United States to Increase JASSM Cruise Missiles Production

The United States has allocated funds to increase the production of Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) cruise missiles.

The U.S. Department of Defense said it is allocating $130 million to increase the production of JASSM missiles and anti-ship LRASMs.

The funds will be allocated to Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, which is to increase production capacity at its Florida facility.

“The work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, and is expected to be completed by December 15, 2027,” the Department of Defense stated.

The additional agreement with Lockheed Martin comes amid reports that Ukraine is planning to arm itself with JASSM cruise missiles.

The administration of the U.S. President Joe Biden is open to sending these long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine for F-16 aircraft.

According to one Biden administration official, no final decision has been made on sending the missile, but the administration is currently working out the “complex details.”

These issues include verifying the transfer of sensitive technology and ensuring that Ukrainian aircraft can launch such missiles.

Back in 2020, Lockheed Martin received a contract from the U.S. Department of Defense to supply 790 JASSM cruise missiles. At that time, the contract was worth $812.2 million. At the same time, the US Department of Defense has the ability to supplement the contract with additional orders.

According to the 2020 contract, Lockheed Martin has to fulfill the contracts by the end of October 2024.

These contracts bring the total number of JASSM and JASSM-ER missiles to 3,000.

The weight of its warhead is 450 kg, the range of the basic version is 360 kilometers, and the range of the ER version is 980 kilometers, which can significantly enhance the capabilities of Ukrainian F-16s.