The AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) is manufactured by Raytheon Company and gives a precision strike, launch and leave capability. The JSOW has a stand-off range of around 12 miles when launched at low altitude and around 70 miles when launched at altitude. The weapon weighs around 1,000 lbs. and has different payloads depending on which variant it is. The AGM-154A carries 145 BLU-97 sub-munitions and is used to attack fixed and moveable soft targets such as parked aircraft, trucks, APCs and surface to air missile sites. The AGM-154C is equipped with a 500 lb. blast/fragmentation/penetrator warhead and is used to attack fixed point targets such as buildings and hardened tactical targets. The JSOW uses a global position/inertial navigation system for guidance and the C model has a terminal IR seeker. The Block II AGM-154C also has an enhanced electronics package to prevent spoofing of GPS signals. Over 400 JSOWs have been used in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq since it entered service in 1999. (US Navy Fact File)

This set provides two of the Block II version of AGM-154C JSOW. Each weapon consists of 4 resin parts (missile body, wings and over-wing fairing) and 6 photo-etch brass tailfins. As the wings are only deployed after the weapon has been launched or for a static display on the ground, I superglued the wings in the folded position and then attached the over-wing fairing/cover. Next I attached the two horizontal tail fins and once these were set, I attached the other 4 fins in an “X” configuration.

Painting is simple as the weapon is FS 36375 overall. A quick shot of Future and you are ready to apply the decals, both of them. As there are so few decals needed, it looks like Eduard decided that it was more economical to print all of the decals for both the Block I and the Block II sets on one small decal sheet instead of two separate ones. They have even provided enough of each decal that t you can decal two Block I’s and two Block II’s from the same decal sheet, so now I have one extra decal sheet in my spare decal box. The decals conform very nicely to the weapons with a little help from Micro Sol and Micro Set and once dry, they were sealed with a coat of Testors flat. I then applied a thin black wash to highlight the panel lines and fasteners. I also built Eduard’s AGM-154A/C Block I set at the same time and I have included a photograph comparing the two weapons.

This is another nice set from Eduard depicting modern air-to-mud weapons and will look very nice under the wings of a Hornet, Super Hornet, Viper or Warthog. Recommended

Thank you to Eduard for the sample and to IPMS-USA for letting me review it.