90-degree vertical launch of JAGM demonstrated from quad launcher for counter-UAS use
NewsJanuary 16, 2026
CHINA LAKE, California. Lockheed Martin conducted a demonstration of a 90-degree vertical launch of a Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) from its JAGM Quad Launcher (JQL) at China Lake, California, the company announced in a statement.
During the event, the company says the missile was used in an engagement intended to show its ability to neutralize an uncrewed aerial system (UAS) threat. Lockheed Martin also used the demonstration to show the launcher’s configuration flexibility, with the JQL mounted on a Richard Childress Racing 6x6 “Mothership” vehicle, the statement reads.
Lockheed Martin states the test was aimed at validating full vertical-launch operation for JAGM from multiple platform types, including surface-combatant vessels, to enable a 360-degree engagement envelope. The company says the missile uses a dual-mode seeker that combines semi-active laser (SAL) guidance with millimeter-wave (MMW) sensing. Lockheed Martin adds that the JAGM/JQL integration is intended to support counter-uncrewed threats beyond aerial targets, including unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), and to enable employment across air, land, and sea environments, the statement adds.
