Navy Orders LRASM Integration into P-8 Aircraft

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Navy Orders LRASM Integration into P-8 Aircraft - Seapower

ARLINGGTON, Va. — The Navy has awarded a contract to Boeing to integrate the AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) into the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol reconnaissance aircraft. The Naval Air Systems Command awarded Boeing a $74 million cost-plus-fixed-fee order for...

seapowermagazine.org

Navy Orders LRASM Integration into P-8 Aircraft​

Posted on April 21, 2021 by Richard R. Burgess, Senior Editor

An LRASM being dropped from a B-1B Lancer bomber. LOCKHEED MARTIN

ARLINGGTON, Va. — The Navy has awarded a contract to Boeing to integrate the AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) into the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol reconnaissance aircraft.

The Naval Air Systems Command awarded Boeing a $74 million cost-plus-fixed-fee order for “the design, development, and test of software and ancillary hardware necessary for the integration of the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile onto the P-8A aircraft for the Navy,” an April 21 Defense Department contract announcement said.

The LRASM, a derivative of the Air Force’s AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Strike Missile-Extended Range cruise missile, fills an air-launch capability gap and provides flexible, long-range, advanced anti-surface capability against high-threat maritime targets. The weapon reduces dependency on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms, network links and GPS navigation in electronic warfare environments. Semi-autonomous guidance algorithms will allow it to use less-precise target cueing data to pinpoint specific targets in the contested domain.

The P-8A currently can be armed with AGM-84 Harpoon cruise missiles and Mk54 antisubmarine torpedoes. The addition of the LRASM will expand its anti-surface capability in terms of range and ability to operate in a GPS-denied environment.

Work on the order is expected to be completed in October 2024.

 

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LRASM expansion​

Lockheed's stealthy and wickedly smart anti-ship missile is now officially heading for land launch and the P-8 Poseidon. Both announcements are big news. LRASM is the most capable known anti-ship missile in America's arsenal. Being able to push them forward on the P-8, which we knew was onthe Navy's wish list, brings another level of relevancy to the multi-mission jets, especially during a high-end conflict. Being able to deploy it in a coast defense role would make approaching within hundreds of miles of allied shores where it could be deployed a very risky proposition for the enemy. For instance, operating forward from islands in the Pacific, this system could be a critical defensive capability.

Both announcements also open the door to new LRASM orders to America's closest allies, especially P-8 operators in higher-risk areas of the globe.