Lockheed Martin secures $14.2M for LRASM missile production

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, based in Orlando, Florida, has been awarded a $14,199,543 firm-fixed-price modification to an existing contract for the production of Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM) for Lots Seven and Eight.

In a Jan. 30 contract announcement, the Department of Defense said that this modification brings the total contract value to $1,024,920,115.

The work will take place in Orlando and is expected to be completed by July 31, 2027. Funding for this phase includes $4,333,690 from the U.S. Air Force’s Fiscal Year 2024 missile procurement budget and $9,865,853 from the U.S. Navy’s Fiscal Year 2025 weapons budget. The contract is managed by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

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The LRASM is a next-generation, long-range, precision-guided cruise missile developed for the U.S. Air Force and Navy. It is based on the AGM-158A JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile) and AGM-158B JASSM-ER (Extended Range) platforms.

Designed for stealth and survivability, LRASM operates at subsonic speeds and is capable of autonomous target acquisition. It is specifically engineered to penetrate advanced ship defense systems while operating independently of external intelligence, surveillance, communications, or GPS navigation.

While retaining the overall design of its predecessors, LRASM incorporates classified sensors and countermeasures to overcome modern ship defenses and electronic warfare threats. Its semi-autonomous targeting algorithms allow it to locate and engage targets even when operating in heavily contested environments.

The missile is equipped with a 454 kg (1,000 lb) penetrator fragmentation warhead, a multi-mode sensor, and a jam-resistant digital GPS system to ensure precise strikes against high-value maritime targets. With a projected range of approximately 300 nautical miles (555 km), LRASM is intended to replace the AGM-84 Harpoon as the primary U.S. anti-ship missile.

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Executive Editor

About author:

Dylan Malyasov
Dylan Malyasov
Dylan Malyasov is the editor-in-chief of Defence Blog. He is a journalist, an accredited defense advisor, and a consultant. His background as a defense advisor and consultant adds a unique perspective to his journalistic endeavors, ensuring that his reporting is well-informed and authoritative. read more

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