An American defense giant has introduced a modular airframe to widen launch and payload options for its AGM-158 cruise missile family.
Called the AGM-158 FLEX, the modular airframe is developed by Lockheed Martin.
AGM-158 FLEX airframe
“Our AGM-158 FLEX airframe concept is our way to provide a modular and versatile system for our current and future AGM-158 customers,” said Lockheed Martin in a statement.
“We have invested more than $35 million in designing and qualifying combat-proven Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) subsystems into a new, modular airframe concept that will allow customers to quickly integrate capabilities that fit their needs the most. The investment included concept development, airframe design, testing, prototype production and standing up key suppliers.”
FLEX airframe solution will allow for removable nose cones
Lockheed Martin claims that its FLEX airframe solution will allow for removable nose cones that house the JASSM and Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) sensor suites and a removable boat tail that can be configured for surface, sub-surface and ground launch configurations in addition to JASSM and LRASM’s existing air-launched configuration. The air-launched configuration will be specifically designed to leverage existing compatibility with all current and future JASSM and LRASM air-launched platforms.
The FLEX airframe will also have varying sizes with a 206” extreme range option, JASSM-XR, and a 168” option consistent with JASSM-ER. The first configuration of the FLEX airframe is the JASSM-XR, part of our more than $35 million investment, which will offer significantly increased standoff attack range to the U.S. military and its allies.
The company claimed that the AGM-158 FLEX will use the mature, world-class JASSM and LRASM production line, established supply chain, and mission planning and software infrastructure, to ensure FLEX can be produced and delivered with urgency and at scale.
Lockheed also highlighted that its FLEX airframe will provide a modular airframe that gets ahead of subcomponent obsolescence, provides future capability enhancements to outpace threats and enable scalability at the production factory.
The company says the boat-tail configuration could support surface, subsurface and ground-launch configurations, while the air-launched version is intended to maintain compatibility with existing and future JASSM and LRASM aircraft platforms.
This architecture is significant because it treats the missile airframe as a configurable platform rather than a single-purpose product.
In practical terms, Lockheed Martin is seeking to create an architecture in which different sensors, propulsion-related components, launch configurations and other subsystems can potentially be incorporated as requirements evolve.
Lockheed Martin says the JASSM-XR configuration is intended to provide the U.S. military and its allies with significantly increased standoff attack range.
The emphasis on standoff capability reflects the broader evolution of modern air warfare, in which aircraft may need to employ weapons from greater distances while operating in environments protected by increasingly sophisticated air-defense systems.
However, the FLEX concept is broader than simply extending missile range. Its central objective is to establish a common architecture that can accommodate multiple future requirements.
