DoD moves forward with JAGM

September 22, 2008 by Dagpotter · Comment
Filed under: Boeing, Contract Awards, Military Aviation, Raytheon, U.S. Army, development program 

The US Army gave a joint team of Raytheon and Boeing a contract to continue the development of the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM). The JAGM is the replacement for the failed Joint Common Missile (JCM) system that was canceled two years ago. JAGM will supplement Hellfire and be able to be fired from rotary and fixed wing aircraft. The contract is for the initial development phase of the program and will complete with the delivery of 3 prototypes and test firings.

See RTT News for the story.

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Army to buy more CH-47 aircraft

August 26, 2008 by Dagpotter · Comment
Filed under: Boeing, Contract Awards, Military Aviation, U.S. Army, production program 

The Army awarded Boeing a 5 year contract for CH-47F cargo helicopters. The number procured is 181 with 10 options. There will also likely be some FMS sales from this contract. The CH-47F is the latest variant of the helicopter with sophisticated avionics and improved capabilities. 48 have been built to date. The CH-47F is one of the programs that was birthed from the Comanche termination. The others being the UH-60M, UH-72A and the JCA fixed wing aircraft. The CH-47F is especially effective in Afghanistan due to its high altitude and temperature capabilities.

To see the press release go to the Wall Street Journal’s MarketWatch here.

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Two rivals team together for missile contract

April 14, 2008 by Dagpotter · Comment
Filed under: Boeing, Department of Defense, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman Corp., Raytheon, development program 

Two of America’s largest defense contractors will join together to pursue the next generation air launched missile. Raytheon and Boeing announced that they signed a teaming agreement to prepare for the Joint Air to Ground Munition (JAGM) development program. See the press release here. The JAGM will replace Hellfire and Maverick missiles for launch from both fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. JAGM is at the early stages of its life and was started after the failure of the Joint Common Missile (JCM) program. See this for more on that. There is certainly no denying that the aging Hellfire and Maverick need replacing, although the Hellfire especially has seen a lot of use from OH-58D, AH-64 and Predator UAV in Afghanistan and Iraq. If Boeing and Raytheon team that leaves Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics as the only other US companies that might bid on such a program.

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