DEFENCE CONTRACT SIGNED WITH LOCKHEED MARTIN FOR NEW MISSILES FOR F/A-18 HORNETS

Defence and Lockheed Martin have signed a contract for the supply of the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missile (JASSM) capability to fulfil its requirements for a new long range air-to-surface missile to equip the Australian Defence Force’s F/A-18 Hornet fleet.

The contract was signed today by Ms Shireane McKinnie, Head Electronic & Weapon Systems Division in the Defence Materiel Organisation, and Mr Randy Bigum, Vice President of Strike Weapons at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

The contract award is the final phase of a complex acquisition strategy to acquire JASSM under an arrangement which comprises a Foreign Military Sales agreement with the US Government and a direct commercial sales contract with Lockheed Martin Corporation. At a project cost of over $300 million, the acquisition and integration of this missile capability represents a significant investment in ADF capability.

The JASSM acquisition is a prudent decision to ensure the ADF retains its strike capability, whilst enhancing the safety of aircraft and crews through significantly increased stand-off launch ranges. The missile is planned to be operational on the F/A-18 Hornets in 2009.

JASSM is designed to engage high-value, well-defended targets through precision accuracy, low observability and a highly effective warhead. JASSM’s significant stand-off range will enable aircrews to conduct strike missions from outside the engagement ranges of hostile air defence systems likely to be encountered in the foreseeable future.

The missile has a range of over 200 nautical miles.

The integration of the JASSM to the F/A-18 Hornet provides an important capability for Defence in the near term and has the potential to be fitted to future ADF platforms, including the Joint Strike Fighter.

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