Raytheon and Boeing have completed the third company-funded missile launch of the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM). The test sets the stage for Raytheon and Boeing to enter engineering and manufacturing development (EMD).

"The government's requirements for the competitive prototyping flyoff were to fire three preliminary design review configuration missiles. We were the only contractor who met those requirements, and we were the only contractor whose missiles hit all three targets," said Bob Francois, Raytheon vice president of Advanced Missiles and Unmanned Systems.

"To continue maturing our design, we used our own funding to shoot a weapon with an EMD-representative motor."

During the Oct. 23 test, the JAGM was fired using the Boeing-ATK rocket motor, which was designed for EMD. The test met all primary objectives including updating the flight control software and providing data to incorporate into the simulation software.

The Raytheon-Boeing JAGM features a fully integrated tri-mode seeker that incorporates semiactive laser, uncooled imaging infrared and millimeter wave guidance.

The weapon leverages proven components from other Raytheon and Boeing programs, such as the Raytheon Small Diameter Bomb II and the Boeing Brimstone.

"The ATK rocket motor advances the Raytheon and Boeing JAGM from the preliminary design review stage," said Carl Avila, director, Boeing Advanced Weapons and Missile Systems.

"While still being able to withstand the rigors of rotary-wing flight, JAGM is also capable of withstanding temperatures of minus 65 degrees Fahrenheit, which might be experienced on an F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet or unmanned aircraft."

The Raytheon-Boeing team has completed six successful tests of the missile to date. Three of the tests used company funding to reduce program risk.

The other three tests fulfilled a contractual obligation to the government to complete a competitive prototyping flyoff.

JAGM, designed to replace three legacy systems, offers the warfighter improved lethality, range, operational flexibility, supportability and cost savings compared with older weapons like the Cold War-era Hellfire missile.