Joint Air Ground Missile (JAGM) Delivering New Dimensions of Lethality to Helicopter Air Attack

Video Above F-35s to Europe

By Kris Osborn – President & Editor-In-Chief, Warrior Maven

Marine Corp AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters are shooting the new Joint Air Ground Missile (JAGM) Hellfire replacement at land targets in preparation for delivering the weapon to war, a move which will bring new dimensions of lethality to helicopter air attack.

The Marine Operational Test & Evaluation Squadron fired eight shots destroying armored and light armored vehicles to demonstrate strike operations and Close Air Support, a Marine Corps statement said.

“Ultimately, the data collected is analyzed to determine overall system effectiveness and refine the tactics, techniques and procedures of employing this weapon in expeditionary advanced base operations, such as strike operations and close air support,” the Corps report explained.

Joint Air Ground Missile (JAGM) 

In development for many years, the JAGM Hellfire replacement weapon is built with an advanced, high-tech seeker technology enabling multiple targeting methods on a single weapon, to include semi-active laser targeting, RF guidance and all-weather millimeter wave sensors.

The concept behind JAGM is to employ an air-launched attack weapon capable of destroying enemy tanks and other armored vehicles on the move through laser painting or “spotting” of moving targets or destroy them despite poor visibility due to bad weather with millimeter wave targeting. This versatility can give helicopter crews an opportunity to strike targets in a wide range of operational scenarios while being able to remain “on-station” and track targets.