F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters of the Royal Australian Air Force have been qualified to use the AGM-158C LRASM anti-ship cruise missiles following tests.
The qualification was preceded by operational tests conducted off the coast of California. USMC’S F-35B is another recent platform to be certified for AGM-158C but still with external carriage due to the missile’s size.
AGM-158C LRASM is a development of the AGM-158 JASSM cruise missile. Unlike JASSM, optimised for land attack, AGM-158C is focused on maritime targets with a new guidance package. The guidance package takes more space with new navigation systems, passive RF sensor, and data links for increased target detection performance in maritime strikes. LRASM has a shorter range at 370+ km due to the space reserved for additional electronics and sensors.
On the other hand, the lighter JSM missile, which can also fit inside F-35’s internal weapon bays, can be used as a dual-role missile with a balanced distribution of land and maritime attack capabilities.
