AGM-154 JSOW ER with longer range completes ground test

The Joint Standoff Weapon Extended Range (JSOW ER) has been successfully tested by Raytheon with a new integrated fuel system. The test involved a modified JSOW C-1 integrating a new tactical fuel tank and fuel delivery system with the TJ-150 turbojet engine.

The functional ground test confirmed the JSOW ER can extend the range of its predecessor, the JSOW, by 4 times to a distance of more than 250 nautical miles (463 km). In an earlier test, a JSOW ER reached 264 nautical miles.

Unlike the new JSOW ER, the original JSOW did not have any propulsion and was simply an unpowered glide bomb. The JSOW ER maintains the current shape, form, two-way datalink and seeker of the JSOW Block III / JSOW C-1.

The JSOW ER is designed to be integrated with the existing aircraft fleet at minimal cost. The completion of the ground test will be followed by a upcoming captive carry test of the JSOW ER in the near future.

The JSOW is a family of air-to-surface precision guided weapons that can be used against both moving and stationary targets at standoff ranges in all-weather conditions. The JSOW consists of the following variants:

• The JSOW A carries BLU-97/B Combined Effects Bomb (CEB) submunitions or BLU-111 unitary warhead and is guided by a GPS / Inertial Navigation System
• The JSOW B carries BLU-108/B sensor fuzed submunitions and is guided by a GPS / Inertial Navigation System
• The JSOW C carries the deep penetrating Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented CHarge (BROACH) warhead and is guided by a imaging infrared seeker in the terminal stage

The specifications of the JSOW are:

• A length of 4.1 m
• A diameter of 0.33 m
• A wingspan of 2.69 m
• A weight of 1065 pounds (483 kg)
• A range of 22 km (Lo-Lo) or 116 km (Hi-Lo)

The JSOW is compatible with internal carriage on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, one of the few weapons currently available.

The JSOW is combat tested during conflicts, including in Iraq. It has also been exported to various other countries.


http://raytheon.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=2305

By U.S. Navy [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons