F-35A Takes to the Skies: Unleashing Precision with Joint Strike Missiles

(Source: Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency – FMA) – Forsvarsmateriell, the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency, successfully conducted test drops of the JSM missile from the F-35A in the California desert at Edwards Air Force Base in February.

Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace (KDA) is actively working on the development of the JSM. This testing was part of a program aimed at integrating the JSM into the F-35, under the Joint Program Office (JPO) that oversees the F-35 collaborative initiative, in close partnership with U.S. authorities.

The initial phases of the JSM integration process have been directly contracted with U.S. officials. Testing commenced in 2020, involving drops from stationary aircraft onto a foam rubber pit. Recently, the first air drop was executed.

“During this initial drop, we confirmed that the JSM can be detached from an F-35A safely. For this purpose, we utilized an instrumented aircraft,” stated Brigadier Jarle Nergård, head of the F-35 department within the Defence Materiel Agency. This aircraft is equipped with various sensors to monitor speed, movement, and vibration, alongside recording data communications related to the weapon.

“This aircraft is also outfitted with three cameras inside the weapons bay and an additional camera pod mounted on the wing with three more cameras. To facilitate detailed analysis of the events occurring during the drop, both the aircraft and the JSM missile are marked with specialized photo markers that are precisely positioned. From the video footage, we can observe how the JSM missile behaves as it exits the F-35A weapons bay,” Nergård elaborates.

Comprehensive Testing

Additionally, KDA has equipped the missile with instruments to record all movements, transmitting data via a link to the ground. The F-35A is similarly instrumented, allowing for precise monitoring of the aircraft’s performance during the same timeframe, with this data also relayed groundward. A chase aircraft, specifically a two-seat F-16 piloted with a cameraman in the rear seat, films all occurrences from a close distance.

All this data and video content undergoes further examination by the Norwegian team (FMA, KDA, FFI). The U.S. Air Force Seek Eagle Office (AFSEO) oversees the JSM integration into the F-35A, and the information from the aircraft along with video footage is scrutinized by AFSEO and the test squadron at Edwards Air Force Base. This data is then compared against previously developed models by KDA and AFSEO.

“We commence with basic tests, progressively introducing more complex conditions around the separation from the aircraft. The missile has already undergone thorough testing across its ‘flight envelope’, yet some upcoming tests with the F-35 will also include extended free-flight evaluations for the missile,” Brigadier Jarle Nergård concludes.