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Warship Sinks to the Bottom: A Navy F/A-18 Warplane Fired a ‘Stealth Munition’

Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) 3rd Class Anatalia Zamora, from Midland, Texas, runs to a safe distance before an F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to the "Tophatters" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 14 launches from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability through alliances and partnerships while serving as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Michael Singley) 220228-N-MM912-1137
Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) 3rd Class Anatalia Zamora, from Midland, Texas, runs to a safe distance before an F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to the "Tophatters" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 14 launches from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability through alliances and partnerships while serving as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Michael Singley) 220228-N-MM912-1137

Key Points and Summary: The U.S. Navy’s AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) reached new heights during RIMPAC 2024, proving its precision and versatility in offensive anti-surface warfare.

-Deployed from F/A-18F Super Hornets and B-1B bombers, the LRASM offers multi-platform capabilities but faces challenges when paired with the stealth-dependent F-35 due to external mounting requirements.

-Lockheed Martin is ramping up production while developing the AGM-158 eXtreme Range (XR) variant, which promises even greater standoff range.

-As the Navy pushes for next-gen anti-ship solutions, integrating these weapons while maintaining stealth remains a critical challenge for the fleet’s evolving air power strategy.

LRASM Stealth Weapon: How the U.S. Navy Is Redefining Anti-Ship Warfare

The AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile, better known by its acronym, LRASM, is a precision-guided weapon developed by Lockheed Martin to provide the U.S. Navy with a stealthy, stand-off anti-ship missile. Derived from the earlier Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missile-Extended Range (JASSM-ER). The missile passed an important testing milestone last year — and there is an even longer-range variant in development.

Rim of the Pacific 2024

A significant achievement for the LRASM happened last year during the 2024 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercises, where the navy used the missile in a high-profile sink exercise.

“Sinking exercises give us a chance to sharpen our skills, learn from one another, and get real-world experience,” U.S. Navy Vice Admiral John Wade said of the exercises. “Using advanced weapons and seeing the professionalism of our teams during these drills shows our commitment to keeping the Indo-Pacific region safe and open.”

“The sinking of the ex-Tarawa included the employment of a Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) from a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet. As a precise, stealthy, and survivable cruise missile, LRASM provides multi-service, multi-platform, and multi-mission capabilities for offensive anti-surface warfare. Currently, LRASMs are deployed from U.S. Navy F/A-18 and U.S. Air Force B-1B aircraft.”

Therein lies a potential hitch for the LRASM program: it is too large to be carried internally by the F-35, which needs external pylons to operate the missile — potentially a significant ding to the F-35’s stealth capabilities.

Increased Production for Stealth Munition 

Lockheed Martin has been ramping up production of both the JASSM-ER and LRASM to meet growing demand. In 2024, the company announced significant investments in its production facilities, enabling a dramatic increase in output to support U.S. military requirements and allied procurements.

“This contract is part of the Large Lot Procurement pilot program with the U.S. government and enables the ability to increase annual production quantities by providing additional resources for long-lead procurements and facilitating production line efficiencies,” Lockheed explained in a company statement.

“Multi-year procurements of critical munition systems like JASSM and LRASM are a key anti-fragility measure to increase industry resilience and ensure operations can be ramped more quickly going forward.”

LRASM Stealth Munition Pushing Range — Compromising Stealth?

In parallel, Lockheed Martin also has a long-distance version of the cruise missile in development, a variant the company calls the AGM-158 eXtreme Range (XR). The AGM-158 XR is currently in the prototype stage but will enjoy a longer range thanks to a slightly elongated design and additional fuel.

LRASM Stealth Munition

A Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) integrated on F/A-18E/F Super Hornet 12 August 2005 at NAS Patuxent River, Md.

“The XR solution provides the warfighter a 1,000lb warhead stealth missile capability with an extreme stand-off range in mass quantities, while maintaining compatibility with the same platforms that JASSM and LRASM have today, including the F/A-18 and the soon to be added F-35,” Lockheed Martin explained. Importantly, none of the F-35 variants can carry the XR nor its JASSM-ER and LRASM predecessors internally, almost certainly reducing that fighter’s stealth capabilities.

So while they could certainly push the boundaries of U.S. Navy fighter jets, the munition could prove more useful when integrated into non-stealthy fourth-generation fighters like the F/A-18 Super Hornet, rather than on the F-35, given that jet’s stealth capabilities.

Still, the U.S. Navy is cognizant of the potential problem and called on industry last year to design an anti-ship missile the F-35 can carry internally.

F/A-18 Super Hornet

Block III F/A-18 Super Hornet.

About the Author: Caleb Larson 

Caleb Larson is an American multiformat journalist based in Berlin, Germany. His work covers the intersection of conflict and society, focusing on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war’s shifting battle lines from Donbas and writing on the war’s civilian and humanitarian toll. Previously, he worked as a Defense Reporter for POLITICO Europe. You can follow his latest work on X.

Written By

Caleb Larson is an American multiformat journalist based in Berlin, Germany. His work covers the intersection of conflict and society, focusing on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war’s shifting battle lines from Donbas and writing on the war's civilian and humanitarian toll. Previously, he worked as a Defense Reporter for POLITICO Europe.

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