On March 25, 2026, in the vast and challenging waters of the Pacific Ocean, AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing conducted a test firing of the AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) as part of Exercise Steel Knight 25.
This was one of the key and most impressive exercises of the drill. Viper pilots launched high-precision guided AGM-179 missiles at simulated targets on the sea and land. With its multi-target attack capability from long range, the JAGM not only significantly expands the combat radius of the AH-1Z platform but also enhances its sea-denial capabilities – the ability to effectively deter and destroy enemy forces at sea.

Exercise Steel Knight is a major annual exercise of the U.S. Marine Corps, aimed at strengthening coordination between the Navy and the Marine Corps, enhancing multi-domain integration, and maintaining a high level of combat readiness for the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF). The successful integration of JAGM into the AH-1Z Viper provides a significant strategic advantage: the attack helicopter can now accurately strike mobile and stationary targets, both on land and at sea, from a safer distance, protecting friendly forces and denying enemy access.

Each JAGM launched from the AH-1Z Viper today confirms that the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing is continuously upgrading and maintaining its technological superiority. In the context of the increasingly complex modern warfare environment, especially in the Indo-Pacific region, the capabilities of the AH-1Z Viper equipped with JAGM make the U.S. Marine Corps more flexible, powerful, and formidable than ever before.
Semper Fidelis – Always loyal, always ready. The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing continues to affirm its position as the most elite, powerful, and reliable air force of the U.S. Marine Corps in the Pacific.