The U.S. Navy is planning to negotiate a sole-source contract with Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control to integrate the AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) onto the Air Force’s B-52 Stratofortress bomber, according to an Oct. 7, 2026 contract notice from Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).
The planned Cost Plus Fixed Fee contract covers missile software updates, associated testing, test asset repair, and failure review boards. The notice does not specify a timeline for fielding the capability.
The integration would make all three of the Air Force’s strategic bombers—the B-1B Lancer, B-2 Spirit, and B-52—capable of employing the LRASM. The B-1B and B-2 already have the capability; the B-2 demonstrated it in a June 2026 sinking exercise during Valiant Shield 2026 over the Philippine Sea.
The LRASM is derived from the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) family, sharing the same airframe design but with components customized for striking ships in contested maritime environments. NAVAIR describes the low-observable missile as a near-term Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare air-launch capability.
The B-52 can carry up to 20 JASSMs—12 externally and eight internally in conventional rotary launchers—as seen in March during Operation Epic Fury. The Air Force’s FY 2027 budget request outlines plans to integrate the latest LRASM and JASSM variants onto the B-52, including incorporating operational flight programs into the bomber’s baseline software, validating safe weapon separation from wing-mounted and internal stations, updating armament interfaces, and completing system-safety testing.
Other Air Force platforms set to receive LRASM include the F-15E Strike Eagle, F-15EX Eagle II, and F-16C/D. Naval aircraft such as the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and P-8A Poseidon have also been integrated with the missile.
The LRASM can strike maritime targets at ranges exceeding 370 kilometers, according to Naval News. The missile was fired at least four times this summer at exercises around Hawaii and the Western Pacific, showcasing capability from bombers, maritime patrol aircraft, and naval fighters.
Plans to integrate the B-52 with LRASM have existed since 2019, though the effort stalled for several years. The B-52 is also set to receive the AGM-181 Long-Range Stand-Off missile, the Air Force’s next-generation stealth nuclear cruise missile, and is poised for the B-52J upgrade expected to keep the bomber operational until at least 2050.
Sources: Air & Space Forces Magazine · Defense News