Key Points and Summary – The Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile is at the center of what Brent Eastwood calls the coming “Kinetic Missile Fight” — a future where airpower is defined less by dogfights and more by long-range, precision cruise missiles.
-Fielded on everything from B-2s and B-52s to F-15s, F-16s, F/A-18s and now Marine Hornets, JASSM and its extended-range variants let U.S. forces hit high-value, heavily defended targets from hundreds of miles away.
F-35 Fighter With LRASM Missiles. Image Credit: Lockheed Martin.
-With LRASM for anti-ship missions and Rapid Dragon palletized launch concepts, JASSM is becoming a core tool for striking terrorists, crippling infrastructure, and deterring adversaries in the Indo-Pacific and potentially Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Makes the Enemy Pay
Future warfare trends are transforming into a state of affairs that I call the “Kinetic Missile Fight.”
This means that opposing forces will depend on beyond visual-range standoff missiles launched from airplanes that would normally just fire close-in missiles in dogfights or drop bombs for air support missions to save ground troops.
The United States has much riding on its Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM).
This is an ultra-fast, air-launched cruise missile that packs a punch, keeping the enemy ducking for cover. There is also an extended-range version and a surface-ship-killer model called the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM).
Many Warplanes Deploy It
The JASSM and its variants can be launched from a wide range of warplanes, from fighters to bombers.
The B-2, B-52, F-15, F-16, and F/A-18 can deploy it. F-35s will eventually deploy the LRASM. F-22s have also fielded the base model JASSM in combat against targets in Syria.
Quick Facts on the JASSM
The JASSM cruise missile is 14 feet long with a wingspan of 8 feet. It has a 1,000-pound WDU-42/B penetrating warhead.
The different variants use either turbofan or turbojet engines. The JASSM base model has a range of 229 miles, while the extended range “ER” has a combat radius of 621 miles.
JASSM Missile National Security Journal Photo
A B-1B Lancer with a Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) flies in the skies above Edwards Air Force Base, California, Nov. 20. The flight was a demonstration of the B-1B’s external weapons carriage capabilities. (Air Force photo by Ethan Wagner)
The JASSM has been in service since 2009 and has been used by Poland, Australia, Finland, and the United States.
Sneaking Past Air Defenses
The JASSM dates back to 1998 and was first tested in 2006. “The JASSM employs a low-observable airframe designed to defeat various targets, including enemy air defenses. The missile’s low-profile airframe is particularly important given the proliferation of sophisticated air defenses such as the S-300 (and newer variants). The JASSM-ER will eventually incorporate a weapons data link (WDL) into the missile allowing for course corrections after launch. This is a critical upgrade for road-mobile and maritime targets,” CSIS wrote.
There is an extreme-range model that became operational in 2024, with a range of 1,118 miles. These later variants feature improved propulsion systems and more fuel. The warheads can penetrate deeply and produce high levels of fragmentation. The JASSM has an infrared seeker and is guided by an internal navigation system and GPS.
“It also incorporates three-dimensional targeting models of the intended targets, of which eight can be stored in each missile. The Air Force indicates that the missile is accurate within 3 m CEP,” CSIS claims.
Terrorists and WMD Producers Are Fearful
The JASSM was first used in combat in 2018 by two B-1B Lancer bombers. The missiles struck the Barzah Research and Development Center in Syria to blow up the chemical weapons facility there. A whopping 19 JASSMs were launched to destroy the center.
The JASSM was also deployed in the 2019 mission to eliminate ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s home. One interesting use of JASSMs is their deployment on an MC-130J Commando. The “Rapid Dragon” launch system is especially deadly to ground combatants.
The Marine Corps Joins the Party
The US Marine Corps now deploys JASSMs on its F/A-18 Hornets. The Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 232 was the first unit to have the cruise missiles in the Corps.
“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 Major Bradley Kirby, an aviation ordnance officer with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, according to a Marine Corps news release.
This will be one of the Marine Corps’ go-to weapons should there be a conflict in the Indo-Pacific. Indeed, the Marines are now more interested in the Kinetic Missile Fight. They have made ballistic missiles a priority for defending against amphibious attacks. Air cover from Marine Hornets will be essential to preventing the enemy from counterattacking the Marine landing zones established during amphibious landings.
Meanwhile, the Air Force will continue to deploy JASSM for stealthy, ultra-rapid attacks on high-value targets against terrorists and weapons of mass destruction facilities. This weapon has a bright future in the Kinetic Missile Fight.
The air-launch quality makes it one to remember as the United States considers its capabilities heading into a potential fracas in the Indo-Pacific.
It is accurate and lethal. The extended-range and extremely long-range models can only improve over time as the Air Force and Marine Corps use them to support ground personnel. The JASSM is a modern battlefield tool and is combat-proven.
The newer extended range will keep the enemy guessing. The anti-ship LRASM is highly valued as well.
We’ll watch to see if these weapons are fully funded in future budget requests from the Air Force and Marine Corps. Even the Navy now has the JASSM.
The maritime branch brought it into service in 2021. This is a weapon with much potential in future conflict, and it has progressed nicely over the years into a versatile missile that can make the enemy pay the price.
About the Author: Brent M. Eastwood
Author of now over 3,000 articles on defense issues, Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
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