B-1B bomber Successfully tested Long Range Anti-Ship Missile

Lockheed Martin’s Long Range Anti-Ship Missile tested from U.S. Air Force’s B-1B bomber.
?(Read what the missile is all about)

AGM-158C LRASM (Long Range Anti-Ship Missile) is a stealthy anti-ship cruise missile developed for the United States Navy by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

The LRASM is intended to pioneer more sophisticated autonomous targeting capabilities than the U.S. Navy’s current Harpoon anti-ship missile, which has been in service since 1977.

In an event, yesterday over the Sea Range at Point Mugu, California, a U.S. Air Force B-1B from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, released a pair of LRASMs.

The missiles navigated through all planned waypoints transitioned to mid-course guidance and flew toward the moving maritime target using inputs from the onboard sensors.

The missiles then positively identified the intended target and impacted successfully.

“The success of this second dual-LRASM test event speaks volumes,” said David Helsel, LRASM program director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

“As LRASM moves toward early operational fielding for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy, the weapon system continues to demonstrate critical capabilities that our warfighters need.”

The air-launched variant of LRASM provides an early operational capability for the U.S. Navy’s offensive anti-surface warfare Increment I required 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 Super Hornet in 2019.

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Unlike current anti-ship missiles, the LRASM is capable of conducting autonomous targeting, relying on onboard targeting systems to independently acquire the target without the presence of prior, precision intelligence, or supporting services like Global Positioning Satellite navigation and data-links.

In addition These capabilities enable positive target identification, precision engagement of moving ships and establishing of initial target cueing in an extremely hostile environment. The missile is designed with counter-countermeasures to evade hostile active defense systems.

The LRASM is based on the AGM-158B JASSM-ER (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range), but incorporates a multi-mode radio frequency sensor, a new weapon data-link and altimeter, and an uprated power system. It can be directed to attack enemy ships by its launch platform, receive updates via its datalink, or use onboard sensors to find its target.

LRASM flies towards its target at medium altitude then drops to low altitude for a sea skimming approach to counter anti-missile defenses. DARPA states its range is “greater than 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi).” Although the LRASM is based on the JASSM-ER, which has a range of 500 nmi (930 km; 580 mi), the addition of the sensor and other features have somewhat decreased that range. It is estimated that the LRASM has a range of 300 nmi (560 km; 350 mi).

B-1B bomber Successfully tested Long Range Anti-Ship Missile

Furthermore To ensure survivability to and effectiveness against a target, the LRASM is equipped with a BAE Systems-designed seeker and guidance system, integrating jam-resistant GPS/INS, passive RF and threat warning receiver, an imaging infrared (IIR infrared homing) seeker with automatic scene/target matching recognition, a data-link, and passive Electronic Support Measure (ESM) and radar warning receiver sensors. Artificial intelligence software combines these features to locate enemy ships and avoid neutral shipping in crowded areas.

Automatic dissemination of emissions data is classified, located, and identified for the path of attack; the data-link allows other assets to feed the missile a real-time electronic picture of the enemy battlespace.

In addition, Multiple missiles can work together to share data to coordinate an attack in a swarm.

Aside from short, low-power data-link transmissions, the LRASM does not emit signals

which combined with the low-RCS JASSM airframe and low IR signature reduces detectability.

Unlike previous radar-only seeker-equipped missiles that went on to hit other vessels if diverted or decoyed, the multi-mode seeker ensures the correct target is hit in a specific area of the ship. An LRASM can find its own target autonomously by using its active radar homing to locate ships in an area, then using passive measures once on terminal approach. Like the JASSM, the LRASM is capable of hitting land targets.