Key Points and Summary – The U.S. military is betting big on the AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) to counter the growing naval threat from China.
-Recent budget documents reveal that the stealthy, long-range missile has been used in the Middle East, likely as a proving ground for future conflicts.
-Currently launched from the Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornet and the Air Force’s B-1B bomber, the Pentagon plans to integrate the LRASM onto a much wider array of aircraft, including the F-35, F-15EX, and F-16.
-This will create a formidable and flexible “ship-killing” capability across the force.
Here Comes the LRASM Missile
The U.S. military’s AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM) projectiles will be formidable adversaries in a future fight against adversarial vessels.
They look intimidating and fly like Tomahawk cruise missiles with more extended wings to sink enemy shipping. The present and future naval fight will be determined by which side has the best anti-ship missiles, and the United States is off to a good start.
Test Launches in the Middle East?
According to Department of Defense budget documents, the Navy and the Air Force are firing LRASMs in the Middle East.
This is a pivotal proving ground for the Americans as they ponder the future fight against Iran and the Chinese navy in the Indo-Pacific.
Looking Forward to the Future Fight Against China
Iran has a new helicopter and drone carrier, but the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has three aircraft carriers and a fourth on the way.
The PLAN can keep two carrier strike groups in the water at all times. Additionally, the Chinese possess carrier-killing missiles. The country that is most adept at launching anti-ship missiles will be the most successful in modern warfare in East Asia.
Super Hornets and Lancers Can Currently Fire LRASMs
This is where the LRASM comes in.
So far, the only airplanes that can launch the new projectiles are the Navy’s F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets and the Air Force’s B-1B bombers.
The Pentagon hopes to change that soon. The F-35 wants to get in on the fun, and the Navy and Marine Corps Lightning II pilots could be sending the LRASM down range to rehearse eliminating an enemy ship.
More LRASM-equipped Airplanes Are On the Way
The Air Force also plans to equip the family of F-15 variants, plus F-15EXs and F-16 Vipers, with LRASMs. The Navy even wants to try to fire LRASMs from its P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance airplanes.
This sounds like a departure, but it reveals clues about just how seriously the U.S. military takes anti-ship missiles. The PLAN has the most significant maritime force in the world when you take into consideration the number of vessels it deploys.
The U.S. Navy and Air Force require a force multiplier, and the LRASM meets the need.
The War Zone has been pouring over Department of Defense documents that have revealed that the LRASM is becoming a popular piece of military hardware.
“Funds are required for the replacement of Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) C-3 All Up Rounds (AURS) expended in support of the DOD response to the situation in Israel,” according to a reprogramming document dated May 22, 2025 that has been made public recently. “This action does not change the purpose for which the funds were originally appropriated. This is a congressional special interest item. This is an emergency budget requirement.”
That’s a statement filled with the complicated language of a career bureaucrat, but we can glean some clarity from it. First, the military has somehow been supporting Israel with the LRASM. That means it has probably been tested against notional targets representing the Iranian navy, but it’s not clear if the LRASM has been used in actual combat conditions. The DOD probably just wants to get ready for a shooting war contingency against Iran. This would explain the effort that the Pentagon is expending to get Congress to approve a reprogramming of funds to buy more LRASMs.
Iran Is the Initial Target
“This reprogramming addresses the increased, unfunded costs incurred by DOD within the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) region in responding to the situation in Israel or to hostile actions in the region as a direct result of the situation in Israel. This reprogramming action specifically excludes requirements related to actions taken in defense of Israel during attacks by Iran in coordination with and at the request of Israel, in order to defend against attacks on Israeli territory, personnel, or vital assets,” the budget document said.
So it is clear the DOD wants the LRASM to support Israel, but the future concern that the missile can address is China. An additional budget request would be needed to allocate more funding to address the PLAN threat in the Indo-Pacific. However, the Pentagon likely assumes that if it can acquire more LRASMs for additional airplanes in Central Command, it can also deploy the long-range missile to East Asia.
However, that means more airplanes need to be able to launch it. Look for LRASMs to be tested on F-35Cs first. This would give the Navy the wherewithal to equip both carrier-launched F-35s and F/A-18 E/Fs to fire the ship-killing missiles. Then, the Air Force could outfit its airplanes in the region with LRASMs, too – likely in Japan and Guam.
This would give battle planners in the Indo-Pacific another option to eliminate Chinese shipping should a shooting war crop up. The Middle East will be a proving ground for the LRASM first, and hopefully, more funds could be allocated for the Air Force and Navy in East Asia.
This is a positive development for the Americans as they consider what modern missile warfare will entail and assess the shipping disadvantage the United States faces compared to China. The LRASM can’t come soon enough to various U.S. fighters and bombers.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
The Best Tanks on Earth
AbramsX: The Tank the US Army Wants
