U.S. Navy has awarded $106 million contract to Raytheon for JSOW C-1 production

The U.S. Navy has awarded a $106 million contract to Raytheon Company for production of the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) C-1. JSOW is a family of low-cost air-to-ground weapons that employs an integrated GPS/Inertial Navigation System that guides the weapon to the target. JSOW C-1 adds moving maritime target capability and a two-way data link to the combat-proven JSOW. "With this contract award, the first network-enabled weapons in the world will be produced to meet warfighter requirements," said Cmdr. Andrew Kessler, JSOW deputy program manager in the U.S. Navy's Precision Strike Weapons program office. "The JSOW C-1 will maintain all the capabilities of the proven JSOW C configuration while bringing the flexibility to engage time-sensitive maritime targets". "The C-1 gives the warfighter tremendous employment flexibility," said Phyllis McEnroe, Raytheon's JSOW program director. "The JSOW family of weapons is currently integrated on a variety of platforms including the F/A-18 and several blocks of the F-16. JSOW is also scheduled for integration on the Joint Strike Fighter". The contract includes funding for fixed-price production of more than 350 weapons, container cables and test units. The award also includes $17.2 million to transition the factory from producing the JSOW C to the JSOW C-1. Production will begin in October, and all-up round delivery to the U.S. Navy and select coalition partners is expected to begin in March 2010.