Northrop Grumman is developing the Jackal, a turbojet-powered next gen missile designed for precision strikes. This versatile weapon features modular capabilities, allowing it to carry both lethal and non-lethal payloads.
Northrop Grumman introduced its new Jackal loitering munition for the first time at the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC) held in Tampa, Florida, in May 2022. Based on the information released at the time, Jackal features a speed in excess of 600 km/h, a range of 100 kilometers with a loiter time of 15 minutes. Its open architecture design allows for flexible integration of various warheads, electronic warfare (EW) systems, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) equipment. The system also supports a modular payload capacity of up to 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms).
The precision strike missile, developed in collaboration with AeroVironment, features avionics and mission control functionalities refined using the framework of the Switchblade 600, another loitering munition by AeroVironment.
The goal of the Jackal is to fill the gap between existing loitering munitions like the Switchblade 300 and 600, thanks to an increased range, speed, and versatility: while the Switchblade 300 is ideal for precision strikes at short ranges and the Switchblade 600 is better suited for anti-armor missions, the Jackal offers a balance of speed, endurance, and payload capacity as it can deliver heavier payloads over longer distances while maintaining the flexibility required for dynamic combat environments.
Moreover, its enhanced endurance makes Jackal an excellent choice for ISR missions, enabling it to loiter in contested environments and gather valuable intelligence for extended periods before striking.
Advanced Capabilities
“Today’s rapidly evolving threat landscape requires multi-domain solutions that are flexible survivable and capable of tactically responsive speeds to address these demands. Jackal is a next generation precision strike missile that delivers critical standoff capability in highly contested environments for launches from Air land and Maritime platforms with a range over 100 km,” says a new video about the loitering munition released by Northrop Grumman on Youtube.
The turbojet propulsion enabling speeds exceeding 600 km/h drastically cuts the time to target, allowing rapid response to emerging threats. This speed is essential for maintaining tactical advantage in dynamic combat situations.
The Jackal’s next-generation flight control system offers advanced features such as GPS-denied navigation and an automated targeting mechanism, which is fine-tuned for target recognition, acquisition, and enhanced situational awareness. Thanks to its modular payload design, the Jackal can deliver both lethal and non-lethal effects, outperforming traditional missile systems and other loitering munitions. Its payload options include intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) tools, electronic warfare (EW) suites, and advanced warheads, with a focus on survivability.
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Capable of highly agile flight, the Jackal operates autonomously and navigates through preset waypoints. It can be re-tasked mid-flight, offering flexibility in mission objectives, and once a target is identified, the Jackal rapidly accelerates for interception. This cutting-edge precision-strike munition offers unprecedented speed, range, and accuracy, setting new standards for tactical dominance on the battlefield.
Future Prospects and Military Interest
As reported in an article by Shepard Media in 2023, the development of the Jackal saw the loitering munition undergo a series of successful test flights in November 2022, with additional demonstrations planned for 2024. These tests aimed to further refine the system and showcase its capabilities in alignment with potential U.S. military requirements.
The development and unveiling of Jackal come at a time when the use of loitering munitions is on the rise globally, following extended use in the Ukrainian conflict. The Switchblade family of missiles have already proven their effectiveness in Ukraine, while the Russian military has employed a wide array of loitering munitions, including Iranian-made ones, in its campaign against Ukraine since the beginning. We have recently reported about Taiwan’s Hsiang delta-wing, push-propeller kamikaze drone, primarily used in a radar-killing and decoy variant, that are being mass produced.
As warfare continues to evolve, systems like the Jackal are expected to play an increasingly prominent role on the battlefield, offering modern militaries a cost-effective and adaptable option for precision strikes and surveillance.
