JASSM

The AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) is a long-range, air-launched cruise missile developed by Lockheed Martin for the United States and allied air forces. It is designed to strike high-value, well-defended targets from a standoff distance, enabling attackers to remain outside most enemy air defenses.

JASSM relies on a combination of inertial navigation and GPS/INS guidance, with a terminal imaging infrared seeker to achieve precision strike in contested environments. It carries a 1,000-pound class penetrating warhead and uses a delayed fuze to defeat hardened targets. The missile is designed for survivability against integrated air-defense systems and can operate without a live data-link once launched.

There are two primary variants: the baseline AGM-158 JASSM and the extended-range AGM-158B JASSM-ER. The JASSM-ER adds a redesigned airframe and wings to achieve a substantially longer range, expanding engagement options for high-value targets at greater distances. Both versions share the same core guidance and warhead characteristics, with improvements over time in reliability and manufacture.

The missile is compatible with a range of U.S. and allied platforms, and has been deployed on bomber and fighter aircraft such as large aircraft types and multirole fighters. It is intended for use against well-defended targets where maneuvering to close-range attack would pose excessive risk.

Development of JASSM began in the 1990s, with the standard variant entering service in the late 2000s and the JASSM-ER entering service in the mid-2010s. The program has supported multiple international customers and continues to be a key component of modern stand-off strike capabilities, offering a way to neutralize critical targets while constraining exposure of attacking forces.