“The weapons ranges needed simply don’t exist in Norway. “It was an enormous milestone to release the final, all-up-round weapon.”Įdwards AFB’s airspace, personnel, assets and the American-Norway alliance make it the ideal situation to test the JSM. “The multi-national test team, including the 416th, was able to work with the weapon developer over the course of the program to improve the JSM in an incremental fashion, which has resulted in a reliable and high-performance missile system,” Drake said. All live releases of the weapon were conducted at the Utah Test and Training Range.
Joint strike missile software#
Throughout the test program, numerous software and hardware changes and updates were made.
Joint strike missile full#
The different variants proved the JSM could sustain extended periods of flight under its own power and successfully navigate over different terrain.Īll variants of the JSM were inert until the final flight test events where it actually hit a target with full mission systems software and guidance. The next several tests used a version of the JSM that still did not have a warhead, but had a live engine and navigation avionics. Testing included multiple variants of the JSM that increased in complexity and capability throughout the course of the program with the first JSM being a glide-only weapon with an active autopilot, but without a live engine, according to Drake. The JSM missile system was matured and proven with ground testing, captive carriage testing (flight test missions to ensure the weapon would perform its designed functions prior to being released from the aircraft), and live-drop testing to verify the JSM’s ability to be safely released from the aircraft and perform its autonomous functions. It made it a lot more efficient and effective to use F-16s to be able to test mid-cycle a new type of weapon.”ĭrake said the weapons development program at Edwards began in 2015. “The F-35 is still undergoing its own technology development and design iterations, which brings its own challenges. “The F-16 is a much more proven and mature platform in terms of technology development,” said Collin Drake, 416th FLTS JSM project engineer. Norway is a partner nation in the development of the fifth-generation Joint Strike Fighter.īefore proceeding with integration testing on the F-35A, the JSM was tested at Edwards AFB on F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 416th Flight Test Squadron. The missile can be employed against sea- and land-based targets. The JSM is Norway’s advanced anti-surface warfare missile designed to be carried in the new F-35A’s internal weapons bay. Air Force engineers, test pilots and Norwegian government and industry personnel from the 416th Test Flight Squadron recently completed a large phase of testing for the new F-35A Joint Strike Missile. However, while the JSM development is technically independent of Norway's participation in the F-35 programme, its progress, including an initial operational capability, is being driven by the ‘follow-on development' effort for the F-35, with the missile delivered through several upcoming capability increments assigned to the platform under the scope of the Block 4 software release planning timeline.EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif.
Joint strike missile series#
The series production milestone follows the successful completion this year of four JSM in-flight test releases from the US Air Force 412th Test Wing F-35A AF-01 instrumented test platform over Edwards Air Force Base, California – two initial tests in February, and two follow-up tests in June – and, with some overlap, moves the JSM programme from Phase 3 (missile final development, industrialisation, integration and testing on the F-35 platform) to Phase 4 and series production of the missile for the RNoAF. The number of JSM units to be acquired under the provisions of the contract was not disclosed. The Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA) on 21 October awarded Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA) a NOK3.95 billion (USD473.3 million) contract to supply the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) fleet of F-35A Conventional Take-Off and Landing Lightning II multirole stealth fighters with the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) long-range precision-guided stealthy anti-surface missile. Series production of JSM for the Royal Norwegian Air Force commenced on 21 October, with the signing of an approximately USD473.3 million contract between the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. A Joint Strike Missile (JSM) being released from the F-35A AF-01 instrumented test platform over Edwards Air Force Base, California.
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