ORLANDO, FL, 26-APR-01 --

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control's Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) successfully demonstrated end-to-end performance by destroying an air defense target in a flight test at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico today.

The missile was launched from a U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon flying at Mach 0.80, at an altitude of 2,800 feet above the New Mexico Desert. After weapon release, the missile autonomously navigated and guided to the mission planned target.

To accurately strike and destroy the target, JASSM used its Anti-Jam Global Positioning System (AJGPS) guidance system enroute to travel into the target area. In the terminal phase, JASSM used its imaging infrared seeker and automatic target correlator algorithms to precisely locate the target aimpoint. The live warhead detonated upon impact, destroying the air defense target.

Having already completed 14 flights, 4 powered and 10 unpowered, this test was designed to be a further demonstration of JASSM system performance. JASSM demonstrated its airworthiness in earlier mission and now the focus of the flight tests is on destruction of targets. Each development test flight will be an end-to-end test, with successive tests demonstrating performance against a broader target set. Today's test demonstrated the teamwork of the Air Force and Lockheed Martin test team, said Larry Lawson, vice president of Strike Weapons at Lockheed Martin. The team is highly motivated to deliver this capability to our users.

In the previous powered flight test, JASSM established the viability of the seeker and mission planning software, and demonstrated the missile's ability to fly to and hit the target. Each success we experience solidifies the customer's confidence in JASSM, said Mike Inderhees, Lockheed Martin JASSM program director. Today we proved the warhead is effective against its target. Ultimately, destruction of the target is the most important aspect of the JASSM missile's mission. This is a resounding success.

The end users must be able to rely on JASSM to destroy its intended targets, commented Terry Little, JASSM program director. This successful development test showed us the lethality of the missile and shows that the team is continuing good progress toward a production decision.

This flight followed a successful Separation Test from a B-52 on Wednesday, April 25. For this test, the JASSM cleanly separated from the wing pylon of a B-52 over White Sands Missile Range and performed unpowered aerodynamic maneuvers. No anomalies occurred during the test and data is being gathered.

One of the Department of Defense's highest priority programs, JASSM is designed to give Air Force and Navy pilots long-range standoff capability against a wide array of high value, heavily defended targets. Its anti-jam GPS satellite navigation system, state-of-the-art infrared seeker, 1,000-pound penetrator warhead, and stealth airframe makes it extremely difficult to defend against.

With JASSM on the aircraft, pilots will be able to launch the missile from well outside the range of enemy air defenses, and it will cruise automatically in weather, day or night, with pinpoint accuracy and defeat the target. The 2,250 pound 14-foot long missile is designed to launch from the F-16, B-52, F/A-18, B-1, and B-2.

Located in Orlando, Florida, and Dallas, Texas, Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control, a world leader in electro-optics, smart munitions, advanced combat, missile, rocket, and space systems, is an operating element of Lockheed Martin Systems Integration business unit based in Bethesda, Maryland. Missiles and Fire Control is supported by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company ­ Palmdale, located in Palmdale, California.