Exactly thirty years later on Dec. 12, 2017 a B-1B crew successfully fired two production-configuration LRASMs simultaneously during a test at Point Mugu’s sea range
Brought to my attention by Earl Belz, a reader of The Aviation Geek Club, the interesting video in this post was taken on Dec. 12, 1987 at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) and shows a B-1B conducting a terrain-following mission to test the Lancer automatic terrain-following system.
Exactly thirty years later on Dec. 12, 2017 a B-1B crew successfully fired two production-configuration Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM) simultaneously during a test at Point Mugu’s sea range.
“This continued success with LRASM provides confidence in its upcoming early operational capability milestone, putting a proven, unmatched munition into the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force inventories,” said David Helsel, LRASM program director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “The successful flight demonstrates LRASM’s continued ability to strengthen sea control for our forces.”
According to Lockheed Martin LRASM is designed to detect and destroy specific targets within groups of ships by employing advanced technologies that reduce dependence on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms, network links and GPS navigation in electronic warfare environments. LRASM will play a significant role in ensuring military access to operate in open ocean/blue waters, owing that to its enhanced ability to discriminate and conduct tactical engagements from extended ranges.
LRASM is a precision-guided, anti-ship standoff missile based on the successful Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile – Extended Range (JASSM-ER). It is designed to meet the needs of U.S. Navy and Air Force warfighters in contested environments. The air-launched variant provides an early operational capability for the U.S. Navy’s offensive anti-surface warfare Increment I requirement to be integrated onboard the U.S. Air Force’s B-1B in 2018 and on the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18E/F in 2019.
Photo credit: U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy
Artwork courtesy of AircraftProfilePrints.com
