U.S. Tests JAGM Vertical Launch Missile in First-Ever Counter-Drone Intercept.

U.S. Company Lockheed Martin announced on January 15, 2026, that its Joint Air-to-Ground Missile successfully completed its first 90-degree vertical launch from a new quad launcher during a live-fire test in California. The demonstration signals a major expansion of JAGM beyond traditional air-to-ground missions and into the rapidly growing counter-unmanned aerial system fight.

Lockheed Martin, based in the United States, says the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) has successfully completed its first-ever vertical launch, marking a significant evolution for a weapon long associated with helicopter and fixed-wing strike missions. The test, conducted at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, used the company’s newly developed JAGM Quad Launcher and culminated in the missile intercepting and destroying a drone target, validating the system’s potential as a ground-based precision solution for countering small and medium-sized unmanned threats.
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Lockheed Martin’s Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) launches vertically from a vehicle-mounted JAGM Quad Launcher (JQL) during a live-fire test at China Lake, California. The demonstration marked the first successful 90-degree vertical launch of JAGM from a ground platform, showcasing its counter-UAS capability. (Picture source: Lockheed Martin)

The JAGM (Joint Air-to-Ground Missile) is the U.S. Department of Defense’s next-generation air-to-ground missile solution, designed to replace the legacy AGM-114 Hellfire, AGM-65 Maverick, and BGM-71 TOW. It features a multi-mode seeker that combines semi-active laser (SAL) guidance with millimeter-wave radar (MMW) tracking, enabling both precision strike and fire-and-forget engagement capabilities. With this dual-mode seeker, JAGM can accurately engage static and moving targets in degraded visual environments and electronic warfare conditions.

While originally developed to defeat armored vehicles, fortified positions, and fast-moving ground targets, the JAGM’s seeker and control system offer capabilities well-suited to detect and engage small aerial threats. In the China Lake demonstration, Lockheed Martin showcased this adaptability by engaging a UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) with a vertical-launch profile from a vehicle-mounted system, marking a technological leap that now aligns the missile with the Pentagon’s shifting priorities in counter-drone warfare.

The JAGM Quad Launcher (JQL) used in the test was integrated onto a 6x6 tactical vehicle platform and can carry four ready-to-fire missiles. Its compact, modular design supports integration across various platforms, including mobile ground vehicles, maritime vessels, and potentially even expeditionary bases or containerized launch cells. The successful 90-degree vertical launch not only proves JAGM’s compatibility with naval-style launch concepts but also demonstrates the missile’s ability to transition from a cold launch to rapid seeker acquisition and target tracking in 360-degree engagement scenarios.

What distinguishes JAGM in the counter-UAS role is its advanced targeting architecture. The MMW radar seeker allows for all-weather autonomous engagement, while the SAL channel can be used to precisely strike high-value or moving aerial targets designated by forward observers, drones, or other networked systems. This versatility is especially important for defeating agile, low-RCS (radar cross-section) drones, including Group 2 and Group 3 UASs, which are increasingly used for reconnaissance, loitering strikes, and swarm attacks.

As drone threats have become a defining challenge for modern militaries, current short-range air defense systems are being re-evaluated to address faster, smaller, and more elusive aerial targets. The JAGM, originally not designed for air defense, now demonstrates the potential to fill a critical gap in counter-UAS missions where more expensive air defense interceptors are overkill and less precise options are inadequate. Its relatively compact size, seeker accuracy, and plug-and-play launcher system offer a promising new capability for forward-deployed ground units, naval ships, and expeditionary forces operating in contested airspace.

In terms of development, the JAGM program has undergone a deliberate and modular evolution. Initially fielded with rotary-wing aircraft such as the AH-64 Apache and MQ-1C Gray Eagle, the system has steadily expanded its platform compatibility through incremental upgrades. Lockheed Martin’s integration of JAGM into surface launchers has opened the door to land-based and maritime configurations, with this latest vertical-launch demonstration representing a key milestone. The JAGM’s warhead remains effective against lightly armored and soft targets, while its guidance package is now being leveraged for high-precision drone intercepts in complex terrain or congested electromagnetic environments.

Moreover, as the U.S. military increasingly emphasizes joint all-domain command and control (JADC2), the JAGM’s digital architecture and network-enabled targeting make it suitable for integration with layered defense systems. On a future battlefield where data links connect sensors and shooters in real time, JAGM could operate alongside radar systems, counter-drone jammers, and loitering munitions to create a dynamic, responsive defensive network.

Looking ahead, the success of this test sets the stage for broader evaluation and potential deployment of JAGM as a C-UAS asset, particularly for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, which require compact and mobile solutions for expeditionary and littoral environments. Its demonstrated effectiveness against UAS targets could also influence procurement decisions for allied militaries seeking modular counter-drone capabilities that don’t require major infrastructure or complex logistics.

The vertical-launch capability is particularly significant for naval vessels, island-based missile batteries, and austere environments where space and mobility are at a premium. The JQL system, by enabling rapid deployment and flexible launch geometry, enhances survivability and reduces vulnerability to saturation attacks, which are increasingly carried out with drone swarms or low-flying unmanned assets.

With JAGM in full-rate production and successfully expanding beyond its original tactical role, Lockheed Martin appears to be positioning the missile as a central element in future air defense architectures focused on flexibility, interoperability, and rapid threat engagement. The January 2026 demonstration confirms that JAGM is not just an evolution of the Hellfire line, but a reconfigurable precision weapon system that can operate across domains and deliver effects against a broader spectrum of threats than originally envisioned.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.