USAF, Lockheed Plan $68M Effort To Fix JASSM Program

I got a kick out of Boeing’s offer to “help”.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/08/02/215865/boeing-calls-for-missile-competition.html

Don’t know how sincere this comment (in bold) is but if they are that’s pretty big of them.

“The air force has discussed options to replace JASSM with either a new air-launched version of the Raytheon BGM-109 Tomahawk, the Boeing AGM-84H Standoff Land Attack Missile – Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) or the MBDA Storm Shadow.

Boeing says it can offer the SLAM-ER or the Conventional Air Launched Cruise Missile to meet the USAF’s immediate needs. However, the company believes that JASSM is “critical to national defence and we would like to see it succeed”.”

Well, the U.S. already uses a wide variety of weapons systems big and small that started life as a non-U.S. product.

So lets say Storm did win a competition. They would most likely be teamed up with a U.S. company to build the U.S. variants.

I never said it didnt. My point was that it might be a good idea for Lockmart and others to get a real kick in the teeth and lose a big contract like this overseas.

Do you have any details on this?

Just my few cents but I do not think that it would harm the US defence industry for a few contracts to go abroad. Currently there are too few companies that assume (seemingly rightly) that they will get any contract they go for just becouse they are American.

Well, the U.S. already uses a wide variety of weapons systems big and small that started life as a non-U.S. product.

So lets say Storm did win a competition. They would most likely be teamed up with a U.S. company to build the U.S. variants.

I’d go with Storm Shadow if only to send a message. I think contractors get complacent and think the government will just keep feeding them money. Look at NG’s performance in shipbuilding lately.

You probably can’t go far wrong with Storm Shadow, which has plenty of successful launches (including wartime) under its belt. However, if cost is a significant consideration (and it probably is, after this fiasco – not to mention that cheap production was one of the selling points of JASSM) the Swedish/German KEPD350 is worth a serious look. It is not as high-tech and stealthy as the Storm Shadow but performance is virtually the same and the simplicity of its airframe offers much reduced cost.

It might be a bit bulky for internal carriage though?

GPS Issue Latest In History Of JASSM Problems

At least eight components of the Lockheed Martin Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) have caused problems during the stealthy cruise missile’s troubled past, contributing to the missile’s 42 percent failure rate in recent months.

All of the issues are being addressed and some of the involved systems are being fixed or replaced (see chart p. 2). The steady stream of issues, though, demonstrates a pattern of failures that traces back to the first lot of deliveries.

As part of a get-well plan for the $5.8 billion program, the U.S. Air Force is adding flight-tests at a cost of $68 million. Though Lockheed Martin earlier rejected shared funding for the plan, the company now has agreed to pay $38 million toward the testing. The company also has changed its management, bringing in Steve Barnoske, who led the tactical missiles branch of Lockheed Martin, as director of the JASSM program.

The problems, most recently with a Global Positioning System-dropout that caused missiles to impact more than 100 feet from their targets (DAILY, May 10), contributed to a decision by House appropriators to reject the Air Force’s plan to continue to ramp up funding in fiscal 2008, and the defense appropriations subcommittee proposes to trim $34 million from the USAF request of $201.1 million. Validation of the fix to the GPS dropout problem will come in November, with flight-tests to follow.

The Air Force also is planning to issue a request for information (RFI) to industry to explore alternatives by mid-September. The RFI will include stealthy cruise missile capabilities similar to the 200-mile range JASSM and 500-mile JASSM-extended range variant.

There is reluctance in Congress to abandon JASSM, according to one staffer there, combined with concern about turning to a European solution – either the MBDA Storm Shadow or Taurus KEPD 350 – and pulling money out of the U.S. industrial base. The system’s design is “sound,” the staffer says, and “it is largely suppliers” that are causing problems.

At least 16 flight-tests have been added to the program as well as up to 17 ground tests to demonstrate fixes for the GPS dropout problem. Production of the missile is expected to slow and stretch out as a result of the guidance issue, according to a briefing provided to Capitol Hill from USAF Maj. Gen. Mark Shackelford, the service’s director of global power program acquisition. The government plans to pick up the tab for the lengthened production run.

The Air Force reported a major JASSM cost overrun to Congress earlier this year, and the Pentagon has taken the unusual step of deferring a decision on whether to move ahead with the program or terminate it. That decision will come in spring 2008, a full year after the overrun was reported to Congress. At that time a new cost estimate will be formed, though the missile is expected to have doubled in unit cost from its original estimate of $400,000 per missile to more than $800,000.

Shoddy components have been a major factor in JASSM’s low reliability. According to a briefing Shackelford provided to lawmakers, the problems range from the missile’s electrical systems, warhead, and power system to its guidance kit and engine components. Seven of the issues are in various stages of repair or replacement. One industry expert says this is a “stunning list” of historical problems for the JASSM program (see chart below).

Sounds like its time for Lockmart to get a serious beat down.:mad:

GPS Issue Latest In History Of JASSM Problems

At least eight components of the Lockheed Martin Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) have caused problems during the stealthy cruise missile’s troubled past, contributing to the missile’s 42 percent failure rate in recent months.

All of the issues are being addressed and some of the involved systems are being fixed or replaced (see chart p. 2). The steady stream of issues, though, demonstrates a pattern of failures that traces back to the first lot of deliveries.

As part of a get-well plan for the $5.8 billion program, the U.S. Air Force is adding flight-tests at a cost of $68 million. Though Lockheed Martin earlier rejected shared funding for the plan, the company now has agreed to pay $38 million toward the testing. The company also has changed its management, bringing in Steve Barnoske, who led the tactical missiles branch of Lockheed Martin, as director of the JASSM program.

The problems, most recently with a Global Positioning System-dropout that caused missiles to impact more than 100 feet from their targets (DAILY, May 10), contributed to a decision by House appropriators to reject the Air Force’s plan to continue to ramp up funding in fiscal 2008, and the defense appropriations subcommittee proposes to trim $34 million from the USAF request of $201.1 million. Validation of the fix to the GPS dropout problem will come in November, with flight-tests to follow.

The Air Force also is planning to issue a request for information (RFI) to industry to explore alternatives by mid-September. The RFI will include stealthy cruise missile capabilities similar to the 200-mile range JASSM and 500-mile JASSM-extended range variant.

There is reluctance in Congress to abandon JASSM, according to one staffer there, combined with concern about turning to a European solution – either the MBDA Storm Shadow or Taurus KEPD 350 – and pulling money out of the U.S. industrial base. The system’s design is “sound,” the staffer says, and “it is largely suppliers” that are causing problems.

At least 16 flight-tests have been added to the program as well as up to 17 ground tests to demonstrate fixes for the GPS dropout problem. Production of the missile is expected to slow and stretch out as a result of the guidance issue, according to a briefing provided to Capitol Hill from USAF Maj. Gen. Mark Shackelford, the service’s director of global power program acquisition. The government plans to pick up the tab for the lengthened production run.

The Air Force reported a major JASSM cost overrun to Congress earlier this year, and the Pentagon has taken the unusual step of deferring a decision on whether to move ahead with the program or terminate it. That decision will come in spring 2008, a full year after the overrun was reported to Congress. At that time a new cost estimate will be formed, though the missile is expected to have doubled in unit cost from its original estimate of $400,000 per missile to more than $800,000.

Shoddy components have been a major factor in JASSM’s low reliability. According to a briefing Shackelford provided to lawmakers, the problems range from the missile’s electrical systems, warhead, and power system to its guidance kit and engine components. Seven of the issues are in various stages of repair or replacement. One industry expert says this is a “stunning list” of historical problems for the JASSM program (see chart below).

There is also a next generation Storm in the works.

Do you have any details on this?

Just my few cents but I do not think that it would harm the US defence industry for a few contracts to go abroad. Currently there are too few companies that assume (seemingly rightly) that they will get any contract they go for just becouse they are American.

The JASSM problems should have been caught and stomped out long ago.

Certainly before they cranked out six hundred of them. 😮

I’d go with Storm Shadow if only to send a message. I think contractors get complacent and think the government will just keep feeding them money. Look at NG’s performance in shipbuilding lately.

There is also a next generation Storm in the works.

Same sort of story as the Aussie Kaman Sea Sprite purchase contract, where they had to pay Kaman more and more, in the hopes of a working helo.

Except for the Aussie Seasprite it is also a Defence thing not being able to write a good contract. Even after the last parole from death row by the governor, the Aussie Seasprite will go to sea without proper salt water protection common with most naval warfare helos. NZ’s have proper salt water protection. It will be fun on a ISO/Phase after the RAN Seasprites have a tour at sea.

They are similar in that they are both contracting screw ups by the Defence/Defense government. DOD wrote a good contract but didn’t make sure the QC was good enough before authorizing full production. The JASSM problems should have been caught and stomped out long ago.

Yeah, though I wonder about the AGM-86A, which was a bit smaller, and it was said to be compatible as an SRAM replacement. It is far from ideal, but it would at least allow fielding of a conventional cruise missile with long range capabilities. For shorter range use, the cheapest and fastest option would (don’t kill me for saying it! :diablo: ) be to buy the Storm Shadow, possibly also using SLAM-ER as a cheap alternative.

I’d go with Storm Shadow if only to send a message. I think contractors get complacent and think the government will just keep feeding them money. Look at NG’s performance in shipbuilding lately.

Yeah, though I wonder about the AGM-86A, which was a bit smaller, and it was said to be compatible as an SRAM replacement. It is far from ideal, but it would at least allow fielding of a conventional cruise missile with long range capabilities. For shorter range use, the cheapest and fastest option would (don’t kill me for saying it! :diablo: ) be to buy the Storm Shadow, possibly also using SLAM-ER as a cheap alternative.

Same sort of story as the Aussie Kaman Sea Sprite purchase contract, where they had to pay Kaman more and more, in the hopes of a working helo.

As an alternative option, perhaps they ought to look at the AGM-86 CALCM again, but this time with the BROACH warhead. Since the BROACH is only around 500lb, the missile would have more range than the existing CALCM, though less than the ALCM. It would probably be something like 2000km at a guess, since the W80 in the ALCM is ~250lbs, versus ~500lbs for the BROACH, and ~3000lbs for the CALCM (1200lb for the -D model).

Problem is AGM-86 is out of production and it is WAY larger than JASSM so you lose the flexiblity.

Same sort of story as the Aussie Kaman Sea Sprite purchase contract, where they had to pay Kaman more and more, in the hopes of a working helo.

As an alternative option, perhaps they ought to look at the AGM-86 CALCM again, but this time with the BROACH warhead. Since the BROACH is only around 500lb, the missile would have more range than the existing CALCM, though less than the ALCM. It would probably be something like 2000km at a guess, since the W80 in the ALCM is ~250lbs, versus ~500lbs for the BROACH, and ~3000lbs for the CALCM (1200lb for the -D model).