US develops missile 'more dangerous' than Tomahawk
The US Lockheed Martin Corporation - one of the security and aerospace giants, introduced the longest-range version of the JASSM missile, which is said to be more dangerous than the Tomahawk missile.
Lockheed Martin has just introduced the AGM-158 JASSM XR missile – the fourth generation version of the long-range JASSM missile.
The JASSM missile entered service with the US Army nearly two decades ago, and has been in development since 1995.
Currently, the giant Lockheed Martin has launched 3 generations, including: AGM-158A with a range of 370 km, took a long time to complete due to unsuccessful testing, so the US military only received the first samples in 2009.
In 2014, the AGM-158A was replaced by a second version called the AGM-158B, also known as the JASSM ER. This version has a range of up to 1,000 km.
The third version - AGM-158C LRASM, differs from JASSM ER in its guidance system and in its target.
The AGM-158 JASSM XR missile is the fourth generation version. It is significantly superior to previous generations, especially in terms of flight range. However, there is currently no official data. The UK Defense Magazine notes that some military sources believe that the AGM-158 JASSM XR is as powerful as the Tomahawk missile, meaning it has a range of up to 1,600 km. Some Western military media, such as the American Army Certification, give a predicted range of up to 2,000 km.
To do this, analysts say, the missile would have to be lengthened by almost 1.5 times - from 4.3 to 6.3 meters. That means more fuel. Army Certification also points to lighter alloys, improved aerodynamics, improved tail surfaces and transmission systems, but the manufacturer is keeping those details secret.
According to Lockheed Martin, a missile with the range of the AGM-158 JASSM XR would significantly expand the range of options available to the Air Force when planning operations. It would not only reduce the risk of aircraft loss in an attack, but also allow for fuel savings – which would be extremely important in a potential conflict with China.
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Test launches of the AGM-158 JASSM XR are scheduled for 2025-2026. Entering service with the missile and establishing export operations will also take time.
Furthermore, although the missile is compatible with the vast majority of US launch vehicles: from F-15, F-18 fighters to B-1B Lancer and F-35, it cannot be launched from F-16 fighters.
However, in any case, the US is unlikely to “break the rules” to transfer such modern weapons to Ukraine. Even if it has transferred modern weapons such as Abrams and F-16, the Pentagon will only support the Ukrainian Armed Forces with equipment that is not the latest version.
However, the AGM-158 JASSM XR missile is likely to still play a role in the conflict in Ukraine. According to The War Zone, the main advantage of the JASSM series for Kiev is its wide distribution. The US has about 2,000 different versions of the AGM-158. Lockheed Martin has the capacity to produce up to 500 such missiles per year and plans to increase production to 1,100 in the near future.
