systems. "JSOW's advanced warhead and smart fuse provide fighter pilots with plenty of flexibility against hard and soft targets — plus, it has many programmable effects."
Lockheed Martin, manufacturer of the F-35, and the F-35 Joint Program Office participated in the latest test, which took place on the Navy's China Lake ranges in California.
