Long-Range Missile Being Developed for US F-35 Scores Direct Hit in Test Firing

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – An air-launched missile that is being developed for the F-35 in a joint venture with a Norwegian defense company has successfully dodged a decoy and scored a direct hit on the intended target in a test firing from an F-16 jet, the US partner Raytheon announced in a press release.

"In the latest test conducted at the Utah Test and Training Range, an F-16 fired the missile that flew toward a pre-programmed target location, covering varied terrain and altitudes," the release said. "JSM's [Joint Strike Missile] seeker scanned the target area and instead of homing in on a dummy target, the missile diverted to hit the actual target."

Raytheon and Norway's Kongsberg Gruppen are teaming to develop JSM for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, beginning with F-16 integration, the release explained.

READ MORE: US 5th-Gen F-35 Jet's Price Reportedly Dips 6 Percent After Trump's Criticism

JSM is an upgraded version of the Naval Strike Missile that was originally developed for Norway's navy, and offered by Raytheon and Kongsberg for the US Navy's over-the-horizon weapon system, the release noted.

JSM is a long-distance, anti-ship missile configured to take on high-value, heavily defended land targets, according to the release.