BAE Systems has delivered all Lot 8 radio frequency (RF) sensors to Lockheed Martin for integration into the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), supporting efforts to accelerate production of the stealth weapon. Lockheed Martin received a contract in May 2023 to manufacture LRASM Lots 7 and 8, with work scheduled to continue through January 2029. The US Air Force initially projected deliveries of 25 Lot 7 missiles in September 2025 and 27 Lot 8 missiles in July 2026. BAE Systems has supplied RF sensors for the LRASM program since 2018 and holds an additional contract to deliver sensors through 2028 in support of the US military’s maritime strike capabilities. To meet production requirements, the company has invested in modern electronic warfare facilities to expand manufacturing capacity and upgraded the RF sensor’s software. LRASM is a joint US Navy and Air Force air-launched, high-subsonic anti-ship missile derived from the AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range (JASSM-ER). Weighing approximately 2,400 pounds (1,089 kilograms), it is designed to engage specific ships within groups, including vessels protected by advanced air defense systems. The missile has an operational range exceeding 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers or 230 miles) and retains the JASSM-ER’s 1,000-pound (454-kilogram) penetrator/blast-fragmentation warhead and enhanced digital anti-jamming GPS. It also incorporates a multimode sensor and seeker package developed by BAE Systems, combining a passive RF sensor for wide-area target acquisition with an imaging infrared seeker for terminal targeting. These systems enable LRASM to identify and engage targets with reduced dependence on external intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets, network links, and GPS in contested environments.
