Project

Explanation

Background

Project AIR 5418 was originally scoped to acquire a FOSOW capability to provide Australia with the ability to conduct effective airborne precision land strike against well-defended targets. The F/A-18 A/B Hornet aircraft was nominated as the delivery platform to carry and employ the FOSOW system.

A Request for Proposal was conducted in 1999 to determine what weapon solutions were available to meet Project AIR 5418 requirements. The Lockheed Martin JASSM was found to offer the best value for money solution at the culmination of the Request For Proposal. However, the project was subsequently delayed in the Defence Capability Plan, and Government First Pass approval was achieved in August 2004.

At the direction of the Defence Capability Committee, prior to requesting Government Second Pass approval, a Request for Tender was released in December 2004 for three options to gain more reliable cost and schedule information. Lockheed Martin's JASSM was selected as the preferred option and Project AIR 5418 Phase 1 gained Second Pass Approval on 5 December 2005.

JASSM is being procured through - a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Case with United States Air Force (USAF) for the supply of the operational and test missiles, support equipment and USAF program management support; a FMS case with the USN for weapon to aircraft integration; and a Direct Commercial Sales contract with Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control for the supply of certification/airworthiness data, integration support, and missile capability enhancements.

The original definitions for IOC and FOC differentiated the capability to:

a) engage fixed and relocatable land targets - IOC December 2009, and

b) mobile maritime targets - FOC December 2010. The ability to achieve the mobile maritime targeting capability [also known as Maritime Interdiction or Anti-surface Warfare (ASuW)] was always identified as high risk and was noted as such in the Government approval of the AIR 5418 Phase 1 Second Pass submission.

The capability requirement to engage a moving maritime target was an option under the contract. Proceeding with this option was dependent upon USAF development of an ASuW capability within a timeframe that was suitable for the Australian application. Lockheed Martin simulation studies into the missile performance in a maritime environment (funded by the AIR 5418 Phase 1 project) were completed September 2009. However, the US Government has yet to provide the USAF with funding to develop the weapon data link and associated technology required for this capability. The Defence Capability and Investment Committee (DCIC) was briefed on the status of the JASSM capability progress on 28 May 2010. The DCIC accepted the advice that an ASuW variant of JASSM was not feasible due to delays in US Government funding. Notwithstanding, Government, at Second Pass approval, noted that the JASSM system without a moving maritime target capability is still a very effective strike weapon and would be the preferred solution.

Integration of JASSM onto the F/A-18 A/B Hornet was undertaken by the USN Advanced Weapons Laboratory at China Lake, California. The integration effort required the inclusion of the JASSM capability into the F/A-18 A/B Hornet Operational Flight Program (OFP) software.

Flight testing to authorise the F/A-18 A/B Hornet to carry JASSM was conducted in Australia, while the USN developed the F/A-18 A/B Hornet OFP software. A successful JASSM live firing was completed at the USN China Lake Weapons Range on 3 December 2010. Analysis of data from this test firing confirmed JASSM functionality in the 21X OFP software, resulting in a Letter of Certification being issued by the USN on 28 February 2011.

The F/A-18 A/B Hornet will carry the JASSM and use the USN developed OFP in an Australian test and evaluation program. A full end-to-end test is required in order to confirm that Australia has a full independent JASSM IOC and does not need US assistance to use the capability. Defence plans to conduct up to two live missile firings in Australia during 2011.

A Submission advising the status of project AIR 5418 was noted by Government in May 2011, including the following changes to project baseline:

- A revised IOC date of December 2011 (pending a successful Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) outcome in August 2011);

-  Removal of the moving target capability from project scope;

-  A Real Cost Decrease of $50 million; and

-  A revised FOC date of Dec 2012, for fixed and relocatable targets only.

Uniqueness

JASSM is an Australianised Military-Off-The-Shelf (MOTS) guided weapon acquisition. The Commonwealth of Australia was the first FMS customer authorised by the US Department of State to purchase this product.

This weapon is operated by the USAF from platforms which are not in the Australian inventory. Australian integration of JASSM onto the F/A-18 A/B Hornet platform is a world first.

JASSM represents the longest range (greater than 300 kilometres) guided weapon to be introduced into ADF capability, and as a result poses safety challenges for test/training over Australian land ranges.

Major Challenges

As this project represents the first integration of JASSM into the F/A-18 A/B Hornet platform, anomalies discovered during the software integration process had not been experienced previously by the USN (developers of the F/A-18 A/B Hornet OFP software) or the original equipment manufacturers - Lockheed Martin. Consequently, extensive engineering effort was required for software integration.

Integrating newer weapon technology with older aircraft technology has presented many challenges; for example, host platform upgrades not required in the past are now required.

The maximum range of JASSM exceeds the size of all available test ranges, including the Woomera Test Range. Extant ADF range safety methodologies cannot be applied and Government has agreed to adopt US range standards, and accept the risk posed by the JASSM testing planned to be conducted at the Woomera Test Range.

There are some elements of JASSM, particularly software design data, which have not been provided to Australia due to US foreign disclosure and proprietary information restrictions. Gaining the required design disclosure to achieve technical certification has been difficult or unachievable due to the US Government International Trade in Arms Regulations restrictions.

Other Current Projects/Sub-Projects

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