Raytheon Company Missile Systems has been awarded a $10 million contract to flight test demonstrations for the Joint Standoff Weapon Extended Range (JSOW-ER) low-cost, air-to-surface glide missiles, announced on 19 July by the Department of Defense (DoD).

According to the statement, Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, is awarded a $10,6 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-17-C-0059) to conduct flight test demonstrations for the Joint Standoff Weapon Extended Range (JSOW-ER) Phase 3a development, including hardware and software modifications.

The Joint Standoff Weapon is a family of low-cost, air-to-ground glide missiles that employ an integrated GPS-inertial navigation system and thermal imaging infrared seeker. The JSOW-ER  is a powered variant, where “ER” is for “extended range”.

The contract also includes hardware and software modifications with laboratory and ground testing to the existing JSOW AGM-154C-1.

Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed in July 2019.

The extended range version is operated by a Hamilton-Sundstrand TJ-150 engine. The engine can be easily integrated on the back section of the JSOW, and provides an extended range of 300nmi.

JSOW-ER will increase range from 130 to 560 kilometers. The engine engages upon safe separation, then uses a 100:1 ratio glide to about 15,000 feet. It can also be fired at low altitude, flying over 200 miles at wave-skimming altitudes on full engine power.