More JASSM goings-on...

[Slater]

Just read an article in the latest Aviation Week regarding the AGM-158 JASSM. Evidently discussions are shifting from whether to axe the whole program on cost/technical grounds to figuring out how to pay for fixes. The program has experienced a 25% cost overrun and ran into technical problems, of which the primary issue is the GPS receiver and the "Selected Availability Anti-Spoofing Module".

 

Reliability has dipped to 58% and at that rate, three or more weapons are needed to insure a kill. The cause of the GPS problems has apparently been determinedbut paying for a fix and retrofitting the 600 weapons in the field will cost approximately $100 million. And the USAF eventually wants around 4900 of these missiles.

 

Lockheed Martin is saying that they've met the requirements laid out in the contract. The USAF wants to minimize the financial impact but is stuck with the language of the original contract. According to the article, the USAF can't terminate JASSM due to performance problems, but CAN end the program because of the cost overruns. Lockheed doesn't want to foot the entire bill, but supposedly has offered to pay for 10% of the cost of the fixes.

 

The Acquisition Chief gave the USAF an extension on whether to terminate or proceed, but it's unclear how long the negotiations with Lockheed will take.

 

Storm Shadow is starting to look better and better

[Calvinb1nav]

I wonder if the SEEK EAGLE (i.e. fit and release testing) for the Storm Shadow would cost less than to fix JASSM...

[Slater]

An update:

 

http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2007/07/...e_jassm_070720/

 

I think the "200 mile" miss is actually supposed to be "200 yards".

[Kenneth P. Katz]

I find it hard to believe that there is anything fundamentally wrong with the JASSM. The current problem sounds disappointing and annoying but doesn't seem beyond the ability of competent engineers to fix.

 

The USAF has made a huge investment in this missile and its integration with other systems including aircraft integration and mission planning systems, and it would take huge amounts of time and $$$ to to start over.

[Chris Werb]

The USAF has made a huge investment in this missile and its integration with other systems including aircraft integration and mission planning systems, and it would take huge amounts of time and $$$ to to start over.

 

They already did that. JASSM was meant to be the cheaper replacement for the unaffordable TSSAM. It's unlikely (IMHO) that something is so fundamentally wrong that JASSM can't be fixed for less than the cost of integrating a completely new weapon.

[harryRIEDL]

the JASSM seems to have compleatly lost it AFFORDABLILTIY and its going to be as expencive as the EUROCruise missiles and and won't be cheaper than SCALP/Stormshadow.

 

I would intergrate SCALP/Stormshadow if you want an eqiverlent or get TARUS if you want a cheaper less advanced missile with less gold plateing

[Slater]

When the JASSM progam was in it's early days it was the poster child for affordable, successful weapons programs. Seems a lot has changed since then.

[Mote]

They already did that. JASSM was meant to be the cheaper replacement for the unaffordable TSSAM. It's unlikely (IMHO) that something is so fundamentally wrong that JASSM can't be fixed for less than the cost of integrating a completely new weapon.

 

How expensive would it be to integrate SLAM-ER?

[wallaby bob]

When the JASSM progam was in it's early days it was the poster child for affordable, successful weapons programs. Seems a lot has changed since then.

SLATER. Depending entirely on just when and how the GPS receiving system failed I find the miss distance of 200 miles to be entirely believable. It is afterall the, or is that was?, the range of the missile and we have no information as to whether the missile ever guided correctly. On the other hand I guess it goes to show, at least according to the old saying, " A miss is as good as a mile" Nuclear weapons excluded of course. WB

[Chris Werb]

SLATER. Depending entirely on just when and how the GPS receiving system failed I find the miss distance of 200 miles to be entirely believable.

 

Remember that weapons typically have a GPS updated INS rather than pure GPS. The INS should be able to overcome gross GPS error and put the weapon within a few hundred metres at most (INS drifts with time, not distance).

[David Clarke]

Remember that weapons typically have a GPS updated INS rather than pure GPS. The INS should be able to overcome gross GPS error and put the weapon within a few hundred metres at most (INS drifts with time, not distance).

 

Yes, but the article stated that the problem related to the 'Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module' antenna blocking the GPS signal. Is it possible that poor integration of some sort caused the missile to reject the (real) GPS signal, and compute it's position incorrectly? If the missile then updates the INS 200 KM off course, heads for the target, it's going to miss. Would subsequent updates be rejected because the missile thinks it's being jammed? Which system, INS or GPS has priority in JASSM when they give widely differing positions?

 

Complex systems go berserk for the most unexpected reasons, and I can easily accept that a new missile would fly so far off course. I hope it is a misprint though, as Aus needs this to work. I could live with 20 meters here or there.