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AGM-158C LRASM for F-16
The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) intends to enter into sole source negotiations and subsequently award a Cost-Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) Delivery Order (DO) to Lockheed Martin Corporation-Missiles Fire Control (LMMFC) against Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) N00019-23-G-0002. The anticipated DO is for required integration and test support of the AGM-158C-1 missile on the F-16 aircraft platform. This requirement includes testing both the AGM-158C-1 Legacy and UAI interfaces.
According to a presolicitation released by NAVAIR, this contract is being pursued on a sole source basis under the statutory authority of 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c)(1) as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 6.302-1, only one responsible source and no other services will satisfy agency requirements. All responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation, which shall be considered by the agency. Unless stated herein, no additional information is available. Requests for the same will be disregarded. A determination by the Government not to compete this effort is solely within the discretion of the Government.
Lockheed Martin is the sole designer, developer, manufacturer, and integrator of the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM).
Anti-ship missiles on USAF F-16s
As already reported the US Air Force (USAF) conducted a rapid integration test of the AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile on their F-16s in February. Harpoon has long been in service with many Foreign Military Sales F-16 operators, but not with the USAF’s own F-16s. The addition of LRASM to F-16’s weapons suite, on top of Harpoon, is indicative of the growing role the US Air Force sees for themselves in the maritime domain. According to Defense Archives, as successive US administrations have continued to emphasize a strategic pivot towards the Indo-Pacific region, all the Services of the US Armed Forces are jostling to demonstrate their relevance to the US Indo-Pacific Command Area of Responsibility.
Derived from the combat-proven Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), Lockheed Martin’s AGM-158 LRASM is a precision-guided intelligent anti-ship missile design to interdict a variety of surface threats at very long range, navigating semi-autonomously to the target, and delivering a precise payload from safe, standoff range.
Long Range Anti-Ship Missile
The company is currently executing the Accelerated Acquisition contract for the LRASM Deployment Office, further maturing technologies delivered as an early operational capability for the US Air Force B-1B and US Navy F/A-18E/F.
Additionally, Lockheed Martin and the F-35 Pax River Integrated Test Force (ITF) recently completed an initial flight test integrating the LRASM weapon system onto the F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter jet. This most recent test follows a flight test with LRASM on F-35C in September 2024.
Lockheed Martin is also investing in a surface-launch variant to be used by the vertical launching system (VLS), currently in the fleet.
LRASM brings additional, advanced long-range sea and land strike capabilities to the 5th Generation F-35 fleet.
LRASM technology will reduce dependence on ISR platforms, network links, and GPS navigation in aggressive electronic warfare environments. This advanced guidance operation means the weapon can use gross target cueing data to find and destroy its pre-defined target in denied environments.
LRASM provides range, survivability, and lethality that no other current system provides.
Photo credit: 1st Lt Savanah Bray / U.S. Air Force
