Navy Proposes Pulling Out of JASSM Program

Defense Daily 10/20/04
author: Amy Butler

The Navy has proposed in its FY '06 budget plan pulling out of a cooperative effort with the Air Force to buy the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) made by Lockheed Martin [LMT], as the missile remains off of flight status due to difficulties in tests earlier this year.

JASSM is the Pentagon's next-generation, air-launched and stealthy cruise missile for use on a variety of strike aircraft. Despite being hailed as an acquisition success due to its rapid run through development and earning Pentagon approval in May to move to full-rate production, the program has been facing trouble since earlier this year when it encountered complications during flight tests. The missile remains suspended from flight tests, according to Jake Swinson, a spokesman for the Air Armament Center, which is overseeing the weapons development from Eglin AFB, Fla.

The missile's reliability issues prompted congressional appropriators to slash $8.3 million, equal to 57 missiles, from the Air Force's procurement budget in FY '05 (Defense Daily, July 23).

The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and the Joint Staff are reviewing the Navy's proposal, although officials decline to discuss the FY '06 budget plan before it is released to Congress in February. The Navy's proposal must still pass muster by a host of analysts in OSD, and some officials there could advocate keeping the effort joint.

Lt. John Schofield, a Navy spokesman, said the service's FY '06 investment plans are "predecisional" until revealed next year, and he declined to provide comment on the issue.

During last year's budget review, then Pentagon Comptroller Dov Zakheim approved a one-year slip to the Navy's JASSM procurement funding from FY '07 to FY '08 (Defense Daily, Jan. 6). The Navy's FY '06 to FY '11 spending proposal suggests eliminating that JASSM money in FY '08 and beyond.