The US Marine Corps on March 01 declared Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for its newest precision weapon, the AGM-03A t Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM).
JAGM is a t program with the Army. It is a guided missile that combines semi-active laser guidance and millimeter wave radar, developed from the older and unsuccessful AGM-169 project.
The missile was developed by Lockheed Martin to replace three other missiles already used by the US Army and USMC: AGM-114 Hellfire, AGM-54 Maverick and BGM-71 TOW. It is a precision-guided air-to-surface (PGM) munition deployed from unmanned aircraft, helicopters and fixed-wing platforms to destroy high-value land and sea targets, stationary or moving.
“The IOC is an important milestone for the JAGM program and a significant increase in AH-1Z capability,” said the commander J. Reid Adams, deputy manager of the Precision Guided Missile Program. “This achievement is a true testament to the tireless efforts made by so many across the Department of Defense and our industry partners to the warfighter.”
The IOC was hit by the Marines from testing their main attack helicopter, the AH-1Z Viper.
The JAGM program successfully completed a full period of Initial Operational Test and Evaluation with a recommendation to put the missile into service. AH-1Z pilots tested the JAGM off the coast of Florida in November 2021 and conducted ground tests in Arizona in December 2021.
The IOC was achieved with missiles, training and equipment delivered to Navy Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267 to an deployment with the Navy's 13th Expeditionary Unit.
“The incorporation of systems such as JAGM into the AH-1Z is essential to keep the platform at the forefront of combat capabilities,” said Colonel Vasilios Pappas, manager of the USMC's H-1 attack and light helicopter program.
According to NSAWC, The JAGM provides enhanced lethality, operational flexibility and a reduced logistical footprint for the H-1 platform. It is part of an effort to upgrade the AH-1Z and UH-1Y Venom aircraft in alignment with the commander's vision of force modernization to maintain a competitive advantage against potential adversaries.
