BAE Systems Wins New Contract to Supply RF Sensors for U.S. Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM)

December 2024 – BAE Systems has received a new production contract from Lockheed Martin to deliver additional radio-frequency (RF) sensors for the AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) program. The contract, awarded in December 2024, ensures continued production and delivery of these critical components through 2030, strengthening the U.S. military’s maritime strike capabilities.

Sustained Partnership Since 2018

BAE Systems has been a long-standing partner in the LRASM program, having supplied RF sensors since 2018. These sensors form a key part of the missile’s guidance system, allowing it to navigate and engage targets even in GPS-denied and heavily jammed environments.

The latest contract represents a large-lot procurement approach, which reduces acquisition costs while ensuring the U.S. Navy and Air Force can build a robust arsenal of advanced anti-ship weapons.

Industry Statements

Vanessa Varrati, LRASM Sensor Program Director at BAE Systems, stated:
“BAE Systems is dedicated to its work with Lockheed Martin to provide discriminating capabilities to the warfighter. This contract recognizes our technical and operational expertise that brings this critical deterrence and strike capability to the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force.”

Ed Leonard, Director of Small Form Factor Solutions at BAE Systems, emphasized future adaptability:
“We’re anticipating the need for small, powerful, multi-function hardware that can work on a variety of platforms, and we’re building the core elements today.”

About the AGM-158C LRASM

The Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile is one of the most advanced anti-ship weapons in the U.S. arsenal. It was designed to counter heavily defended naval forces, providing a stealthy, autonomous, precision strike capability at long ranges.

Key features include:

• Stealth design to minimize detection by enemy radars.

• Multi-sensor guidance, including an anti-jam GPS, radio-frequency sensor (RFS), and infrared seeker.

• Autonomous target recognition, allowing the missile to select and engage specific ships within a group without reliance on external data links.

• Penetrating blast fragmentation warhead weighing 1,000 lbs (454 kg), capable of destroying large warships.

• Estimated range of 500 nautical miles (930 km), comparable to the JASSM-ER from which it is derived.

The missile achieved early operational capability (EOC) with the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in December 2019 and is also integrated with the B-1B Lancer bomber. Live-fire tests have demonstrated its ability to strike maritime targets under realistic combat conditions, including Valiant Shield 2020 exercises.

Strategic Importance

The LRASM is considered a game-changer in the Pacific and other contested regions, where the U.S. military faces increasingly capable naval forces. Unlike traditional anti-ship missiles, LRASM can:

• Operate in blue-water scenarios far from shore.

• Penetrate advanced integrated air defense systems (IADS).

• Function effectively in electronic warfare environments where communications and GPS may be denied.

By enhancing survivability, lethality, and range, LRASM provides the U.S. Navy and Air Force with a decisive edge in maintaining maritime dominance.

With production now extended until 2030, BAE Systems’ RF sensors will remain at the heart of the LRASM’s advanced guidance suite. The company is also investing in scalable and modular systems that could shape the next generation of multi-domain strike weapons, ensuring adaptability to evolving threats.

This new contract underscores both Lockheed Martin’s and BAE Systems’ commitment to delivering high-end, survivable strike capabilities—a cornerstone of U.S. deterrence in contested maritime domains.