LRASM0

The Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) Program is a key line item in the Department of Defense's Air Force missile procurement budget, designed to address critical capability gaps in offensive anti-surface warfare. The LRASM (AGM-158C) provides the U.S. Air Force and Navy with a flexible, long-range, precision-guided missile capable of engaging high-threat maritime targets. The program's primary goal is to enhance the United States' ability to conduct standoff strikes against surface vessels in contested environments, leveraging advanced guidance, survivability, and lethality features.

For FY 2026, the LRASM budget request includes both discretionary and mandatory funding for the procurement of missiles. This procurement supports the ongoing modernization of the Air Force's tactical missile inventory and ensures alignment with Navy requirements, as both services jointly procure LRASM via a USAF-managed contract. The program benefits from cost efficiencies through hardware commonality with the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range (JASSM-ER), sharing over 70% of hardware and the same production line at Lockheed Martin's Troy, AL facility.

The LRASM program is structured around a Multiyear Procurement (MYP) strategy and the Large Lot Procurement (LLP) concept, which aims to generate production synergies across related missile programs. By executing overlapping multiyear contracts and utilizing Economic Order Quantities (EOQ), the program seeks to accelerate delivery schedules, stabilize the industrial base, and reduce unit costs. Previous requests funded production lots and provided EOQ for future lots, while recent years initiated the first year of MYP and additional procurement, including both AGM-158C (1.0/1.1) and the new AGM-158C-3 variant.

AGM-158C-3 Variant: The LRASM C-3 is an upgraded missile configuration introduced via a forward-fit Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) to enhance long-range strike and offensive anti-surface warfare capabilities. The C-3 variant features technical subsystem improvements and is scheduled for Early Operational Capability (EOC) on the Navy's F/A-18E/F by the fourth quarter of calendar year 2026. Air Force integration on the B-1B is funded through FY26-28. Procurement quantities for C-3 in FY 2026 reflect the program's commitment to fielding advanced variants alongside the baseline LRASM C-1.

In addition to missile procurement, LRASM funding supports production tooling, equipment, and Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS) mitigation. This includes studies, bridge buys, lifetime buys, supplier and parts replacement, and qualification and reliability activities, particularly for electronic components that are commercially sourced and in short supply. These investments are essential for sustaining future production capability and ensuring the reliability of the missile inventory.

The program also includes program support costs, such as increased manpower and infrastructure to support higher production rates, as well as engineering change orders to address obsolescence and integrate new technical subsystems. Initial spares are funded to ensure operational readiness upon delivery, and all activities support compliance with financial audit requirements under Title 10 U.S.C. Charter 9A, Sec 240D. The LRASM program is managed as an ACAT 1C Major Defense Acquisition Program (MDAP), with the Navy serving as the lead service and the Air Force responsible for contract execution and production oversight.