An AGM-158A joint air-to-surface standoff missile (JASSM) was fitted to a USMC F/A-18 Hornet for the first time last week, marking a significant boost to the service’s strike capabilities and milestone for plans to modernize their Hornets to fight in contested environments.
The service identified in its 2022 Aviation Plan that acquiring the ability for Hornets to carry the cruise missiles was among its funding priorities for upgrades on the fighter jet. According to the Marine Corps, these modernization efforts “will increase survivability and lethality against both air and surface threats on the modern battlefield.”
“The integration of the AGM-158A joint air-to-surface standoff missile into the F/A-18’s arsenal significantly enhances the Hornet’s capabilities, enabling it to strike targets from well beyond the reach of enemy air defenses,” said Maj. Bradley Kirby, an aviation ordnance officer with 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing in a Marine Corps press release on the milestone.
JASSM outranges AGM-84H/K Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM-ER), the current long-range strike capability operated by the Marine Corps Hornet fleet. Based on the Cold War-era Harpoon, SLAM-ER could strike targets around 250 kilometers away. However, with the high-end threat of Chinese and Russian anti-access/area denial systems, the longer reach of JASSM and its stealthy features would enable Marine Hornets to provide a strike capability amid these modern challenges.
USMC Cpl. Danny Santelmo, an aircraft ordnance technician with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 232, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, unloads an AGM-158A joint air-to-surface standoff missile during the AGM-158A validation and verification at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, Aug. 27, 2024. VMFA-232 and Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 11, MAG-11, were the first Marine Corps units to conduct ordnance operations with the AGM-158A JASSM which is being incorporated into the F/A-18 Hornet ordnance arsenal. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Jennifer Sanchez)
Validation and verification trials for integrating JASSM, a low observable air-launched cruise missile produced by Lockheed Martin, were held at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California between August 27 and 28. Units involved in the tests, which included loading procedures and hardware and software integration, included Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 11 and Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 232. A live missile was used instead of a training variant during the tests as one was not available, according to the service’s release. As it was the Marine Corps first time handling JASSM, ordnance technicians recorded their experiences for a future loading manual that would inform future loading operations.
Warrant Officer Josiah Hood, an ordnance officer with VMFA-232, noted that the validation and verification process would not only inform the Marine Corps checklist but also the U.S. Navy’s “against future adversaries.” The Navy’s 2022 budget included the procurement of 25 JASSMs, which the service plans to integrate into its F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, F-35C Lightning IIs, and future F/A-XX.
While the USMC outlined in its 2022 Aviation Plan that it will sundown the Hornet fleet by 2030, the last major planned upgrade for its fleet is SCS-31C – 2024. This upgrade plan includes AESA radar integration, improved navigation, electronic warfare enhancements, and new networked-enabled and extended-range weaponry. Aside from JASSM, the weaponry integration includes upgraded variants of the Harpoon anti-ship missile and AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon C-1.
Despite a planned sundown, or retirement, to begin around 2030, the USMC has recognized that the modernization of the aging F/A-18s is needed due to requirements in the Indo-Pacific. Participation in exercises and testing Expeditionary Advanced Basing Operations concepts were noted by the service regarding the aircraft’s continued service and planned upgrades.
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