Lockheed Martin unveils extreme-range missile: Weapon of the week

[RYAN ROBERTSON] ONE OF JOURNALISM’S GREATEST CLICHES MIGHT BE COMING TO AN END. THAT’S BECAUSE YOU APPARENTLY CAN TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS.

BORROWING A PAGE FROM THE ANDURILS OF THE DEFENSE CONTRACT WORLD, LOCKHEED MARTIN RECENTLY TOOK A CHANCE ON A PROJECT WITH NO CONFIRMED BUYERS.

THAT GAMBLE IS WHY THE A-G-M 158-X-R IS OUR WEAPON OF THE WEEK.

[JON HILL] “IT’S A, WHAT I WOULD CALL A STORY OF INNOVATION AND ANTICIPATING WARFIGHTER NEEDS, WHICH MEANS WE ARE INVESTING IN SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO PROVIDE AS AN OPTION FOR THE AIR FORCE TO CONSIDER. IT LEVERAGES OFF THE EXISTING JASSM AND LRASM LINES. IT ESSENTIALLY IS A STRETCH VERSION OF THOSE MISSILES. AND THINK OF FUEL, MORE FUEL, MUCH LONGER RANGE. IN THE CASE OF XR, WHICH MEANS EXTREME RANGE, IT’S LONG RANGE.”

[RYAN ROBERTSON] THE A-G-M-158-X-R IS THE EVOLUTIONARY NEXT STEP TO LOCKHEED MARTIN’S A-G-M-158-B JOINT AIR-TO-SURFACE STANDOFF MISSILE, AND THE A-G-M-158-C LONG-RANGE ANTI-SHIP MISSILE, RESPECTIVELY KNOWN AS THE JASSM AND LRASM. BOTH OF WHICH WERE RECENTLY BOUGHT BY THE AIR FORCE IN LARGE SUPPLY–THE COST OF THE CONTRACT WAS A LITTLE MORE THAN THREE AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS ACCORDING TO THE PENTAGON.

BUT THIS IS ABOUT THE X-R.

INTRODUCED AT THIS YEAR’S AIR, SPACE, AND CYBER CONFERENCE, JON HILL, THE VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER FOR AIR DOMINANCE AND STRIKE WEAPONS AT LOCKHEED MARTIN MISSILES AND FIRE CONTROL, YES, THAT’S HIS FULL TITLE, TOLD US THE X-R REPRESENTS THE NEXT STEP IN THE A-G-M LINE’S PRODUCTION. IT CAN CARRY MORE FUEL, A LARGER PAYLOAD, AND BE FIRED FROM EVEN GREATER DISTANCES. UPPING THE SAFETY FACTOR FOR THE PILOTS SENDING IT ON TO ITS FINAL DESTINATION.

[JON HILL] “I THINK THE REAL BENEFIT OF IT, WHETHER THIS PARTICULAR CONFIGURATION MOVES FORWARD AS A PROGRAM OR NOT, IS THE FACT THAT WHEN WE WENT IN TO EXTEND AND ADD ADDITIONAL FUEL, IT GAVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO MODULARIZE THE CURRENT WEAPON SYSTEM. IT ALLOWS US TO GO IN AND DIGITIZE THE AREAS WHERE IT MAKES SENSE. AND SO THE BENEFIT TO JASSM AND THE LRASM AND FUTURE WEAPONS IS THAT WE WILL HAVE DIGITIZED WHICH IS PART OF THE WHOLE MODEL BASED SYSTEM ENGINEERING APPROACH FOR FUTURE WEAPONS. IT MAKES INTEGRATION ON DIFFERENT AIRCRAFT EASIER AND MORE STRAIGHTFORWARD. ALLOWS US TO UPGRADE PIECES AND PARTS THAT HAVE BECOME OBSOLETE. SO ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WE’RE ABLE TO DO, YOU KNOW, AS YOU’RE DEVELOPING A NEW WEAPON, WITHOUT DOING A NEW START PROGRAM.”

[RYAN ROBERTSON] A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE X-R CAUGHT OUR EYES RIGHT AWAY.

FIRST, IT’S NOT SMALL. DESPITE ITS SIZE, IT CAN BE FLOWN ON JUST ABOUT EVERY PLATFORM IN THE D-O-D’S HANGER, EXCEPT FOR THE F-16.

SECOND, THE JET BLACK PAINT JOB ISN’T JUST FOR LOOKS.

[JON HILL] “THERE ARE SOME CASES WHERE THIS CAN BE ENCLOSED IN A BAY, BUT MORE THAN LIKELY IT WILL BE HANGING FROM A WING. AND SO IF YOU JUST THINK VERY SIMPLY OF WHAT A WHITE OUTER MOLD LINE MIGHT LOOK LIKE, VERSUS SOMETHING THAT’S PAINTED DARK, IT’S MUCH HARDER FOR ADVERSARIES, OR ANYBODY ELSE THAT MAY BE LOOKING ON A FLIGHT LINE OR IN THE AIR TO REALLY UNDERSTAND SHAPE AND SIZE AND WEIGHT, AND SO YOU CAN, YOU CAN GLEAN A LOT FROM SIZE, RIGHT IN TERMS OF CAPABILITY, BUT IT REDUCES YOUR ABILITY TO DO THAT WHEN IT’S PAINTED A DARKER COLOR.”

[RYAN ROBERTSON] WHILE THE FULL DETAILS OF THE X-R AREN’T YET PUBLICLY KNOWN, A LOCKHEED MARTIN REP SAYS IT COULD BE TEST-FLOWN IN 2026 BUT IS STILL SEVERAL YEARS AWAY FROM BEING READY FOR PRODUCTION.