Joint Air-to-Ground Missile
Lockheed Martin precision-guided missile built to replace both the Hellfire and Longbow families
Two Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles were fired from a Saildrone Surveyor-class uncrewed vessel at RIMPAC 2026, announced on 20 August, the first missile launch from one of Saildrone's boats. No fleet programme yet funds the pairing of JAGM and the Surveyor.
Last refreshed: 7 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Timeline for Joint Air-to-Ground Missile
Mentioned in: Stark and MBDA plan Sea Venom on a USV
Autonomous Systems: Land & SeaSaildrone fires two JAGMs at RIMPAC
Autonomous Systems: Land & SeaBackground
Lockheed Martin and Saildrone fired two Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles from a Surveyor-class uncrewed vessel during RIMPAC 2026, at a surrogate high-speed surface craft, and announced it on 20 August 2026. The US Navy's remotely operated ARES combat system handled weapons control. Saildrone called it the first missile launch from one of its vessels. Stark Defence and MBDA, which announced plans on 30 September to Arm a 12m boat with Sea Venom missiles, start behind that trial record.
Lockheed Martin describes JAGM as the next-generation replacement for both the Hellfire and LONGBOW missiles, combining their roles in one weapon. It pairs semi-active laser and millimetre-wave guidance, with a range of 8km, or 16km for the JAGM-MR variant. The missile was cleared for full-rate production in 2022, and Lockheed won a $720m JAGM and Hellfire production contract in 2025.
The RIMPAC shot moved an established helicopter and ground-vehicle missile onto a wind-powered survey hull. It showed that the two suppliers can join their equipment in an exercise; no navy has yet funded the combination as a programme.
