DoD places largest LRASM order
Lockheed Martin has obtained its biggest contract to date for the AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), with a $414.25 million deal announced by the US DoD on 22 February.
The sole-source contract from the Air Force Lifecycle Management Center covers production of 137 Lot 4 and Lot 5 missiles, for US users and unnamed FMS customers.
Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida and Troy, Alabama, for completion by 21 March 2025.
LRASM is based on the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range (JASSM-ER), which is also made by Lockheed Martin.
LRASM cruises autonomously, day or night, in all weather conditions, armed with a proven penetrator and blast-fragmentation warhead.
Shephard Defence Insight notes that the missile employs a multi-modal sensor, weapon data link and an enhanced digital anti-jam GPS to detect and destroy specific targets within a group of ships.
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