BAE Systems has delivered all Lot 8 radio frequency (RF) sensors to Lockheed Martin for integration into the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), supporting efforts to accelerate production of the stealth weapon.
Lockheed received a contract in May 2023 to produce LRASM Lots 7 and 8, with work scheduled to continue through January 2029. The US Air Force initially projected the first deliveries of 25 Lot 7 missiles in September 2025 and 27 Lot 8 missiles in July 2026.
BAE has supplied RF sensors for the LRASM program since 2018. The company is also under contract to deliver additional sensors through 2028 to support the US military’s maritime strike capabilities.
To meet production demands, BAE has invested in modern electronic warfare facilities to expand its manufacturing capacity and has upgraded the RF sensor’s software.
“We’re delivering essential weapon systems that provide operational asymmetry and a decisive advantage to our warfighters,” said Vanessa Varrati, LRASM program director at BAE Systems.
“Our commitment to manufacturing excellence and our strong relationships with Lockheed Martin and the US Department of War enable us to accelerate delivery of critical capabilities.”
Stealthy Anti-Ship Missile
LRASM is a joint US Navy and Air Force air-launched, high-subsonic anti-ship missile derived from the AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range (JASSM-ER).
Weighing approximately 2,400 pounds (1,089 kilograms), the weapon is designed to engage specific ships within groups, including those protected by advanced air defenses.
It has an operational range exceeding 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers or 230 miles).
LRASM retains the JASSM-ER’s 1,000-pound (454-kilogram) penetrator/blast-fragmentation warhead and enhanced digital anti-jamming GPS but features a multimode sensor/seeker package developed by BAE Systems.
The package combines a passive RF sensor for wide-area target acquisition with an imaging infrared seeker for terminal targeting.
These capabilities allow the missile to identify and engage targets with less reliance on external intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets, network links, and GPS in contested environments.