The Government Accountability Office has urged the Defense Department to defer a production decision on the extended-range variant of the Air Force’s Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile until DOD officials re-evaluate the JASSM program’s affordability and cost-effectiveness. DOD has tentatively scheduled a review in November to decide whether JASSM-ER is ready to enter low-rate production. “A reevaluation of the JASSM program, given that most of its costs have yet to be incurred, is warranted before the decision to produce the JASSM-ER is made,” reads GAO’s October report. GAO acknowledges that the baseline JASSM’s performance has “significantly” improved since 2007 and that the JASSM-ER has done well in its testing so far. But it still has concerns over cost growth in the program. DOD, responding to GAO’s recommendation, asserted that JASSM-ER is ready for a production decision and has met expectations in flight tests. (Lockheed statement)
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
