Launched from a US Navy F/A-18E/F fighter aircraft, the JSOW-ER flew more than 260 nautical miles (almost 300 statute miles), meeting all test objectives.
The JSOW-ER is a powered variant of the combat-proven glide JSOW.
It takes the GPS-inertial navigation system reliability of existing JSOW variants and combines it with the network-enabled maritime-interdiction capabilities currently in development for the JSOW C-1.
The JSOW-ER also integrates the Hamilton-Sundstrand TJ-150 engine, currently in production for Raytheon's Miniature Air Launched Decoy.
"JSOW-ER will provide the warfighter with a powered spiral of JSOW C-1, extending the range of the weapon from 70 nautical miles (81 statute miles) to 300 nautical miles (345 statute miles)," Harry Schulte, vice president of Raytheon Missile Systems Air Warfare Systems' product line, said.
"Because JSOW-ER has the same outer mold lines and mass properties of the glide JSOW, it can be integrated on any aircraft capable of carrying glide JSOW.
"The cost of integration is negligible and the impact is reduced."
"Though not a program of record, the capability and utility of a powered JSOW was clearly demonstrated by this free-flight demonstration," Capt. Mat Winter, the US Navy's Precision Strike Weapons program manager, said.
End note
It will be interesting to see whether Australia will acquire JSOW-ERs for the E/Fs it is now acquiring...