The upcoming test will reportedly utilize Lockheed’s new vertical launch system called the Quad Launcher, which will allow the missiles to be fired from medium and large surface vessels.

The company recently showcased a model of a generic vessel equipped with four JAGM Quad Launchers, indicating its readiness for the much-awaited integration.

Lockheed did not provide a specific date for the planned live-fire demonstration.

If successful, the test could allow for the official integration of Quad Launchers on surface vessels to defeat maritime threats.

“We are still in the development phase of the vertical launch capability and demonstrating to [the] US [Department of Defense] is our near-term goal,” said Patrick Sweeney, Lockheed’s senior manager for international business development.

Potential Applications

The sea-launched JAGM test is part of a broader initiative to transform the munition into a multi-domain weapon system capable of addressing a wide variety of threats.

It can be used to engage uncrewed surface vessels and drones, similar to those used by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.

Currently, the US Navy employs AGM-114 Longbow Hellfire missiles for targeting small surface vessels.

The existing version of the JAGM only allows for launch on aerial platforms, such as the AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter.

Lockheed plans to offer the sea-launched JAGM to the US military and the Australian Defence Force.

The post Lockheed Braces for First Sea-Launched JAGM Missile Test appeared first on The Defense Post.

The system reportedly detected and tracked the moving targets before firing AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles to complete the intercepts.

It also demonstrated its ability to operate with the Integrated Battle Command System and the Sentinel A3 air and missile defense radar to effectively neutralize the targets.

According to Leidos Vice President Dino Pusinsky, the test underscored the company’s commitment to helping the US Army stay ahead of adversaries.

It also “marks another major step forward in evaluating the overall operational capability and lethality” of the cutting-edge weapon system.

Indirect Fire Protection Capability

In September 2021, Leidos accepted a contract to develop a ground-based weapon system as part of the US Army’s Indirect Fire Protection Capability (IFPC) Increment 2 program.

The weapon is envisioned as a key component of a layered solution for protecting critical civilian and military infrastructure.

Enduring Shield is designed to bridge the gap between the service’s tactical short-range air defense systems and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.

In December 2023, the weapon showcased its ability to fire an experimental AIM-9X missile interceptor for the first time.

Leidos is now conducting hardware upgrades to further mature the system as part of a new contract awarded by the US Army.

“We believe this award will let us showcase the ability of the IFPC Inc. 2 system to transform warfighting capabilities as it progresses toward being declared operationally ready for our warfighters,” company senior vice president Larry Barisciano said.

The post Leidos’ Enduring Shield Intercepts Drone, Cruise Missile in Flight Test appeared first on The Defense Post.

The weapon, said to be 10 times smaller and cheaper than existing missile systems, was tested within 11 weeks of the company’s opening.

It is reportedly meant to help fill the “munitions gap” caused by expensive weapons in the US armed forces inventory.

Ares Industries, which builds cruise missiles, launched today out of YC’s current batch.

This is YC's first weapons company, and this is an actual photo of their missile.

Here is the story of Ares Industries and why we funded them. (1/10) pic.twitter.com/n8KR4bFaaN

— Jared Friedman (@snowmaker) August 21, 2024

Typically, anti-ship cruise missiles weigh 3,000 pounds (1,360 kilograms) and cost about $3 million.

But with the Ares Industries initiative, the military will have the option to buy a smaller, 300-pound (136-kilogram) cruise missile for approximately $300,000.

‘A Good Idea’

Y Combinator Management, the American firm that funds Ares Industries, said that developing a much cheaper missile system is useful because giant missile manufacturers “have become bloated” with increased global demand.

It is also not practical to spend much on taking out small targets using highly expensive weapons systems, it said.

“Anti-ship missiles only come in one size: big. These missiles were designed to blow up huge destroyers,” company founder Jared Friedman wrote on X. “But the frigates in the Chinese Navy are much smaller. And now we have drone ships.”

“It makes no sense to take out a $200K drone ship with a $3M missile.”

Like other available missile systems, Ares promises a weapon that is compatible with existing launch platforms and can take out targets hundreds of miles away.

For now, the company said its focus is on ground and ship-launched variants but is open to the possibility of developing an air-launched version with extended ranges and different payload configurations.

The missile is expected to be delivered to its first customers by mid-2025.

The post Ares Industries Flight-Tests New Cruise Missile, 10x Smaller, Cheaper appeared first on The Defense Post.

The test, which took place on Tuesday, was witnessed by senior officials from the country’s Army Strategic Forces Command and Strategic Plans Division.

According to an official statement, the initiative aimed to validate the technical features and overall performance of the Shaheen-II.

It was also meant to train Pakistan Army units in operating the new weapon with high accuracy and efficiency.

#ISPR
Pakistan today conducted successful training launch of surface to surface ballistic missile Shaheen-II. @OfficialDGISPR #PakistanArmy

The training launch was aimed at training of troops, validating various technical parameters and performance evaluation of different… pic.twitter.com/Pnl1rkf6v9

— Pakistan Armed Forces News (@PakistanFauj) August 20, 2024

The Pakistan Armed Forces did not disclose the results of the test.

However, it described the event as a “landmark achievement,” which received praise from President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

‘Nuclear-Capable’

The Shaheen-II is an indigenous ballistic missile capable of carrying either conventional or nuclear warheads.

It is reportedly designed for medium-range strikes of up to 1,500 kilometers (932 miles), far enough to cover significant portions of the region.

Powered by a solid fuel engine, the weapon boasts enhanced accuracy and survivability against hostile threats.

The test launch is expected to bolster Islamabad’s strategic deterrent capabilities amid tensions with India.

The Shaheen-II has a more advanced version, the Shaheen-III, which can reach targets more than 2,750 kilometers (1,708 miles) away.

Earlier this year, the Pakistan Army also carried out a successful test of its new, domestically-made Fatah-II guided rocket system designed to strike deep into enemy territory.

The post Pakistan Test-Launches Shaheen-II Surface-to-Surface Ballistic Missile appeared first on The Defense Post.

The “significant milestone” supports Canberra’s evaluation of the weapon, which is planned to be distributed across the service’s Hobart ships and incoming Hunter-class frigates.

Australia’s defense agency noted that the event demonstrated the required enhanced lethality according to the government’s National Defence Strategy and the Navy’s Surface Combatant Fleet Independent Analysis.

The US State Department unveiled a prime contract to supply the service with SM-6 Block I missiles in August 2021.

“This is another example of the acceleration in acquisitions of critical capabilities for the Navy that enhances lethality within the surface combatant fleet and the capacity for the [Australian Defence Force] to safeguard Australians and their interests,” Australian Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy stated.

“Standard Missile 6 is being acquired from the United States and will provide Navy’s surface combatants with an enhanced air and missile defence capability, increasing the fleet’s lethality and survivability.”

“The ability to deter an adversary from extended ranges and to deter attempts to project power against Australia is a core part of the National Defence Strategy.”

Supporting Commitment

Canberra wrote that the SM-6 will be integrated with the Aegis Baseline 9 combat system to boost the fleet’s capability against airborne threats including ballistic missiles.

The warhead will be managed through a new Joint Air Battle Management System being developed for the military.

Moreover, the SM-6 will complement the navy’s existing Standard Missile 2 or SM-2 missiles aboard the fleet once operational.

“HMAS Sydney’s first-of-class firings of both Naval Strike Missile and Standard Missile 6 in less than a month is a clear demonstration of Navy’s intent to deliver on our commitment to accelerate our ability to support Defence’s strategy of denial in concert with our key Allies and partners,” Royal Australian Navy Chief Vice Admr. Mark Hammond commented on the latest activity in Hawaii.

“Delivering on both of these key milestones in this accelerated time frame is a testament to the hard work and dedication of a committed team of people from across Navy, Defence, industry and international partners.”

The post Royal Australian Navy Standard Missile 6 Completes First Live Fire appeared first on The Defense Post.

This is according to the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), which conducted a comprehensive study amid the military’s failure to field its first operational hypersonic weapons despite spending billions of dollars.

Though the defense department provides “some information” to lawmakers, the watchdog said it has not been “comprehensively reporting” to Congress its progress on managing risks.

It further stressed that communicating comprehensive information would enable lawmakers to better understand what is happening and provide necessary oversight.

“Without comprehensive enterprise-level reporting, Congress will have an incomplete or fragmented perspective on the risks DoD has identified, the actions it is taking to address them, or the costs that these actions entail,” the report noted.

A Troubled Program

The US Army, Navy, and Air Force each have at least one hypersonic weapons program aimed at rivaling similar efforts by China and Russia.

The army’s long-range hypersonic weapon, which is being developed by Lockheed Martin, was originally scheduled for delivery last year but has been pushed to at least late 2024.

Unspecified issues caused the service to abort hypersonic weapon testing for the third time in September 2023.

Meanwhile, the air force is embarking on a five-year prototyping phase for its rapid response weapon, which would be fired from a fighter jet and fly at speeds exceeding Mach 5.

According to the GAO, the army program and the navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic weapon program have a projected combined cost of $40.3 billion.

It warned that these figures could increase further if the Pentagon does not give a full assessment of the difficulties and challenges its hypersonic programs are facing.

The post Pentagon’s Lack of Transparency Risks Hypersonic Weapons Development: GAO appeared first on The Defense Post.

The “multiple waves of test launches” were reportedly conducted in China’s far northern region of Inner Mongolia more than 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) from the self-ruled island.

According to the ministry, Beijing’s Rocket Force facilitated the tests.

It was not immediately clear if the activity had anything to do with China’s growing pressure on Taipei, but the small island nation still put its air defense forces on alert.

China views Taiwan as part of its territory and said it will not commit to abandoning the use of force to reunite it with the mainland.

Rehearsing an Invasion?

The recent missile activity was detected after Beijing released an unsettling video simulation of how it would invade Taiwan.

The video showed a barrage of missiles launched simultaneously from land, sea, and air.

It appeared that the Taiwanese cities of Taipei, Hualien, and Kaohsiung would be the likely targets of initial attacks.

PLA releases video simulating an all-out attack on Taiwan https://t.co/CapwDFZyds pic.twitter.com/igD0B5Rfby

— Taiwan News (@TaiwanNewsEN) May 25, 2024

In August 2022, China also fired missiles into the waters near Taiwan in response to the visit of then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

It has further increased its military pressure since the inauguration of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te in May.

The post Taiwan Says Detected ‘Waves’ of Missile Test Launches From China appeared first on The Defense Post.

An AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter operated by the US Marine Corps was used to fire the live missile as part of an expeditionary strike exercise in the Philippine Sea.

According to the service, the weapon scored a direct hit against a towed target vessel, causing it to descend into the ocean.

The successful test highlighted the JAGM’s ability to defend key maritime space against hostile surface ships.

It also allowed the USMC to demonstrate its capability to “deliver precision strikes at sea and safeguard a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

In 2022, the US military tested the JAGM against land targets to further refine its employability in expeditionary advanced base operations.

Designed for High-Value Targets

Development of the AGM-179 JAGM began more than a decade ago to replace the legendary and highly reliable Hellfire missile.

It was designed for helicopters, drones, and other fixed-wing platforms to destroy high-value maritime and land targets — whether stationary or moving.

The weapon utilizes a multi-mode seeker to ensure a precision strike even in adverse weather and obscured battlefield conditions.

It also boasts a fire-and-forget capability and can withstand a variety of countermeasures.

“JAGM has repeatedly proven that it can be counted on when it matters most, providing mission-focused offensive and defense capabilities and maintaining a competitive edge against any potential adversaries,” Lockheed vice president Jerry Brode said.

In 2020, the JAGM failed to achieve its desired effects on a target during a live-fire test, prompting Lockheed to improve the missile.

The post America’s New JAGM Missile Sinks Mock Vessel in First Pacific Test appeared first on The Defense Post.

Pyongyang “successfully conducted the separation and guidance control test of individual mobile warheads on June 26,” KCNA reported, adding that the “separated mobile warheads were guided correctly to the three coordinate targets.”

“The test is aimed at securing the MIRV capability,” it said, referring to multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle technology – or, the ability to fire multiple warheads on a single ballistic missile.

The statement came a day after South Korea’s military said the North had test-fired what appeared to be a hypersonic missile on Wednesday, but the launch ended in a mid-air explosion.

The missile took off from an area in or around Pyongyang at about 5:30 am (2030 GMT) and South Korean and US intelligence agencies were conducting a detailed analysis, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

The JCS official said the test of what appeared to be a hypersonic missile ended in failure after a journey of some 250 kilometers (155 miles).

More smoke than usual appeared to emanate from the missile, raising the possibility of combustion issues, the official said, adding it may have been powered by solid propellants.

Japan also confirmed the launch, with its coast guard saying the missile splashed down in the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea.

According to KCNA, the test “was carried out by use of the first-stage engine of an intermediate-range solid-fuel ballistic missile within a 170-200 km radius.”

“The effectiveness of a decoy separated from the missile was also verified by anti-air radar,” it said.

The post N.Korea Tests Ability to Fire Multiple Warheads on Single Ballistic Missile: KCNA appeared first on The Defense Post.

The first test, which occurred on June 4, involved an unarmed ICBM being launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

According to Air Force Global Strike Command, the test-launch aimed to “verify the safety, security, effectiveness, and readiness of the weapon system.”

Two days later, another unarmed Minuteman III was launched from the same location, traveling approximately 4,200 miles (6,759 kilometers) toward the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site on the Marshall Islands.

The activity was reportedly meant to demonstrate that America’s nuclear deterrent is reliable and effective to deter modern threats.

“These tests hold immense significance, not only for our nation’s defense, but also serve as a pivotal moment in showcasing the exceptional capabilities and expertise of our dedicated team,” Space Launch Delta 30 vice commander Col. Bryan Titus said.

‘Not the Result of Current World Events’

The ICBM tests happened amid multiple geopolitical rifts involving US allies.

Washington has become the most important ally for Ukraine, which has been battling invading Russian forces since 2022.

It also serves as Taiwan’s most important military backer, with President Joe Biden reassuring the island nation of military support in the event of a Chinese invasion.

Earlier this week, an American B-1B strategic bomber dropped a precision-guided bomb in drills over the Korean Peninsula after Pyongyang sent hundreds of trash-filled balloons toward South Korea.

Despite the controversial timing of the tests, the Air Force Global Strike Command clarified they had nothing to do with current world events.

The post US Test-Fires Minuteman III ICBM in Show of Nuclear Deterrence appeared first on The Defense Post.