Tag Archives: F-18D LRASM

Air Force Drops $2B (more) on Long Range Strike Game

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From yesterday’s DOD Contract announcements, emphasis mine:

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Orlando, Florida, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $1,925,877,406 firm-fixed-price, undefinitized contract action modification (P00003) to a previously awarded contract (FA8682-24-C-B001) for Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) Production Lot 23 and Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) Production Lot Nine, as well as economic order quantity for JASSM Lot 24 and LRASM Lot 10. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $5,180,154,533. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, and is expected to be completed by July 31, 2029. Fiscal 2024 missile procurement funds (Air Force) in the amount of $684,233,360; fiscal 2025 missile procurement funds (Air Force) in the amount of $612,699,675; and fiscal 2025 weapon procurement funds (Navy) in the amount of $149,250,015, are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity.

Lockheed has been steadily ramping up production of JASSM and LRASM, as the long-range strike missiles and ship killers have been vetted for the Air Force’s B-1B and Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. B-52, P-8A, F-18C/D, and F-35 are on the way.

In related news, LRASM just began flight tests with F-35Bs at Pax River. The Bravo model is the STOVL that is being used by the Marines expeditionary units.

BF-3 flt 752 WAC Envelope Expansion

Lockheed says more than 1,100 F-35s are currently operational around the globe, and the fleet has surpassed a cool 1 million flight hours. 

Make that, Mr. Charles

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Some folks like to throw rocks at the F-35 Charlie, the carrier variant of the Lightning II fighter aircraft. However, these recent images of a ‘Salty Dogs” VX-23 F-35C carrying twin 200+nm range AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASMs) and self-defense Sidewinders are just outright sexy.

NAS PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — An F-35 Lightning II test pilot conducts flight test Sept. 10 to certify the carrier variant of the fighter aircraft for carrying the AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM).

As part of ongoing integration efforts, the Pax River F-35 Integrated Test Force (Pax ITF) team flew two days of test flights to evaluate flutter, loads, and flying qualities with two AGM-158 loaded on external stations. LRASM is a defined near-term solution for the Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (OASuW) air-launch capability gap that will provide flexible, long-range, advanced, anti-surface capability against high-threat maritime targets.

The Pax River ITF’s mission is to effectively plan, coordinate, and conduct safe, secure, and efficient flight tests for F-35B and C variants, and provide necessary and timely data to support program verification/certification and fleet operational requirements.

In related news, the Marines are currently validating the AGM-158A JASSM on a legacy (30-year-old) F/A-18D Block 44 Hornet assigned to the “Red Devils” of VMFA-232 at MCAS Miramar earlier this month. Of note, NAVAIR already worked it out for the bigger Rhino back in like 2016.

U.S. Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 232, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 11, MAG-11, load an AGM-158A joint air-to-surface standoff missile on an F/A-18 Hornet assigned to VMFA-232 during the AGM-158A validation and verification at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, Aug. 27, 2024. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Jennifer Sanchez)

The presser included this:

Marine Corps strike fighter platforms are postured to acquire long-range, maritime strike capabilities with the inclusion of the AGM-158B joint air-to-surface standoff missile extended range and AGM-158C long-range anti-ship missile on the F-35B/C weapons integration roadmap.

“The JASSM not only surpasses the capabilities of any other weapon currently in the Hornet’s extensive weapons portfolio but also the Marine Corps at large,” Kirby said. “This added capability will greatly increase 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing’s ability to support the joint force and enable greater freedom of maneuver across all operational domains.”