Joint Air Ground Missile (JAGM)

The Joint Air Ground Missile (JAGM) program, led by the Army, is an advanced air-launched missile system utilizing multi-mode seeker technology. This technology enhances precision targeting for both Line-of-Sight and Beyond-Line-of-Sight engagements, increasing lethality against a variety of threats, including soft, hardened, moving, stationary, land, and maritime targets. The JAGM system is designed to improve operational effectiveness in challenging environments such as adverse weather conditions and scenarios with obscured or countermeasure-laden settings. It aims to replace existing missile systems like the TOW and HELLFIRE with a more versatile solution that addresses the needs of rotary wing and unmanned aerial vehicles.

The primary goal of the JAGM program is to support the Navy's AH-1Z platform by providing a comprehensive missile system. This includes tactical missiles, training missiles, containers, support equipment, and necessary software modifications to existing launchers. Procurement efforts focus on resolving obsolescence issues, ensuring safety and reliability, integrating weapons systems, and addressing production challenges. Additionally, the program supports engineering services and production ramp-up activities to facilitate smooth transitions from legacy systems to the new JAGM configurations.

For Fiscal Year 2025, the program plans to procure All Up Rounds (AURs) and Captive Air Training Missiles (CATMs), along with associated engineering and logistics support. This procurement aligns with the broader strategy of ramping up JAGM production over the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) period. The increase in CATM procurement from FY 2024 is specifically aimed at meeting initial training requirements for the United States Marine Corps (USMC). Despite a decrease in overall funding from FY 2024 levels due to reduced quantities affecting combined buying power across services, these efforts are crucial for achieving initial fielding objectives on designated platforms.

The JAGM program also emphasizes integrated logistics support and production engineering support to ensure seamless delivery and operational readiness of the missile system. These support activities include updating training materials and logistics frameworks necessary for deploying Full Rate Production (FRP) weapons early in FY 2025. By addressing both current operational needs and future scalability requirements, the JAGM initiative aims to maintain its strategic relevance across multiple service branches while optimizing resource allocation for sustained capability enhancements.