Lockheed Martin has released a new demonstration video of the AGM-158C LRASM, a long-range anti-ship missile designed for the most complex and heavily defended maritime environments. The video shows how the missile operates in a modern war situation in which sensors are jammed, communications drop out and traditional means of navigation are no longer reliable. The aim of the demonstration is clear: to show that the LRASM remains effective even under those conditions. The target in the video is a Chinese naval ship, the Type 055
The missile is now an important part of American maritime striking power and is seen as an answer to the changing nature of naval warfare. Where anti-ship weapons used to depend heavily on external guidance, the LRASM was developed precisely to function on its own in an environment where electronic warfare has become the norm.
Autonomy at the core of the design
Autonomy is central to the LRASM’s design. The missile has a combination of passive sensors, infrared seekers and internal databases that allow it to recognise and distinguish targets. This makes it less dependent on GPS or data links with the launch platform. The demonstration explicitly shows how the missile continues its mission when links are disrupted or drop out completely.
That property is of great importance in a future maritime conflict. Modern warships are equipped with extensive means for electronic interference and deception. The LRASM is designed precisely to work through that, adjust its course and select a target on its own.
Designed for heavily defended targets
In addition to its intelligent guidance, the LRASM is physically designed to be hard to intercept. The missile flies low over the sea, has limited radar visibility and has a warhead specifically intended to take out large, heavily armed ships. It is a weapon not meant for symbolic attacks, but for taking out the core of an enemy fleet.
The demonstration video stresses that the missile does not depend on a single pre-set target. If necessary, the LRASM can adjust priorities during flight and attack alternative targets, which makes it particularly flexible in a dynamic naval battle.
The chosen scenario
Only within this technical framework does the chosen scenario come into view. The video uses a modern strike group as the opponent, equipped with extensive air defence and electronic means. Lockheed Martin chooses a Chinese naval group, with a Type 055 destroyer as the central target.
That choice is not intended as a political message, but as a realistic frame of reference. The Type 055 is considered one of the most advanced surface ships in the world and is therefore a logical yardstick for demonstrating the LRASM’s capabilities. By using such a ship, it can be shown that the missile is designed for the toughest conceivable conditions.
Shifts in maritime power
The context in which the video appears makes the scenario all the more relevant. China is expanding its navy at a rapid pace and now has a large number of modern surface ships. At the same time, American shipbuilding is under pressure from delays and cancelled programmes.
In that field of tension, high-end weapon systems such as the LRASM are playing an ever larger role. They are a way to maintain operational striking power, even when ship numbers do not increase quickly.
Use by the US and allies
The LRASM is now operational with the US Air Force and Navy and can be launched from various platforms. Allies are also investing in the system. Australia has already taken the missile into service and work on further integration is under way within NATO.
The Netherlands also fits into this development. The Dutch F-35 is being fitted with the JASSM, the land-attack version of this missile. We have written an article about this before.
A look at future naval warfare
At its core, Lockheed Martin’s demonstration video is therefore not about one specific opponent, but about a way of waging war. The LRASM is presented as a weapon adapted to an era in which information is not a given and technological countermeasures play a central role.
