Tucson-based Raytheon Missile Systems said Wednesday it has completed "captive carry testing" of the Joint Standoff Weapon Extended Range, a powered version of the precision-guided glide bomb known as the JSOW.
Raytheon said the test proved the company will be able to deliver on a recently awarded $4.1 million U.S. Navy contract to conduct a free-flight demonstration of the JSOW-ER in 2009.
JSOW-ER is designed with a range of 345 miles at a per-unit cost of about $350,000 in 2007 dollars, Raytheon said.
During the Raytheon-funded test, a JSOW-ER was loaded onto an A-4 Skyhawk fighter aircraft, and the weapon's engine was ignited at 25,000 feet. The aircraft then flew simulated combat maneuvers to subject the weapon to real-world variables such as wind, vibration and extreme temperatures.