FY20 ARMY PROGRAMS

Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM)

Executive Summary
• The Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) IOT&E I and
LFT&E were adequate to assess the operational effectiveness,
operational suitability, lethality, and cybersecurity of JAGM
when employed by an AH-64E Apache.
• JAGM exceeded hit performance in 87 test shots, which
included safety of flight, developmental, integration, and
operational testing against a variety of targets. The missile
successfully engaged and disabled heavy and light armor,
structures, personnel in the open, maritime targets, and
classified counterinsurgency targets.
• JAGM allowed pilots to engage targets beyond the capability
of HELLFIRE Romeo. The dual guidance section allows the
missile to mitigate the effects of battlefield obscurants such
as smoke, dust, and foliage that limit the performance of laser
designation needed for HELLFIRE Romeo.
• JAGM exceeded reliability requirements. This assessment
includes prelaunch and inflight reliability. The program is - Providing target location updates to an inflight missile
continuing to improve environmental protection to ensure it is - Minimizing alerts to enemy vehicles of imminent attack
available in all operational environments. and unwanted collateral damage
• JAGM did not meet interoperability requirements for its - Rapid engagement of multiple targets
second threshold platform. The Marine Corps AH-1Z was • The integrated blast and fragmentation sleeve warhead
not able to enter JAGM operational testing due to software detonates with a programmable delay fuse and a height of
errors on the aircraft discovered during developmental and burst feature. This flexibility allows JAGM to destroy heavy
integration testing. armored vehicles while effectively targeting personnel in the
open. The programmable fuse enables complete penetration
System into buildings, bunkers, or lightly armored vehicles prior to
• JAGM is an air-to-ground, precision-guided missile with two detonation.
new seekers that replicate and combine the capabilities of the
existing laser-guided HELLFIRE Romeo and radar-guided Mission
Longbow HELLFIRE missiles. Army and Marine Corps commanders employ JAGM from
• The JAGM design combines two sensor technologies – rotary-wing and unmanned aircraft to engage enemy combatants
semi‑active laser and millimeter wave (MMW) radar – into in stationary and moving armored and unarmored vehicles,
a single seeker and guidance system while leveraging the within complex building and bunker structures, in small boats,
HELLFIRE Romeo warhead, motor, and flight control and in the open.
systems. The dual-seeker engagement modes optimize missile
performance while minimizing aircraft exposure to enemy
observation and fire by: Major Contractor
- Destroying targets concealed by countermeasures or Lockheed Martin Corporation, Missiles and Fire Control
obscurants Division – Orlando, Florida

Activity
• The Army conducted operational and live fire testing in (COVID-19) pandemic. Some developmental and integration
accordance with the DOT&E-approved Test and Evaluation test events have shifted, but the program remains on schedule.
Master Plan, LFT&E Strategy, and test plans. • The JAGM program completed 87 test shots, which included
• The JAGM program has experienced no operational testing or safety of flight, developmental, integration, and operational
milestone decision delays due to the effects of the coronavirus testing against a variety of targets. JAGM has successfully

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engaged and disabled heavy and light armor, structures, and foliage that limit the performance of legacy semi-active
personnel in the open, maritime targets, and classified laser HELLFIRE missiles.
counterinsurgency targets such as truck and motorcycles. • JAGM affords improvements over the legacy Longbow
• The Army Test and Evaluation Command conducted an HELLFIRE by providing a regret avoidance capability.
IOT&E I from March 25 through May 10, 2019, at Fort Hood, This feature allows a missile using millimeter wave radar to
Texas, and Eglin AFB, Florida, using an AH-64E. Operational be redirected in flight. Regret avoidance allows the aircrew
pilots fired six missiles in all JAGM engagement modes control of a missile throughout its flight to avoid fratricide
against stationary and moving maritime and land targets in or collateral damage.
daytime conditions demonstrating that suboptimal terminal • JAGM has exceeded required hit performance in
trajectory can degrade lethality against maritime targets. operationally realistic testing against a variety of targets.
The Army subsequently updated the software, adjusted the Operational Suitability
terminal trajectory angle, and conducted additional maritime • JAGM exceeds prelaunch and inflight reliability
testing in 1QFY20 and 2QFY20 demonstrating improved requirements. The program is using lot acceptance
JAGM lethality against maritime targets. inspections to assess continuing environmental protection
• In December 2019, the Navy began integration testing with improvements to ensure JAGM is reliable in all operational
JAGM and the AH-1Z Viper in preparation for an IOT&E environments.
scheduled for 2QFY20. Integration testing revealed that that • JAGM has completed environmental testing in a chamber
the software for the AH-1Z and the aircraft’s Target Sight but has not been flight tested in extreme cold environments.
System (TSS) were not ready for the upcoming IOT&E. Flight missile testing in an operationally representative
• In February 2020, the Navy decided to delay operational arctic environment, such as Alaska, may present
testing using the AH-1Z to focus on developing a new TSS performance limitations not possible in a static chamber
software build. The Navy projects to have an effective TSS environment.
software build to support further JAGM integration testing in • JAGM does not have a captive aircrew training missile.
1QFY21. This training device is needed to ensure aircrews are
• In 4QFY21, using the AH-1Z, the Navy completed JAGM prepared to employ JAGM.
live fire testing against a multi-story structure, a multi-room Lethality
structure, and against personnel behind a triple brick wall. • JAGM demonstrated adequate lethality against heavy and
• The inability for the Navy to validate the AH-1Z as a threshold light armor, structures, personnel in the open, maritime
platform led to an Army decision in July 2020 to delay the targets, and classified counterinsurgency targets. The height
JAGM Full-Rate Production decision to 4QFY21, following of burst is higher than expected when engaging personnel
the completion of a Navy IOT&E using the AH-1Z. In in the open and appears unrelated to surrounding objects or
the interim, the Army will continue with low-rate initial vehicles.
production of JAGM. • The new terminal trajectory angle resulted in improved hit
point selection and lethality against maritime targets.
Assessment • Preliminary assessment indicates JAGM lethality as fired
• The Army testing was adequate to assess the operational from AH-1Z against multi-room structures is comparable
effectiveness, operational suitability, lethality, and to legacy HELLFIRE. The Navy did not demonstrate
cybersecurity of JAGM when employed from an AH-64E. lethality against personnel behind a triple-brick wall due
• JAGM did not meet interoperability requirements with its to a problem with fuse delay timing. Correction of the
second threshold platform. The Marine Corps AH-1Z was not timing should result in JAGM lethality at least equal to that
able to progress to the planned JAGM IOT&E due to software of HELLFIRE. The Navy did not demonstrate lethality
errors on the aircraft discovered during developmental and against the multi-story building due to a warhead failure
integration testing. that is currently under investigation by the Program Office.
• The Navy is focused on resolving the software concerns with Cybersecurity
the AH-1Z and intends to complete JAGM IOT&E II with the • The cybersecurity of JAGM has been assessed against
AH-1Z threshold platform in 3QFY21. insider and nearsider threats. Details are available in the
Operational Effectiveness classified JAGM IOT&E report published in August 2020.
• The Army developed an effective and efficient pilot-vehicle • The Army has not assessed JAGM cybersecurity of the
interface that was intuitive for operational pilots. supply chain or against an outside threat.
• Aircrews can employ JAGM in multiple engagement
modes depending on the tactical situation. This flexibility Recommendations
increases options for aircrews in the evolving operational • The Navy should:
environment in combat. 1. Complete the interoperability and cybersecurity testing of
• JAGM allows pilots to engage targets not possible using the JAGM employed from the AH-1Z.
HELLFIRE Romeo. The dual guidance capability mitigates 2. Address the failures encountered in live fire testing.
the effects of battlefield obscurants such as smoke, dust,

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• The Program Office should: 5. Conduct missile flight testing in the arctic to assess the
1. Investigate the cybersecurity of the JAGM supply chain. effects of sustained extreme cold temperatures.
2. Correct issues with the height of burst sensor and adjust • The Army should:
tactics, techniques, and procedures to ensure lethality 1. Develop, test, and field a captive aircrew training missile
against personnel in the open. with appropriate supporting training materials.
3. Demonstrate JAGM lethality against emerging threats.
4. Continue to improve reliability through lot acceptance and
reliability testing.

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