Missile AGM-179 JAGM

The AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) was developed to replace the BGM-71 TOW, AGM-114 Hellfire, and AGM-65 Maverick. It serves as a follow-on to the cancelled AGM-169 Joint Common Missile program. The United States Department of Defense initiated the program with a request for proposals in 2007, entering a technology development phase in 2008. The program survived budget reductions and a temporary withdrawal of Navy and Marine Corps participation between 2012 and 2014. Low-Rate Initial Production began in 2018. The system achieved Initial Operational Capability with the U.S. Marine Corps on March 1, 2022, and entered full-rate production in August 2022.

The missile utilizes the form factor of the Hellfire and is compatible with existing Hellfire production infrastructure. Its primary guidance system consists of a dual-mode seeker integrating semi-active laser and millimeter-wave radar. This allows for target acquisition using both methods within a single missile body. The JAGM-Medium Range (JAGM-MR) variant utilizes a tri-mode seeker, adding a Near Infrared sensor to the baseline guidance package. The AGM-187 JAGM-F is a variant designed for use by fixed-wing aircraft. The system is capable of being launched from helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, fixed-wing aircraft, and maritime vertical launch systems.

The JAGM is deployed across the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. Primary launch platforms include the AH-1Z Viper, AH-64 Apache, MQ-1C Gray Eagle, and MQ-9 Reaper. The missile has been exported to several countries, including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Poland, primarily for use on AH-64E Apache helicopters. In June 2024, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit conducted a live-fire exercise in the Indo-Pacific region, where an AH-1Z fired a missile to strike a moving towed target vessel. The missile is also being integrated into maritime platforms, such as the Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship, through the use of vertical launch modules.