Israel Plans to Acquire JASSM Cruise Missiles

Israel’s Ministry of Defense is in advanced talks with the United States to procure Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM), two sources in the country’s defense establishment have told Globes.

The JASSM missiles could significantly enhance Israel’s capability to carry out long-range strikes, both on Iranian territory and against Houthi positions in Yemen, from where ballistic missiles are being launched toward the country.

The JASSM-ER (Extended Range) variant has a strike range of over 900 kilometers, allowing fighter jets, including the F-35, to launch the missiles without entering enemy airspace.

In addition to the F-35, JASSM missiles can also be used by other types of Israeli Air Force aircraft, including the F-15 and F-16. This will allow for a more effective allocation of aerial resources according to combat missions.

JASSM could become an important addition to Israel’s existing arsenal, which already includes domestically developed systems such as the Delilah-GL cruise missile with a range of up to 180 kilometers and Jericho ballistic missiles.

However, unlike the Jericho missiles, which are typically considered strategic weapons for extreme scenarios, JASSM offers flexibility for conducting precise conventional strikes.

It is worth noting that against the backdrop of the current administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, which actively promotes arms exports and shows a willingness to sell long-range munitions to allies, the chances of successfully finalizing the deal appear to be quite high.

It should be noted that with Donald Trump’s rise to power, arms export opportunities to Israel were expanded, whereas previously there had been certain restrictions — particularly regarding the supply of 1,000-kilogram Mk.84 bombs.

Militarnyi previously reported that the U.S. State Department had approved a major sale of aircraft and helicopter weapons to Israel.

As part of Israel’s request, the United States approved the possible sale of 4,966 aircraft bombs and 3,000 AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missiles for AH-64 Apache helicopters.

In addition, it is planned to purchase high-precision JDAM kits for various types of aircraft bombs, including Mk.84, concrete-piercing BLU-109 and GBU-38v1.