Country: United States Of America
Service Type: Yes
Missile Type: Anti-ship cruise missile
Washington DC (Washington Insider Magazine) — The AGM-158C LRASM is a Long Range Anti-Ship Missile. It is a stealth anti-ship cruise missile that has been developed for the United States Air Force. This missile is also frequently used by the United States Navy. This missile has been used by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The LRASM missile was intended to pioneer sophisticated autonomous targeting capabilities. It is an advanced version of the U.S. Navy’s current Harpoon anti-ship missile, which has been under service since 1977.
Specifications
- Mass-2,500 lb (1,100 kg) (air-launch)
- 4,400 lb (2,000 kg) (w/ booster)
- Warhead-1,000 lb (450 kg) blast-fragmentation penetrator
- Operational range->370 km (230 mi; 200 nmi
- Maximum Speed-High-subsonic
- Launch platform Aircraft:
- F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
- B-1B Lancer
- F-35 Lightning II (integrating)
- Boeing P-8 Poseidon
- C-17, C-130 via Rapid Dragon palletized launcher
Buyers
AGM-158C LRASM has gained a lot of popularity all around the world. It is frequently used in the United States and has also attracted other countries. The following are the buyers of this missile.
- United States
- U.S. Air Force
- U.S. Navy
- Future
- Australia
- Royal Australian Air Force 200 missiles ordered
Recent Use In Battlefield
In 2015, Sweden expressed interest in the LRASM. The country had concerns about Russian actions in Eastern Europe and wanted to buy the missile. After the development of this missile, it was purchased by the United Kingdom, Singapore, Canada, Australia, and Japan. All these countries expressed interest in the missile and have used it in various fields and areas.
On 7 February 2020, the US State Department approved that there is a possible Foreign Military Sale to Australia. This missile was ordered by Australia and some equipment was ordered at the cost of US$990 million. In Australia, the LRASM was used for their F/A-18F Super Hornet fighters
On 20 December 2018, Lockheed Martin received a contract of $99.2M contract and maximized the production rate of Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles. It is a Long Range Anti-Ship Missile and the U.S. Air Force has used this missile frequently.
LRASM is a precision-guided anti-ship missile and has earned a reputation for a successful JASSM-ER heritage. It has met the needs of the U.S. Navy and Air Force warfighters. This missile has worked wonders in the robust contested environment.
The air-launched variant has offered an operational capability and maximized the Navy’s offensive anti-surface warfare. This missile was used by the U.S. Air Force’s B-1B in 2018. The U.S. Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet was also operated by the US navy in 2019.
After completing the integration and the missile testing it was used on the battlefield. The modeling and simulation of the warfighters were accepted by many tactical production units. It has also met the key criteria for the EOC declaration milestone.
FAQS
1. How Many AGM-158 C LRASM Can An F 18 Carry?
LRASM has been developed to meet the needs of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force Warfighters. It is contested by several kinds of environments. The air-launched variant offers an operational capability for the U.S. Navy and has satisfied the warfare Increment I requirement. A F/A-18E/F Super Hornet will be used to deploy up to 4x LRASM
2. Is AGM-158 C LRASM Hypersonic?
The fiscal 2023 budget has requested to establish LRASM’s successor as HALO. Around $92 million in research and development have been invested in the HALO and aims to target the technology in FY28.
3. What Is AGM-158 C LRAASM?
The Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) is a near-term solution for Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (OASuW). It is an air-launched missile that has the capability gap to provide flexible, long-range hits. It is an advanced anti-surface capability that can cater to the needs of high-threat maritime targets.
4. What Are The Useful Effects Of AGM-158 C LRAASM?
The weapon can reduce the dependency on intelligence and surveillance. It works well at the reconnaissance (ISR) platforms and caters to the network links. It is a GPS navigation missile that works in electronic warfare environments. Semi-autonomous guidance algorithms have also made it a less-precise target and allow it to pinpoint specific targets in the contested domain.
Read More: AGM-84 Harpoon: Specifications, Buyers & Recent Use In Battlefield
5. What Is The Purpose Of The Launch Of AGM-158 C LRAASM?
The LRASM is an air-launched cruise missile. It was developed for the Air Force and Navy. This missile is inspired by the JASSM-ER. Like that missile, this missile also comes with low-observable features. It has a high-speed range and can hit the target from a distance.
