Monthly Archives: July 2022

Navy

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

The U.S. Navy commissioned its newest amphibious transport dock, USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28), during a 10 a.m. EDT ceremony Saturday, July 30, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28)
U.S. Navy commissioned amphibious transport dock ship USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28)

U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida’s 23rd District was the principal speaker. Additional speakers include Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro; Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps General Eric Smith; Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantlis; and President of Ingalls Shipbuilding Kari Wilkinson. In a time-honored Navy tradition, the ship’s sponsor, Meredith Berger, gave the first order to «man our ship and bring her to life».

The USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28) is the first naval ship to honor the city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

«We commissioned the USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28), bringing a powerful war ship with a dedicated and determined crew to life», said Secretary of the U.S. Navy Carlos Del Toro. «This ship will play an integral part in strengthening America’s partnerships and protecting our country’s security abroad».

The nearly 25,000-ton USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28) is 684 feet/208.5 m in length. Four diesel engines will power the ship to speeds in excess of 22 knots/24.2 mph/38.7 km/h, and it will homeport at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia.

The future USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28) is the 12th San Antonio-class ship, designed to support embarking, transporting, and bringing elements of 650 Marines ashore by landing craft or air-cushion vehicles. A flight deck hangar further enhances the ship’s capabilities, which can support the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft.

San Antonio-class ships can support a variety of amphibious assault, special operations, or expeditionary warfare missions, operating independently or as part of Amphibious Readiness Groups (ARGs), Expeditionary Strike Groups, or joint task forces. These capabilities allow the U.S. Navy to protect America’s security abroad, promote regional stability, and preserve future peace.

 

Ship Facts and Characteristics

Propulsion Four sequentially turbocharged marine Colt-Pielstick Diesels, two shafts, 41,600 shaft horsepower/31,021 kW
Length 684 feet/208.5 m
Beam 105 feet/32 m
Displacement Approximately 24,900 long tons/25,300 metric tons full load
Draft 23 feet/7 m
Speed In excess of 22 knots/24.2 mph/38.7 km/h
Crew Ship’s Company: 380 Sailors (29 officers, 351 enlisted) and 3 Marines. Embarked Landing Force: 699 (66 officers, 633 enlisted); surge capacity to 800
Armament Two Mk-46 30-mm close in Guns, fore and aft; two Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launchers, fore and aft: ten .50 caliber/12.7-mm machine guns
Aircraft Launch or land two CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters or two MV-22 Osprey tilt rotor aircraft or up to four AH-1 Cobra or UH-1Y Venom helicopters
Landing/Attack Craft Two Landing Craft Air Cushions (LCACs) or one Landing Craft Utility (LCU); and 14 Amphibious Assault Vehicles

 

San Antonio-class

 

Flight I

Ship Builder Launched Commissioned Homeport
USS San Antonio (LPD-17) Avondale 07-12-2003 01-14-2006 Norfolk, Virginia
USS New Orleans (LPD-18) Avondale 12-11-2004 03-10-2007 San Diego, California
USS Mesa Verde (LPD-19) Ingalls 11-19-2004 12-15-2007 Norfolk, Virginia
USS Green Bay (LPD-20) Avondale 08-11-2006 01-24-2009 San Diego, California
USS New York (LPD-21) Avondale 12-19-2007 11-07-2009 Norfolk, Virginia
USS San Diego (LPD-22) Ingalls 05-07-2010 05-19-2012 San Diego, California
USS Anchorage (LPD-23) Avondale 02-12-2011 05-04-2013 San Diego, California
USS Arlington (LPD-24) Ingalls 11-23-2010 02-08-2013 Norfolk, Virginia
USS Somerset (LPD-25) Avondale 04-14-2012 05-01-2014 San Diego, California
USS John P. Murtha (LPD-26) Ingalls 11-02-2014 10-08-2016 San Diego, California
USS Portland (LPD-27) Ingalls 02-13-2016 12-14-2017 San Diego, California
USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28) Ingalls 03-28-2020 07-30-2022 Norfolk, Virginia
USS Richard M. McCool (LPD-29) Ingalls 01-05-2022

 

Flight II

Ship Builder Launched Commissioned Homeport
USS Harrisburg (LPD-30) Ingalls
USS Pittsburgh (LPD-31) Ingalls

 

Navy

AVANTE 2200 Programme

Navantia delivered the second of the five corvettes built for the Royal Saudi Navy Forces (RSNF) in its shipyards at the Bay of Cadiz, the construction 547, named HMS Al-Diriyah (830), in a ceremony held at its San Fernando facilities.

HMS Al-Diriyah (830)
Navantia delivers corvette HMS Al-Diriyah (830) to Royal Saudi Naval Forces

Hosted by Navantia’s Chairman and CEO, Ricardo Dominguez, the ceremony was attended by the commander of RSNF, Vice Admiral Fahad Bin Abdullah Al-Ghofaily; SAMI CEO, Mr. Walid Abukhaled; Spanish Secretary of State for Defense, Ms. María Amparo Valcarce; Spanish Navy Procurement Director, Admiral Aniceto Rosique and other local authorities.

HMS Al-Diriyah (830) has been delivered to the Royal Saudi Navy three years after its first cut of steel (May 2019), meeting demanding deadlines despite the health pandemic and global supply stress. The corvette is one of the most competitive and capable vessels in its segment, as it has been confirmed in the sea trials undergone in the Bay of Cadiz.

The commissioning ceremony took place in accordance with military protocol. An inspection commission (made up by members of RSNF and Navantia) has boarded the corvette to carry out the mandatory review. At the end, the ship’s flag was raised, after which the Saudi Navy transferred command of the corvette to the commander of HMS Al-Diriyah (830). Navantia Chairman has given Vice Admiral Al-Ghofaily the ship’s bell as a ceremonial gift.

In the event, Vice Admiral Al-Ghofaily highlighted that «Alsarawat and many other RSNF ambitious acquisition programs are a clear commitment of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces toward fulfilling the strategic goals of the kingdom vision 2030 by creating a new era of sophisticated and efficient Naval capabilities to face the challenges of today and tomorrow while increasing the strength of National domestic military industry».

He emphasized that he commissioning marks the final and major milestone of her manufacturing life, that lasted for 38 months during which best technologies were devoted to her construction and integration with the leading-edge combat systems. Since last January, the ship has gone through intensive sea trials to become, today, ready and fully capable to perform her assigned missions protecting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and defending its interests. He added that such significant achievement «is a clear indication of Navantia’s capabilities and its determination to attain remarkable success in Alsarawat project».

His excellency Vice Admiral Al-Ghofaily expressed his «sincere gratitude and appreciation to His Majesty the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosque King Salman bin Abdulaziz, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, and His Royal Highness Prince Khalid bin Salman, Deputy Minister of Defense, God bless them all, for the endless support that they always give to the Royal Saudi Naval Forces».

Spanish Secretary of State for Defense stated that «this ship is an excellent example of the quality of the Spanish shipyards, of the industrial and commercial cooperation between our countries, which has guaranteed the economic activity of more than a hundred companies and 6,000 jobs in the Bay of Cadiz. To the corvette HMS Al-Diriyah (830), to her officers and crew peace, fair sea and winds».

Mr. Ricardo Dominguez expressed gratefulness for «the contribution and collaboration of everyone involved in the great task carried out by the shipyard delivering state-of-the-art products and services and thus showing the world the capabilities» of the company.

«Arabia has relied on Navantia to provide a decisive capacity to achieve the country’s strategic objectives in the maritime field, and Navantia is willing to contribute further to enrich and support any initiative to create a local capability for naval shipbuilding, as a trustful and reliable partner», he said.

The director of Navantia’s corvettes programme, José Antonio Rodríguez Poch, has also thanked the workforce, the auxiliary and support industry, the Navy and the classification societies for their contribution to the success of the programme.

The CEO of SAMI has stated that «this is a moment of both achievement and pride for the Saudi Defense industry as the Royal Saudi Naval Forces fleet officially commissions HMS Al-Diriyah (830)».

«This could not have been possible without the support and guidance we continue to receive from the wise leadership of our beloved country. I would also like to extend our appreciation and gratitude to the Royal Saudi Naval Forces for their trust in us. Our cooperation with Navantia resulted in the establishment of our joint venture, SAMINavantia, which developed the first Saudi naval Combat Management System – HAZEM, thus contributing to the localization of the defense sector through the transfer of technology and nurturing our exceptional Saudi talents. We will continue to leverage the unique strengths of our partnerships with leading global OEMs to support the development of a self-sufficient national defense ecosystem and pave the way for projects of similar scope and scale to be established entirely within the Kingdom», stated Mr. Abukhaled.

 

THE AVANTE 2200 PROGRAMME

The HMS Al-Diriyah (830) corvette has a length of 104 meters/341 feet, a beam of 14 meters/46 feet and seating for a total of 102 people between crew and passengers. The contract for the construction of five corvettes entered into force in November 2018 and, since the launch of the first unit (July 2020), Navantia launched the five units with a period of four months between each one of them, which meant achieving this milestone in a record time of three years.

The corvettes are based on the AVANTE 2200 design, adapted to the requirements of the RSNF, offering advanced performance, excellent work at sea, high survivability, and ability to operate in extreme temperatures.

Simultaneously, around 500 crew members of these corvettes are completing the education and training process at the Navantia Training Centre (NTC) in San Fernando.

In addition to the corvette contract, Navantia agreed with Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) to create a joint venture in Saudi Arabia, an alliance that allows Navantia to position its integrated systems and technologically advanced solutions in the Arab market and area of influence and is aligned with the company’s internationalization strategy.

The contract assumes a global workload of around seven million hours and 6,000 jobs over five years. Of these, more than 1,100 are direct employees, more than 1,800 collaborating industry employees (more than a hundred companies participate at the programme) and more than 3,000 indirect employees generated by other suppliers.

The program includes, in addition to construction, the Life Cycle Support for five years from the delivery of the first ship, with an option for another five additional years, the last ship of which must be delivered in 2024.

It also includes the provision of various services, such as integrated logistics support, operational and maintenance training, provision of Education and Training Centres for the Combat System and Platform Control System of ships, Life Cycle Support, and ship maintenance systems at the Jeddah Naval Base.

Space

BOLE booster

Northrop Grumman Corporation and NASA successfully conducted a full-scale static fire of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket motor, known as Flight Support Booster-2. The five-segment solid rocket booster is the world’s largest solid rocket motor and will provide more than 75 percent of the SLS rocket’s initial thrust during launch.

Space Launch System (SLS)
The five-segment solid rocket booster for NASA’s SLS rocket tested for early learning in support of next-generation systems at Northrop Grumman’s Promontory, Utah, test area

Over 300 measurement channels assessed the 154-foot-long/50-meter-long solid rocket booster as it fired for just over two minutes producing upwards of 3.6 million pounds of thrust. Today’s test evaluates new materials and demonstrates a new motor ignition system and an electronic thrust vector control system that steers the motors to provide data for the development of the next-generation Booster Obsolescence and Life Extension (BOLE) boosters.

Northrop Grumman was awarded a contract to develop the BOLE booster in December 2021. The award also included follow-on production and flight sets for Artemis IV through Artemis VIII, and a BOLE booster set for Artemis IX.

«Continuous product improvements and obsolescence mitigation helps NASA achieve its long-term mission to utilize SLS for its Artemis program», said Wendy Williams, vice president, propulsion systems, Northrop Grumman. «This opportunity for early learning on next-generation systems will help us develop an enhanced booster that is ready to support the greater payload demands of the SLS rocket through 2031».

Booster segments for Artemis II, the first crewed Artemis mission, and Artemis III, the mission that will land the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface, are complete. Artemis IV segments are currently being cast with propellant and the first BOLE booster composite segment case to be used for development testing completed winding in October.

Northrop Grumman has supplied rocket propulsion for NASA’s Apollo and Space Shuttle Programs and developed the five-segment SLS solid rocket booster based on the flight-proven design of the space shuttle boosters. Designed with an additional segment and upgraded technology and materials, each of the twin solid rocket boosters generates 25 percent more thrust than its predecessor boosters to aid the SLS rocket’s ability to deliver greater mass and volume to space with greater departure energy than any existing launch vehicle.

Along with the twin solid rocket boosters, Northrop Grumman also produces the abort motor and attitude control motor for NASA’s Orion spacecraft’s Launch Abort System that increases astronaut safety on pad and during ascent. The company further supports the Artemis program providing the Habitation and Logistics Outpost module for NASA’s lunar Gateway and internally developing a Lunar Terrain Vehicle that supports human and robotic exploration of the moon and beyond.

Northrop Grumman is a technology company, focused on global security and human discovery. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with capabilities they need to connect, advance and protect the U.S. and its allies. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers’ toughest problems, our 90,000 employees define possible every day.

Air, Navy

New Zealand’s Poseidon

Boeing on July 21, 2022 debuted the first P-8A Poseidon aircraft for New Zealand in its Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) livery. New Zealand is one of eight nations to have acquired the P-8 as their new multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft.

P-8A Poseidon
New Zealand’s First Boeing P-8A Poseidon Rolls Out of Paint Shop

«The aircraft features the iconic Kiwi roundel, a native bird to New Zealand», said Sheena Vince Cruz, Boeing P-8 Asia-Pacific region program manager. «Although flightless, the Kiwi bird is recognizable and will continue ‘flying’ as a symbol on the P-8A Poseidon for decades to come».

The New Zealand Government purchased four Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft that will eventually replace the current fleet of six aging P-3K2 Orion aircraft. The P-8As will provide advanced capabilities to maintain situational awareness in neighboring waters on and below the surface of the ocean.

First flight is scheduled in the coming weeks followed by mission systems installation. The aircraft is scheduled to be delivered to the New Zealand Ministry of Defence later this year.

As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. As a top U.S. exporter, the company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing’s diverse team is committed to innovating for the future, leading with sustainability, and cultivating a culture based on the company’s core values of safety, quality and integrity.

Air, Air Force, Fighters, Missiles & Guided Weapons

First live-fire test

The U.S. Air Force and Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a Raytheon Technologies business, successfully conducted the first Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) F3R, an AIM-120D3 missile, live-fire test against a target. The test used production missile hardware developed under the AMRAAM Form, Fit, Function Refresh program, which updates both the missile’s hardware and software.

AMRAAM F3R
An F-15E Strike Eagle equipped with an AIM-120 D3 taxies at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida for the first live-fire test of an AMRAAM F3R missile against a target (Photo: First Lieutenant Lindsey Heflin, U.S. Air Force)

The AIM-120D3 combines System Improvement Program 3F software updates with F3R hardware, putting tremendous capability against advanced threats into the warfighter’s arsenal.

During the June 30, 2022 test, the missile was fired from an F-15E Strike Eagle and guided toward an aerial target at long range. The primary objective was to prove out sub-system integration to support all phases of guided flight. The test also demonstrated full system integration and performance.

«Our warfighters deserve to have the most advanced technology in the air when they need it», said Paul Ferraro, president of Air Power at Raytheon Missiles & Defense. «F3R upgrades multiple circuit cards to address obsolescence, enhances the weapon’s capabilities, and extends the production line for the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, and our Allied partners».

The live fire was the first of five planned missile shots in an integrated test series for the AIM-120D3 to qualify the new configuration for production and fielding. These tests incorporate various scenarios and targets to prove out the weapon’s advanced functionality and capabilities. An additional live fire for the Foreign Military Sales AIM-120C8 variant will occur in the near future. These live-fire tests are the culmination of captive flight tests, workup flights, and simulations.

Under the F3R program, engineers used model-based systems engineering initiatives and other digital technologies to upgrade multiple circuit cards and hardware into the guidance section of the missile and to re-host legacy software in the AIM-120D3 and AIM-120C8 AMRAAMs. Over the past year, F3R software was merged with SIP 3F advanced software capabilities to accelerate the fielding of this combined upgrade to the warfighter.

Navy

Logistic Support Ship

The steel cutting ceremony of the second Logistic Support Ship (LSS) for the Italian Navy, within a program including the option for a third ship, took place on July 20, 2022 at the Castellammare di Stabia shipyard, where the LSS will be entirely built and delivered in 2025.

Logistic Support Ship (LSS)
Fincantieri: steel cutting of the second LSS unit for the Italian Navy

The value of the contract is approximately 410 million euros including the combat system.

As part of the multi-year program aimed at safeguarding Italy’s Defence at-sea capacity (known as the «Naval Act»), Fincantieri is currently building seven multi-purpose offshore patrol vessels (PPA) – the first one, «Thaon di Revel», was delivered in March – and the «Trieste» Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD). Last year the Group delivered the «Vulcano» LSS, a vessel launched at the Castellammare di Stabia shipyard. That project was also acquired by the French Navy for the definition of the Flotlog program, a series of units built in partnership with the same shipyard.

The basic characteristic common to all three classes of ships is their very high level of innovation, which makes them extremely flexible in their various profiles of use with a high degree of efficiency. Most importantly, it will be possible to use these units in a complementary way even for non-military-related activities, such as, for example, supporting civil protection in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Moreover, their environmental impact is low, thanks to advanced low pollution emission generators and electric-drive propulsion motors and biological waste control systems.

Air

Supersonic Aircraft

A new supersonic aircraft tailored to provide quick-reaction capabilities to the U.S. military and allies will be offered through a collaborative agreement between Northrop Grumman Corporation and Boom Supersonic.

Overture
Rendering of the special-mission variant of the Overture supersonic special-mission aircraft for the U.S. military and allies

The agreement to together propose special mission variants of Boom’s Overture supersonic aircraft was finalized at the Farnborough International Air Show.

«Pairing Northrop Grumman’s airborne defense systems integration expertise with Boom’s advanced Overture supersonic aircraft demonstrates the power of collaborations like this for the benefit of our customers», said Tom Jones, president, Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems. «Together we can ensure our military customers have variants of Overture for missions where advanced system capabilities and speed are critical».

Designed to carry up to 80 passengers at twice the speed of today’s airliners, a special mission variant of Overture has the potential to support government and military missions that require rapid response.

Fitted with specialized capabilities, the aircraft could be used to deliver medical supplies, provide for emergency medical evacuation or surveil vast areas faster than conventional aircraft. The special mission Overture variant could also be used to coordinate other aircraft and ground assets in a variety of scenarios.

«Time is a strategic advantage in high-consequence scenarios, from military operations to disaster response», said Blake Scholl, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Boom Supersonic. «This collaboration between Boom and Northrop Grumman unlocks Overture’s unmatched high-speed mission capability for the United States and its allies».

Designed and built in the United States, the first Overture aircraft will be in production for commercial use in 2024, start flight tests in 2026 and begin carrying passengers in 2029.

Navy, Radars

SPY-6 radar

Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a Raytheon Technologies business, has delivered SPY-6 radar arrays to the future U.S.S. John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), the first aircraft carrier to receive the advanced radar.

SPY-6(V)3
When three SPY-6(V)3 radar arrays (left) are combined, they provide 360 degree coverage for aircraft carriers, like the future-U.S.S. John F. Kennedy (CVN-79)

This delivery is the first of three for the aircraft carrier. Together, the three fixed-face radar arrays will form a SPY-6(V)3, also known as the Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar, which provides 360-degree coverage for the ship. In addition to the proven multi-mission capabilities across the SPY-6 family, SPY-6(V)3 has unique features that meet the needs of an aircraft carrier, including weather mapping and air traffic control functionality.

«This is the first aircraft carrier that will be equipped with SPY-6 radars, the leading naval radar system in the world», said Kim Ernzen, president of Naval Power at Raytheon Missiles & Defense. «With the recent contract, SPY-6 will provide premier detection and coverage for more than 40 ships in the U.S. Navy throughout the next decade».

The SPY-6 family of radars provides integrated air and missile defense for seven classes of ships. Its radar modular assemblies, known as RMAs, allow SPY-6 to be scalable and modular to support production for the U.S. and partner nations across all variants.

Ground Forces, Missiles & Guided Weapons

Operational Fires Program

DARPA’s Operational Fires (OpFires) program has successfully executed its first flight test at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The OpFires system achieved all test objectives, including first ever use of a U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) logistics truck as a medium-range missile launcher, missile canister egress, stable flight capture, and use of U.S. Army inventory artillery fire control systems to initiate the test mission. Lockheed Martin built the system, which includes a Northrop Grumman rocket motor, and conducted the test.

Operational Fires (OpFires)
Successful launch of OpFires missile from a USMC Logistic Vehicle System Replacement

The test demonstrated integrated technology maturation of key enabling components including the first stage rocket motor, missile canister, and Missile Round Pallet (MRP). The MRP is designed for use with the load handling system available on USMC and Army logistics vehicles, eliminating the need for a bespoke OpFires Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL).

«This is a promising step toward a TEL on-demand capability for accurately firing medium-range missiles from highly agile, readily available logistics trucks that are already in both the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps inventory», said Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Stults, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program manager for OpFires. «Our successful agile hardware development approach prioritizes full-scale flight testing that will inform further design maturation this year».

The primary goal of OpFires is the development and demonstration of a ground-launched two-stage propulsive system capable of employing hypersonic (greater than five times the speed of sound) payloads from ubiquitous U.S. military trucks (the Palletized Load System family of vehicles) that can penetrate modern air defenses and precisely strike time-critical targets. Compatibility with existing command and control, vehicles, logistics infrastructure, and operating environments ensures that OpFires is highly mobile and rapidly deployable.

«The OpFires program is a great example of how DARPA, in partnership with industry, is helping the Department of Defense facilitate rapid development and testing of advanced hypersonic technologies to accelerate the delivery of transformational warfighting capabilities», said Michael White, principal director for hypersonics in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.

The OpFires program will complete an integrated system critical design review in 2022.

DARPA Operational Fires (OpFires) Successful First Flight Test

Air, Missiles & Guided Weapons

Joint Strike Missile

Raytheon Technologies is working with Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace to build a long-distance air-launched weapon with a standoff range of more than 150 miles/241 km, meant to keep pilots and their aircraft out of harm’s way.

Joint Strike Missile (JSM)
The adaptable Joint Strike Missile can give pilots the upper hand

The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) flies at low altitudes and high subsonic speeds and can rapidly change course to effectively strike threats on land or at sea. Fielding JSM comes as China begins to roll out missiles with greater speed, agility and punch.

JSM provides the ability to launch from positions of sanctuary and strike targets that are difficult to find and very well-defended which is an incredible tactical advantage.

 

Smart tech

Some of the modernized technology wired into the JSM includes an infrared seeker to detect threats on its own, ability to fly low under the radar and a navigation system that supports course changes in flight to avoid the enemy. The JSM’s two-way data link offers pilots the flexibility they need to alter or scrap a mission, because decisions in the thick of battle are made in seconds.

The Joint Strike Missile’s agility, pinpoint accuracy and stealthy shape allow it to penetrate enemy air defenses, while minimizing pilots’ exposure.

The JSM is the only fifth-generation cruise missile designed to be carried internally by the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. It’s adaptable to multiple platforms and can be fitted externally on legacy aircraft.

 

Half-century partnership

Raytheon Technologies tapped its 50-year partnership with Kongsberg Gruppen to deliver the JSM, an evolution of the Naval Strike Missile (NSM), which was originally developed for Norway’s Navy. The NSM is a long-range, precision strike weapon that seeks and destroys enemy ships at distances greater than 100 nautical miles/115 miles/185 km.

In 2018, Raytheon Technologies was awarded a U.S. Navy contract to manufacture and deliver NSM for over-the-horizon defense of littoral combat ships and future frigates. NSM launcher and missile production takes place at the company’s factory in Louisville, Kentucky, with final assembly and testing at its Tucson, Arizona, facility.

The two companies also partner on the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, or NASAMS, which comprises the Sentinel radar, Kongsberg Fire Distribution Center and Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) missile. NASAMS helps pilots identify, engage and destroy enemy aircraft, drones and cruise missiles.

The JSM partnership, struck in 2014, could save the U.S. a decade of development work. This approach aligns with the National Defense Strategy, which calls for mutually beneficial partnerships to provide a strategic advantage over competitors.

 

Promising future

Norway’s Ministry of Defense successfully test-fired live JSMs from F-16 Fighting Falcons in 2018. JSM is currently being integrated on the F-35 Lightning II with live fire missions conducted from Edwards Air Force Base, California.

Raytheon Technologies and Kongsberg expect to reach initial operating capability – the final stage of development – and deliver JSM to the Royal Norwegian Air Force in 2024.