Lockheed Martin Conducts First 90-degree Launch Of Joint Air-to-Ground Missile from Quad Launcher

Lockheed Martin has conducted its first 90-degree vertical launch of a Joint Air-to-Ground Missile during a demonstration at the U.S. Navy’s China Lake test range in California.

The missile was fired from the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile Quad Launcher mounted on a Richard Childress Racing 6x6 “Mothership” vehicle and was used to engage an unmanned aerial system target.

This test validates the missile’s ability to launch vertically across multiple platforms, including surface combatant vessels, providing a 360-degree defensive envelope for maritime and land-based platforms. The missile can be used to counter unmanned aerial systems, unmanned surface vehicles, and other airborne threats.

The demonstration also showed how the missile and launcher can be integrated across air, sea, and land environments, allowing operators to tailor deployment options based on mission requirements.