The U.S. Air Force has issued a $53-million contract modification to Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control to accelerate production of the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM). The update increases the total value of the original contract to $462.9 million and provides funding for additional tooling and test equipment needed to support higher manufacturing output.
The work will be carried out in Orlando, Florida, with completion scheduled for November 29, 2028. The latest modification follows another $130-million contract adjustment awarded in August 2024 that also funded tooling and testing infrastructure to boost LRASM production.
LRASM is one of several long-range strike weapons the US military plans to produce in larger numbers. In 2023, Lockheed Martin LRASM business development lead Dominic DeScisciolo said the Pentagon intends to double the combined annual procurement of LRASM and the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) from roughly 500 to about 1,000 missiles.
The LRASM is designed to engage high-value and heavily defended maritime targets, including aircraft carriers and guided-missile cruisers, at ranges of around 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers). The stealthy missile flies at high subsonic speeds and carries a 1,000-pound penetrator and blast-fragmentation warhead.
It uses GPS-assisted guidance for accurate navigation and incorporates autonomous targeting features that allow it to modify its flight path if it detects new threats during the mission. Currently, LRASM is deployed on the B-1B Lancer bomber used by the US Air Force and the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter operated by the US Navy.
Integration with the F-35 Lightning II is ongoing, while development of a surface-launched version compatible with vertical launch systems is also underway.
