USAF kills its need for the F-35

Back in 2007, this program was in trouble.

Today? How many JASSM-ERs can you buy for every faulty and expensive F-35?

"The extended range it provides gives air crews a larger number of options during a mission. This missile can fly into heavily defended areas so our aircraft don't have to."

"While other long range weapons may have the capability of reaching targets within the same range, they are not as survivable as the low observable JASSM-ER," Bandy said. "The stealth design of the missile allows it to survive through high-threat, well-defended enemy airspace. The B-1's effectiveness is increased because high-priority targets deeper into heavily defended areas are now vulnerable."

"Being able to keep our aircraft and aircrews safer is passed on to whoever might be supporting us in the battlespace," Datzman said. "If we don't have to put ourselves at risk by flying into heavily defended areas to reach a target, neither do the fighter aircraft that might be alongside us."

USAF's JASSM talking points:

• JASSM is an autonomous, long-range, conventional, air-to-ground, precision standoff missile for the U.S. Air Force
• The JASSM is designed to destroy high-value, well-defended, fixed and relocatable targets
• The extended range missile (AGM-158B) is identical to the JASSM (AGM-158A) on the outside, internally however, a more fuel-efficient turbofan engine and additional fuel on board enables the bomb to destroy targets at more the two-and-a-half times the distance of the original JASSM