U.S. and Netherlands strike deal for JASSM-ER missiles

The U.S. and Netherlands have formalised a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LoA) agreement for the purchase of Lockheed Martin’s Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range (JASSM-ER).

According to a press release, this agreement marks the Netherlands as the fifth international customer for the JASSM-ER system.

Scott Redmerski, JASSM program director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “We’re honoured to partner with the U.S. Government to provide the Netherlands Armed Forces with the combat-proven and mission-effective weapon system to meet their ever-evolving strategic defence needs.”

The JASSM-ER, an advanced generation of the missile system, boasts enhancements to both hardware and software, providing increased capabilities and more flexible options to support diverse mission sets.

With over 20 years of successful collaboration with the U.S. Air Force, the company say that JASSM continues to deliver significant long-range, precision engagement capabilities for air-to-ground missions.

The system is designed to destroy high-value, well-defended targets from a significant standoff range, ensuring aircrews remain out of danger from hostile air defence systems without compromising lethality or reach.

According to the U.S. Military, The Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) Extended Range (ER) is a next-generation cruise missile enabling the U.S. Air Force to destroy the enemy’s war-sustaining capabilities from outside its area air defences.

There are multiple variants that make up the JASSM family of missiles; AGM-158A baseline (BL), AGM-158B Extended Range (ER), AGM-158B-2, and AGM-158D. It is precise, lethal, survivable, flexible, and adverse-weather capable.

They add that the system allows both fighter and bomber aircraft to strike critical, high-value, heavily defended targets early in a campaign.