Article Posted on : - Apr 02, 2010

The Joint Standoff Weapon.

NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER (BNS): The Joint Standoff Weapon C-1, developed by Raytheon Company for the US Navy, has successfully completed its first captive flight-test from on board an F/A-18E/F fighter aircraft.

The air-to-ground weapon system that demonstrated its prowess to operate in challenging flight environment in the latest test, will feature additional functionality so as to make it ready for free-flight test by later this year, Phyllis McEnroe, Raytheon's JSOW programme director, said.

The Joint Standoff Weapon is a family of highly-lethal, modular, air-to-ground weapon system designed to ensure warfight survivability by enabling precision strike launches from well beyond enemy defences.

The JSOW employs an integrated Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation system that guides the weapon to its target. It also uses a common and modular weapon body capable of carrying various payloads.

The weapon's long standoff range of approximately 70 nautical miles (130 kilimeters) allows delivery from well outside the lethal range of most enemy air defences.

The Joint Standoff Weapon C-1 incorporates a two-way datalink and can hit at moving maritime targets.