DoD places largest LRASM order
Lockheed Martin has obtained its biggest contract to date for the AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), with a $414.25 million deal announced by the US DoD on 22 February.
The sole-source contract from the Air Force Lifecycle Management Center covers production of 137 Lot 4 and Lot 5 missiles, for US users and unnamed FMS customers.
Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida and Troy, Alabama, for completion by 21 March 2025.
LRASM is based on the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range (JASSM-ER), which is also made by Lockheed Martin.
LRASM cruises autonomously, day or night, in all weather conditions, armed with a proven penetrator and blast-fragmentation warhead.
Shephard Defence Insight notes that the missile employs a multi-modal sensor, weapon data link and an enhanced digital anti-jam GPS to detect and destroy specific targets within a group of ships.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
More from Air Warfare
-
Doodle Labs expands use of its radios on UAV systems
Mesh Rider is a SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) optimised mesh radio designed for uncrewed systems and supports six frequency bands in a single transceiver and AES-256 encryption. It was developed in cooperation with the US Defense Innovation Unit.
-
NATO’s E-3A fleet more important than ever, says force commander
NATO’s E-3A fleet will have been in service for more than half a century by the time of their expected retirement but a boost to the capability and conflict elsewhere have highlighted their importance.
-
NATO progresses effort to replace E-3A AWACS fleet
NATO’s E-3A AWACS fleet has been scheduled for retirement from 2035. The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has been leading the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) project to develop new options for future surveillance and control capabilities, based on future technology and requirements.