AGM-158B JASSM-ER

JASSM/ No Ma’am – Which Will It Be?
by Defence Industry Daily

The US Defense Budget has gone to “reconciliation,” during which the US Congress and Senate attempt to take the different defense budgets passed in each body, and reconcile them into one official document for the President to sign. The Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) is left in limbo during this time, either to be cut almost entirely with a recommendation for termination, or to face a $50 million trim from its $150 million program request.

Full article:http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2005/10/jassm/-no-maam-which-will-it-be/index.php

That being the case I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see an antiship variant of HyFly if/when in makes it to an operational vehicle or more likely a dual mode version. It’s sized to be launched from an F-15E and the Mk41 VLS.

from JMR Dec 2005

USAF shows interest in long-range anti-ship missiles
David C Isby

The US Air Force (USAF) is showing increased interest in air-launched missiles with long-range capabilities against maritime targets, writes David C Isby. This follows recent US Pacific Command (PACOM) exercises, including the well-publicised ‘Resultant Fury’, in which USAF aircraft were committed to missions – including live-fire exercises – against such targets.
Previously, the 2003 USAF Transformation plan has included “assisting the [US] Navy against maritime anti-access threats” as among the USAF’s future objectives. The potential for such maritime targets being part of the anti-terrorist operations has also led to this increase in emphasis.
The USAF believes that a capability to engage maritime targets is a critical part of its desired ‘global reach’ capability and that in many instances an air-refuelled bomber from a forward base may be better able to reach and engage a maritime threat that constitutes a time-critical target than would a naval unit.
This increased emphasis has not yet been matched by a requirement for an enhanced missile capability for USAF maritime missions nor by increased funding, although this latter is considered possible in Fiscal Year 2007 and subsequent years. A classified Request for Proposals (RFP) issued by Air Combat Command headquarters in June 2005 is understood to have asked for responses identifying ways to enhance long-range strike capabilities. However, it is uncertain whether this RFP will lead to the emergence of a formal requirement.
The USAF and US Navy (USN) are believed to want to be able to target future long-range anti-ship missiles against a precise impact point on the target vessel and are said to be seeking a variable warhead-effects capability that could minimise collateral damage. This has led to an interest in capabilities developed by US industry to meet a Royal Australian Air Force requirement for a similar weapon. The latter requirement has resulted in versions of the AGM-84H SLAM-ER (Surface Land Attack Missile – Enhanced Response) and AGM-158A JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile) being proposed by Boeing and Lockheed Martin respectively.
A datalink-equipped version of the JASSM-ER (extended range) or JASSM-XR (extra extended range) with a variable effects warhead could be integrated initially with USAF B-1B and B-52H bombers to meet any official requirement that may emerge in the future. Such a weapon would reflect the USAF’s continued commitment to the JASSM programme despite Congressional criticism and the USN’s withdrawal.
The USAF Air Combat Command is considering launching an advanced concept technology demonstration (ACTD) in 2007 that would increase air force capabilities to destroy maritime targets at long ranges. The objectives and programmes that will be funded under this ACTD, if approved, have not been announced.
If approved, the ACTD could help develop technologies that could be integrated with a range of platforms, sensors and missiles, including the USAF-funded Lockheed Martin AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile extended-range (JASSM-ER) and the Lockheed Martin-funded 1,000 n miles-range JASSM-XR.
Such an ACTD could also fund development of an improved JASSM terminal seeker and datalink developments. These are among upgrades that have been proposed by Lockheed Martin for the potential export of the JASSM to Australia.
Other potential upgrades that may be funded under this ACTD could build on developments in the current Air Force Armament Center’s Weapon Data Link Network (WDLN) ACTD. This programme addresses the US Department of Defense’s desire to network together future precision weapons using a universal datalink.

The A. The orginal. They have some already in inventory but there are still congress people trying to kill it.

The A or the B varient??

It’s in danger of being cancelled.

How??

From the sound of it the standard version isn’t even out of the woods yet.