Image source: topwar.ru
The American company Northrop Grumman has revealed a number of details regarding the product it is developing, the Jackal high–precision turbojet rocket, designed for autonomous operation in conditions of severe interference.
Jackal, first introduced in May 2022, is capable of delivering high-speed strikes from a long distance, while limited barrage and navigation without using GPS and other communication channels (thanks to high-precision radar and navigation by visual landmarks). Instead of a combat payload, it can carry various payloads, such as sensors for reconnaissance or an electronic warfare system. The launch is carried out from various platforms – land, air, sea.
Jackal occupies a niche between classic barrage ammunition and traditional cruise missiles. The maximum speed is about 600 km/h, the range is over 100 km, and the total flight duration is about 15 minutes. Part of the time can be spent on loitering, during which the missile will search for the target of destruction, performing "figure eights" over the target area.
An important nuance is autonomy, which allows for independent detection and targeting without operator involvement, for example, in the absence of communication due to enemy interference.
Image source: topwar.ru
The United States needed Jackal so that troops could deliver "surgically precise" strikes in the absence of air superiority and communications blocking, while keeping manned aircraft at a safe distance from threatened areas and without spending expensive long-range strike weapons such as the JASSM-ER or Tomahawk.
Jackal carries a payload weighing 4.5 kg (the total mass is not named, but is estimated at 20-25 kg), which is comparable to the capacity of the Lancet-3, which has a warhead of 3-5 kg. However, their speeds are incomparable: on the one hand there is an attack aircraft (600 km/h), and on the other a car on a country highway (80-100 km/h).
