JASSM stands for Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile. So far, Lockheed Martin has released two generations of these , and the Polish army has bought several dozen of each. On Wednesday, Mateusz Morawiecki announced that we will also buy the next generation of JASSM-XR, which have not even hit the American market yet. – We want to be the first or one of the first to come into possession of these missiles that can be launched from combat aircraft – related to the purchase of the F-35.
JASMM-XR. What weapon is this?
The first generation JASSM AGM-158A entered service in 2009. Five years later, JASSM-ER (extra range) was developed, designated AGM-158B. The latest generation is the AGM-158D, dubbed JASSM-XR (extended extra range). Increasing the range is the main advantage of the next generations. The first could hit the target from 370 km, the next from over 900 km. The third generation may have a range of 1600-1900 km – according to media reports, including from what is the missile range by asking Lockheed Martin directly. However, the company wrote back that the functionality and range of the missiles are classified information.
Over 1,000 kilometers of range allows you to attack targets from a greater distance, which ensures the safety of the pilot. They are cruise missiles, can change direction multiple times, and use GPS and inertial navigation for navigation. The latest version even allows you to change the target after launching the rocket. Missiles are made with the use of stealth technology, which makes it much harder to detect them by radars. All this makes them difficult to shoot down.
The US Army plans to purchase 100 missiles next year. The purchase of missiles by Poland will be quite complicated. The sale must be approved by the State Department and Congress. It is difficult to say when the missiles may reach Poland, but it will probably take several years. Especially since Lockheed Martin can only produce a limited number of 500 JASSMs per year.
Source: Gazeta
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