In recent months, various initiatives jointly promoted by the U.S. Navy and Air Force have focused on equipping their combat aircraft with a new generation of long-range weaponry. One of the most notable developments is the adoption of the new AGM-158C-1 LRASM long-range anti-ship missile, which, according to recent reports, will not only be used by carrier-based aircraft but also by USAF fighter jets, including the new F-15EX Eagle II and, based on the latest information, the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
According to a requirement issued by the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), published on the official U.S. government procurement site, it is stated that there is an intention to “…enter into sole source negotiations and subsequently award a Cost-Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) Delivery Order (DO)” to Lockheed Martin, with the goal of “…providing the necessary integration and test support of the AGM-158C-1 missile on the F-16 aircraft platform. This requirement includes testing both the AGM-158C-1 Legacy and UAI interfaces.”
The requirement, published on March 17 with a response date set for April 1, indicates that NAVAIR seeks to bring this new anti-ship capability to the U.S. Air Force’s F-16 fighters, following a similar request submitted in early January to equip the new F-15EX Eagle II strike fighters.
The AGM-158C LRASM is the new anti-ship missile being developed by Lockheed Martin to arm U.S. Armed Forces combat aircraft. Its design is based on the current AGM-158B JASSM-ER missile, incorporating new stealth technologies, and is considered an interim solution (stop-gap) while development progresses on the new Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (OASuW) missile.
Its integration into an increasing number of air-launched platforms aims to provide the U.S. Navy and Air Force with a highly flexible, long-range capability, able to counter high-profile maritime threats.
As the latest reports indicate, Lockheed Martin recently completed new integration tests with F-35B fighters in early March, adding to previous tests conducted with B-1B bombers, F/A-18 Super Hornets, P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, and F-35C aircraft in September 2024.
Regarding future integration and deployment on U.S. Air Force F-16 fighters, this follows similar efforts carried out with older missiles. Recently, a Fighting Falcon from Detachment 3 of the 53rd Test and Evaluation Group completed integration tests with an XATM-84N Harpoon Block II+ training missile.
These tests with the Harpoon missile aimed to “…demonstrate that rapid weapons integration on U.S. Air Force platforms can be efficiently achieved through middleware modifications, without the need for extensive aircraft upgrades,” according to the director of the rapid integration project. He added: “This test paves the way for future projects across various platforms and weapon systems, providing leaders with more options for operational and contingency planning.”
Although no mention was made of the new LRASM, the reference to future projects highlights the USAF’s intention to equip both current and future aircraft with longer-range weapons, no longer focused solely on ground targets, but also surface naval targets. This is in anticipation of a potential high-intensity conflict with China, with the Asia-Pacific region as the likely theater of operations.
Images used for illustrative purposes.
You may also like: The U.S. Marine Corps will move forward with the purchase of more F-35C stealth fighters at the expense of the F-35Bs
