Officials from the US and the Netherlands have formalized a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LoA) for the purchase of Lockheed Martin’s Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range (AGM-158 JASSM-ER).
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency approved the potential sale in February 2024, allowing the Netherlands to acquire up to 120 AGM-158B/B-2 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles with Extended Range (JASSM-ER). The deal was valued at up to $908 million, though the final number of missiles was not specified.
“We’re honored to partner with the US Government to provide the Netherlands Armed Forces with a combat-proven and mission-effective weapon system to meet their ever-evolving strategic defense needs,” said Scott Redmerski, JASSM Program Director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.
The weapon will be employed by the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft operated by the Royal Netherlands Air Force.
This agreement marks the Netherlands as the fifth international customer for the JASSM. Other operators include the US, Australia, Finland, and Poland. Japan is reportedly in the process of acquiring the platform to arm its F-15J jets.
What is the JASSM?
The AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) is a long-range, precision-guided missile developed by Lockheed Martin. It is designed to engage high-value, well-defended targets, offering a significant standoff range that allows aircrews to remain beyond the reach of enemy air defense systems while effectively destroying targets.
The missile features stealth characteristics, a blast fragmentation warhead, and a dual-mode penetrator. It weighs approximately 1,000 kilograms (about 2,200 pounds) and can carry warheads up to 450 kilograms (about 1,000 pounds).
According to Lockheed Martin, the Extended Range (ER) version, JASSM-ER, includes hardware and software enhancements and an extended range of over 900 kilometers (over 500 miles).