WASHINGTON, Oct. 26, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) and The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) completed flight testing of the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile's fixed-wing launcher and Instrumented Measurement Vehicle on the Boeing F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet fighter aircraft.

An IMV is the same size, shape and mass as an all-up JAGM round, and it contains equipment that evaluates JAGM's performance during a mission. The flight tests are a crucial first step toward qualifying JAGM for Super Hornet employment.

"The JAGM fixed-wing launcher is based on the BRU-33 and previous Boeing launchers, which are in service today," said Carl Avila, director of Boeing's Advanced Weapons and Missile Systems. "The Raytheon-Boeing team designed JAGM for affordability; re-using existing technology and equipment is one way we are driving cost out of the program to provide a best-value solution for the warfighter."

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, including the Raytheon Small Diameter Bomb II and previous Boeing-fielded launchers.

"The Raytheon-Boeing JAGM team has an affordable, simple design that meets the warfighter's requirements," said Bob Francois, Raytheon vice president of Advanced Missiles and Unmanned Systems. "Our three successful JAGM government test shots and this captive carry test prove the maturity of our missile system solution."  

During the tests, the JAGM launcher and IMVs were loaded on the Super Hornet's outboard wing station. The aircraft then flew representative mission profiles that a JAGM-armed Super Hornet might experience during a combat mission. As a necessary requirement for full envelope qualification, the test subjected the system to the harsh F/A-18 E/F flight environment: transonic speed, extreme cold and extreme vibrations.

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

Raytheon Company, with 2009 sales of $25 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 88 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 75,000 people worldwide.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $34 billion business with 68,000 employees worldwide. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.

www.raytheon.com

SOURCE Raytheon Company