Pentagon awards $9.5B to Lockheed for long-range missiles

The Pentagon has awarded Lockheed Martin a $9.5 billion contract to increase production of its AGM-158 series of long-range missiles.

According to a company statement issued on July 31, the contract supports increased deliveries of both the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) and the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), two of the U.S. military’s most capable cruise missiles.

“Lockheed Martin received a $9.5 billion contract award for Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) and Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) which will support the increase and expansion of production deliveries,” the company said.

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Dave Berganini, Vice President of Hypersonic and Strike Systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, emphasized the strategic importance of the effort.

“Increasing JASSM and LRASM production is essential for American and allied national security, and Lockheed Martin is ready to answer the call,” he said. “We are leveraging our advanced manufacturing capabilities and investing in our production facilities to quickly and affordably deliver these critical capabilities warfighters need to maintain a strategic edge and protect our nation from emerging threats.”

Both missile systems are designed to be launched from a variety of platforms while remaining outside the range of advanced air defenses. The JASSM is a conventional, air-to-ground missile with extended range, intended to strike well-defended fixed or relocatable targets without requiring aircraft to enter contested airspace. It is primarily used by the U.S. Air Force.

The LRASM, meanwhile, is a precision-guided anti-ship missile employed by both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy. It is designed to engage maritime surface targets at long range and is engineered to survive in heavily defended environments. Its range allows operators to strike adversary vessels from well beyond the reach of counter-fire systems.

To support the surge in production, Lockheed Martin has expanded its facilities in Troy, Alabama, including the addition of a 225,000-square-foot “intelligent factory.” The facility incorporates digital forecasting models, a fully robotic paint line, and automated assembly processes to meet accelerated delivery schedules.

In previous efforts to ramp up capacity, Lockheed Martin received a $129 million contract in August 2024 for tooling and testing equipment and a $3.2 billion contract in September 2024 to further expand its ability to deliver these munitions to the U.S. and allied forces.

The contract comes amid growing demand across the Department of Defense for long-range precision strike weapons. U.S. military planners have prioritized systems like the JASSM and LRASM in warfighting strategies that emphasize stand-off capabilities and survivability against peer-level adversaries.

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