BAE Systems has completed delivery of all Lot 8 RF sensors to Lockheed Martin for integration into the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile, helping support the US effort to expand production of the stealthy maritime strike weapon. Lockheed secured the production contract for Lots 7 and 8 in May 2023, with work extending through January 2029. Initial US Air Force delivery projections called for 25 Lot 7 missiles in September 2025 and 27 Lot 8 missiles in July 2026. BAE has been providing LRASM RF sensors since 2018 and is contracted to supply additional units through 2028. The company has also invested in modern electronic warfare manufacturing facilities and upgraded sensor software to meet growing production requirements. Developed jointly for the US Navy and Air Force, LRASM is a high-subsonic, air-launched anti-ship missile based on the AGM-158B JASSM-ER. The approximately 2,400-pound (1,089-kilogram) weapon is designed to select and strike individual ships within defended formations, including those protected by advanced air defenses. Its range exceeds 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers or 230 miles), and it carries the JASSM-ER-derived 1,000-pound (454-kilogram) penetrator/blast-fragmentation warhead and enhanced digital anti-jamming GPS. BAE’s multimode seeker package combines a passive RF sensor for broad-area target acquisition with an imaging infrared seeker for terminal engagement. This architecture allows LRASM to detect, identify, and attack targets while relying less on external intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support, network connectivity, or GPS in heavily contested environments.
