The AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) is an American military program to develop an air-to-surface missile, to replace the current air-launched BGM-71 TOW, AGM-114 Hellfire, and AGM-65 Maverick missiles.[4] The U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps collectively plan to buy tens of thousands of JAGMs.[5]
The Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) program is a follow-on from the unsuccessful AGM-169 Joint Common Missile program, that was cancelled due to budget cuts. JAGM will share basically the same objectives and technologies as the JCM, but will be developed over a longer time scale.[6]
The JAGM has the same form factor as the Hellfire missile which it replaces and is produced on the same production line. The primary increase in capability over the Hellfire is the dual-mode seeker which incorporates both laser designation and millimeter wave radar for target acquitision; the Hellfire missile had these seekers in separate missile variants.
The Department of Defense plans to purchase 26,319 Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles in total, with the production line currently sized to build 1200 per year. More than 10% of the total planned buy had been procured during the Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) phase.[7]
An AGM-179 JAGM being loaded onto an AH-1Z
Initially an Army program, the AGM-179 is positioned well for a contract from the Navy. As of January 2025, the Freedom class Littoral combat ship is being equipped with vertical launch modules armed with 24 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, with at least one ship having reached initial operating capability.[8] Lockheed Martin's self-funded upgrade to the JAGM, the JAGM-Medium Range, has been designed for vertical launch from the JAGM Quad Launcher (JQL) with deployment on ships like the LCS in mind. In addition to doubling the range of the JAGM from 8 to 16 km, the JAGM-MR also contains a third seeker mode, a Near Infrared (NIR) seeker.[9][10]
Lockheed Martin has also developed the JAGM-F, a variant of the JAGM for use by fixed wing aircraft. Tests have been carried out on the F-15 Eagle and the F/A-18 Super Hornet.[11]
History
In June 2007, the US Defense Department released a draft request for proposals (RFP), launching a competition for the Joint Air to Ground Missile (JAGM) program.[6] In 2008, Raytheon and Boeing teamed up on a $125 million contract,[12][13] and Lockheed Martin received a $122 million technology development contract for the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) system. The 27-month contracts from the U.S. Army's Aviation and Missile Command is for a competitive risk-reduction phase.[14]
In the spring of 2011, each team submitted its proposal, with a contract award expected in the first quarter of 2012. However, in September 2011, the Army and Navy requested the JAGM program be terminated.[15] In 2012, the JAGM survived a budget reduction, with reduced funding.[16]
In 2012, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon received contracts from the U.S. Army to extend the JAGM technology development program, including the design, test, and demonstration phases for the JAGM guidance section.[17][18][19] In 2013, the Army announced it would not award Raytheon a contract for the remainder of the Technology Development (TD) phase, and will continue with Lockheed's contract.[20] In February 2012, the Navy and Marine Corps terminated their investment in the program, saying it was a "manageable risk" to do so and that they would instead focus on the GBU-53/B StormBreaker and continued Hellfire procurement, making the JAGM an Army-only program. In March 2014, they re-entered the program, with documents showing integration of the missile onto Marine AH-1Z helicopters.[21]
In 2015, the Army issued an RFP for a JAGM guidance section upgrade. Lockheed Martin offered its dual-mode laser and millimeter wave radar seeker, and Raytheon may submit its tri-mode seeker which adds imaging infrared if it chooses to compete.[22] Lockheed Martin was awarded a $66 million engineering and manufacturing contract to combine its laser and millimeter wave seekers into the Hellfire Romeo missile body. Raytheon chose not to compete, but retains its tri-mode seeker should the Army request it.[23]
The designation AGM-179 was assigned to the JAGM program.[24] In 2018, a Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) contract for JAGM was approved.[25] In early 2022, the AGM-179A achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC) with USMC AH-1Z helicopters, clearing the weapon for operational deployment.[1]
In August 2022, the JAGM was declared ready for full-rate production. By February 2022, 1,000 missiles had been produced, manufacturing at the minimum sustainment rate, under low-rate production. Improvements to the JAGM are being developed, such as a medium-range variant with a range of 10mi (16km), without changing the missile's dimensions.[26]
In November 2022, Lockheed Martin flight tested the JAGM-Medium Range, or JAGM-MR, which traveled 10 miles. The version incorporates a tri-mode seeker, adding an imaging sensor, which was originally a requirement for the missile but was dropped due to cost factors. It was added back in the JAGM-MR as seeker technology became more affordable. Lockheed claims the upgraded capability can be provided at a cost close to the baseline JAGM.[27]
In June 2024, A 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit attack helicopter fired off a missile in the Pacific, striking a moving target vessel. According to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, "this EXPO strike launched the first live JAGM from an AH-1Z in the Indo-Pacific region and employed a variety of munitions against a high-speed towed target." [28]
Selected by the Netherlands to equip its AH-64E Apache helicopters.[30] The Netherlands requested a foreign military sale of 296 AGM-179A Joint Air-to-Ground missiles.[31]
The JAGM was intended for joint service with the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Marine Corps by providing a single missile configuration for many platforms. JAGM offered the services increased operational flexibility and reduced logistics support costs.[4]
The AGM-65 Maverick is an air-to-ground missile (AGM) designed for close air support. It is the most widely produced precision-guided missile in the Western world, and is effective against a wide range of tactical targets, including armor, air defenses, ships, ground transportation and fuel storage facilities.
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