Lockheed Martin launches eXtreme Range variant of the AGM-158 family

Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed Martin has launched an eXtreme Range (ER) variant of its AGM-158 air-launched strike weapon. The AGM-158 XR is effectively now a stand-off Cruise Missile based on existing versions of the weapon – the AGM-158 Joint Air-Surface Stand-off Missile (JASSM) and AGM158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) – and offering low-risk, combat-proven reliability, the company says.

The RAAF has already acquired JASSM and intends to acquire both the Extended Range version of this and the LRASM to arm its F/A-18F Super Hornets. However, the US Navy and Lockheed Martin have also begun flight testing the LRASM aboard the former’s F-35C Lightning II as an external load because it won’t fit in the aircraft’s internal weapons bay

Lockheed Martin has not disclosed the range of the AGM-158 XR but says it offers “significantly increased standoff attack range that can be rapidly produced and delivered to the US military.” The JASSM-ER has a reported range of more than 800km, and the LRASM has a 370km range.

By leveraging a mature production line, established supply chain, mission planning and software infrastructure, and by implementing a few structural changes, the AGM-158 XR can significantly reduce development and production time, says Lockheed Martin.

The XR has a 1,000lb warhead, is stealthy and has “an extreme standoff range in mass quantities”, Lockheed Martin says, while maintaining compatibility with the same platforms that JASSM and LRASM have today, including the F/A-18 and the soon to be added F-35.

The AGM-158 XR lays the groundwork for a future modular design, according to the company. By driving continuous improvement across systems with variants like XR, Lockheed Martin has developed and tested a handful of spiral upgrades for the AGM-158 family of systems in less time than a typical new-start program.