Sat, Oct 15, 2005
Raytheon Test At Edwards AFB
Raytheon Company's Joint Standoff Weapon Block II (JSOW Block
II), a new variant offering significantly lower unit cost and an
additional payload option, successfully flew its first captive test
flight Oct. 11 at Edwards Air Force Base on a US Air Force F-16
aircraft.
Raytheon is under contract with US Naval Air Systems Command and
expects to complete development of the JSOW Block II in early 2006.
Block II is planned to reduce JSOW unit cost approximately 40
percent. Cost reduction is achieved by reducing the parts count and
improving the manufacturing process, an example of Raytheon's
company-wide efforts to make operations leaner while providing
superior products to customers.
All variants of future JSOW precision glide weapons will be
manufactured in the Block II configuration. Block II will maintain
all standoff and survivability capability of the current JSOW and
will include an improved anti-jam Global Positioning System (GPS)
receiver. The Raptor GPS system is an advanced navigator developed
by Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems and is planned for use in
other Raytheon products.
Development of a new payload option for the JSOW A should be
complete in early 2006. This new version will use a unitary
500-pound BLU-111 (MK-82) warhead and is designated the AGM-154A-1.
This unitary variant will eliminate the unexploded ordnance
concerns of cluster munitions while maintaining or increasing
effectiveness against a broad target set. It is primarily intended
for the international market.
"We are working with the Navy to make JSOW the most
cost-effective standoff weapon available," said Ron Shields,
Raytheon's JSOW program director. "We are also developing JSOW
moving target capability for land and sea targets."
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