WASHINGTON, — April 22, 2026 : The U.S. Navy has requested $907 million in its fiscal year 2027 (FY2027) budget submission to procure 177 AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM), continuing a multi-year effort to expand inventories of long-range maritime strike weapons.
The request, included under the Department of the Navy’s weapons procurement account, allocates funding for 48 missiles in the base budget and 129 missiles through mandatory reconciliation funding mechanisms. The proposal is subject to congressional authorization and appropriation.
Procurement Profile and Year-on-Year Comparison
Budget documents indicate that the planned FY2027 procurement of 177 missiles is 23 fewer than the 200 missiles funded in FY2026, which were valued at approximately $1 billion. However, the request maintains a sustained high procurement rate, marking the third consecutive year of large-scale LRASM acquisition.
Recent procurement figures show:
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FY2025: 164 missiles
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FY2026: 200 missiles
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FY2027 (requested): 177 missiles
When combined with U.S. Air Force procurement plans, total LRASM acquisition across both services is projected at 333 missiles in FY2027, compared with 314 missiles in FY2026. The Air Force portion of the FY2027 request includes 156 missiles valued at $738 million, an increase from 114 missiles in FY2026.
Program Background and Development
The LRASM is a stealthy, precision-guided anti-ship cruise missile developed by Lockheed Martin. The program originated from a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) initiative conducted in partnership with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force to address identified gaps in Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (OASuW) capabilities.
The missile is derived from the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile–Extended Range (JASSM-ER) airframe and incorporates a range of semi-autonomous guidance technologies designed for operations in contested electromagnetic environments.
Technical Characteristics
Available technical data indicates that the LRASM:
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Weighs approximately 2,760 pounds
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Measures about 14 feet in length
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Carries a 1,000-pound blast-fragmentation penetrator warhead
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Has an operational range publicly estimated at over 200 nautical miles, with some assessments extending to approximately 500 nautical miles
The missile integrates multiple guidance and navigation systems, including:
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Global Positioning System (GPS)
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Inertial Navigation System (INS)
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Imaging Infrared (IIR) seeker
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Onboard autonomous targeting algorithms
These features enable the missile to identify and engage targets with reduced dependence on external intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) inputs, as well as limited reliance on data links or GPS signals in electronic warfare conditions.
Platform Integration and Operational Use
The LRASM achieved early operational capability on the U.S. Air Force’s B-1B Lancer bomber and the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. It is also planned for integration with the P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.
Recent testing has expanded integration efforts to the F-35 Lightning II platform. Flight tests conducted by the F-35 Pax River Integrated Test Force included:
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September 2024: Captive-carry testing on the F-35C carrier variant
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Early 2025: Captive-carry testing on the F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing variant
These tests evaluated aircraft handling characteristics, including flutter, loads, and flying qualities with externally mounted LRASM. Integration is being carried out under the F-35 Block 4 upgrade program, which is expected to enable external carriage of the missile on both F-35B and F-35C aircraft.
Production and Industrial Base
Procurement of LRASM is executed through a joint Navy–Air Force contract with Lockheed Martin, with production aligned alongside the JASSM family of missiles. Manufacturing activities are supported by facilities and supply chains common to both programs.
Contract modifications issued in 2024 and 2025 funded additional tooling, test equipment, and infrastructure upgrades to support increased production rates. The multi-year procurement approach, including the use of reconciliation funding, is intended to provide industrial stability and facilitate capacity expansion.
Role in Force Structure and Planning
Budget justification materials describe the LRASM as providing long-range, flexible engagement capability against surface targets in high-threat maritime environments. The missile is designed to complement existing strike systems by enabling stand-off engagement from beyond the range of many adversary air defense systems.
The continued procurement at elevated levels reflects assessments by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force regarding the missile’s role across current and planned platforms. The FY2027 request aligns with broader Department of Defense efforts to increase stockpiles of long-range precision munitions and sustain production throughput.
The funding request remains under review as part of the congressional budget process for fiscal year 2027.
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