Efforts To Revive Joint Common Missile Seen Making Progress

The Joint Common Missile (JCM) has achieved several recent technical and political victories, giving prime contractor Lockheed Martin hope that the program will continue in some form despite being targeted for termination by the Pentagon.

Rick Edwards, director of tactical missiles at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, said June 23 that all 17 JCM subsystems have successfully completed their preliminary design reviews (PDRs), keeping the program on track for a system-level PDR June 29-30.

"Since all 17 pieces have been successful, I have no doubt that [the system-level PDR] will be successful as well," Edwards said at a press briefing. "All the criteria that were laid out in this program by [the Office of the Secretary of Defense] have been met."

Also on June 23, Lockheed Martin said that a JCM warhead detonated in a recent test destroyed a reinforced concrete building but left nearby cameras undamaged, illustrating the missile's ability to minimize civilian casualties in urban warfare.

Recent tests also have shown that the missile can be carried safely on aircraft that would use the weapon, Edwards said.

Hill boosts

JCM also has received several boosts on Capitol Hill. Although the Defense Department has proposed killing the $5 billion program as part of a larger money-saving package, House defense authorizers have urged DOD to reconsider, and House appropriators have approved $50 million for JCM in fiscal 2006.