Joint Air-to-Ground MSLS (JAGM)

The Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) program is a Major Defense Acquisition Program (MDAP) led by the Army, with joint participation from the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force. The primary goal of JAGM is to provide a next-generation, multi-mode, air-to-ground precision munition that replaces legacy HELLFIRE and HELLFIRE Longbow missiles. JAGM is designed to address several extremely high-risk and high-risk capability gaps identified in Army Aviation, supporting the destruction of high-value land and maritime targets, whether stationary or moving. The program aims to enhance lethality, flexibility, and survivability for attack helicopter operations and other platforms currently equipped with M299 launchers.

JAGM's objectives include the procurement of both operational missiles and training variants. The Army requests funding to procure JAGM missiles and Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM), which are non-explosive, airworthy training missiles that allow crews to practice target engagement and evaluate gunnery requirements without expending live ordnance. This procurement supports the Army Acquisition Objective for missiles, ensuring sufficient inventory for both active and reserve components to meet homeland defense, emergency response, and military support to civil authorities as mandated by Section 1815 of the FY 2008 National Defense Authorization Act.

The JAGM missile features a dual-mode seeker, integrating Millimeter Wave (MMW) radar and Semi-Active Laser (SAL) guidance. This multi-mode capability enables both fire-and-forget and precision-point targeting, as well as blended modes for improved effectiveness over legacy systems. The missile's demonstrated range capability extends to 16 kilometers, exceeding the current threshold, and aligns with the objective to match Apache helicopter sensor capabilities for medium-range target engagement. The program also prioritizes safety, reliability, affordability, producibility, and obsolescence mitigation through ongoing contract negotiations and coordination with other services and Foreign Military Sales (FMS).

Production of JAGM is managed by the Air-to-Ground Missile Systems Product Office, which serves as the procurement agent for all participating services. Lockheed Martin in Orlando is the primary contractor, with production lead times averaging 24 months from order window closure. The program maintains a minimum sustaining rate of missiles per year, with the capacity to surge to higher annual quantities if required. Sustained procurement below the minimum sustaining rate can increase unit costs and risk to the vendor base, making careful production planning essential for program stability.

Funding for JAGM encompasses recurring engineering, acceptance testing, fielding, initial spares, production engineering, program management, system test and evaluation, and training equipment. The budget includes allocations for production engineering, program management, system test and evaluation, and training equipment for CATMs and containers. These elements ensure the missile system remains operationally effective, supportable, and ready for deployment across all intended platforms.

In addition to Army procurement, JAGM production supports Navy and FMS requirements, with quantities and funding tracked separately in their respective budget exhibits. The program leverages joint service procurement and international sales to achieve economies of scale and address affordability. The Army intends to convert any price advantages from contract negotiations and other service procurement into increased missile quantities, further supporting readiness and modernization objectives.