B-52 Bombers to Receive LRASM Anti-Ship Missiles
The U.S. Navy is preparing to award a contract to Lockheed Martin to integrate stealthy LRASM anti-ship missiles onto B-52 Stratofortress bombers.
The War Zone reported the development.
According to the publication, this reflects the U.S.military’s efforts to acquire new capabilities to counter increasingly powerful adversary naval forces, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.
The latest notice from the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command says the command intends to negotiate with Lockheed Martin, the sole-source provider, before placing an order to integrate LRASM onto the B-52. The work will include missile software upgrades, relevant testing, repairs to test articles, and failure review board activities.
The B-52 can already carry up to 20 air-launched cruise missiles from the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) family, which served as the basis for the development of LRASM. Because the missiles share the same dimensions, the publication suggests the bomber could carry a similar number of anti-ship missiles.
The U.S. Air Force’s fiscal year 2027 budget request also outlines plans to integrate the latest versions of LRASM and JASSM onto the B-52. According to the document, the work is intended to enable the use of next-generation stealth cruise missiles against targets protected by sophisticated integrated air defense systems.
The work planned for fiscal year 2027 includes integrating the missiles’ onboard software with the B-52’s baseline software, verifying the safe separation of weapons from both underwing hardpoints and the internal launcher, upgrading weapons interfaces, and completing system safety testing.
LRASM Anti-Ship Missile
LRASM anti-ship missiles are designed to engage high-value surface combatants at long ranges. The missile’s guidance system combines inertial navigation with GPS updates and an imaging-infrared seeker that generates a target image and enables identification and acquisition during the terminal phase of flight.
The missile’s exact operational range has not been publicly disclosed. According to reports, the baseline LRASM can engage targets at ranges of 320–480 km, while the future C-3 version is expected to reach about 960 km. The missile is equipped with a 454 kg penetratingblast-fragmentation warhead.
The missile offers a high degree of autonomy thanks to its integrated route-planning system, linked to the onboard electronic support measures (ESM) system.
The B-52 can already carry up to 20 air-launched cruise missiles from the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) family, which served as the basis for the development of LRASM. Because the missiles share the same dimensions, the publication suggests the bomber could carry a similar number of anti-ship missiles.
The U.S. Air Force’s fiscal year 2027 budget request also outlines plans to integrate the latest versions of LRASM and JASSM onto the B-52. According to the document, the work is intended to enable the use of next-generation stealth cruise missiles against targets protected by sophisticated integrated air defense systems.
The work planned for fiscal year 2027 includes integrating the missiles’ onboard software with the B-52’s baseline software, verifying the safe separation of weapons from both underwing hardpoints and the internal launcher, upgrading weapons interfaces, and completing system safety testing.
LRASM Anti-Ship Missile
LRASM anti-ship missiles are designed to engage high-value surface combatants at long ranges. The missile’s guidance system combines inertial navigation with GPS updates and an imaging-infrared seeker that generates a target image and enables identification and acquisition during the terminal phase of flight.
The missile’s exact operational range has not been publicly disclosed. According to reports, the baseline LRASM can engage targets at ranges of 320–480 km, while the future C-3 version is expected to reach about 960 km. The missile is equipped with a 454 kg penetratingblast-fragmentation warhead.
The missile offers a high degree of autonomy thanks to its integrated route-planning system, linked to the onboard electronic support measures (ESM) system.
Source: Militaryni
