Jane Edwards
Lockheed Martin has signed a contract with Turkey-based weapon maker Roketsan to develop an air-to-surface cruise missile for incorporation into the internal weapons compartment of Block 4-configured F-35 jets.
Lockheed said Wednesday the SOM-J missile has an infrared imaging seeker, terrain- and inertial-based navigation tools and GPS technology.
The contract will allow both companies to offer the missile to international customers through a technical assistance agreement.
SOM-J will work to help F-35 “pilots to engage targets from long ranges while maintaining the aircraft’s critical stealth capabilities,†said Frank St. John, vice president of missiles and fire control at Lockheed.
Lockheed and Roketsan will perform initial flight tests of the weapon onboard Turkey’s F-16 fighters.
