BAE Systems has been awarded a contract by Lockheed Martin to build seekers for the AGM-158C long range anti-ship missile (LRASM).
The contract will see BAE build the long-range infrared and electro-optical (EO/IR) sensor that allows the LRASM to find specific target vessels in amongst other military and commercial vessels, and covers the transition of LRASM development to low-rate production.
“Our warfighters need resilient, long-range precision strike capabilities to compete with modern adversaries,” Bruce Konigsberg, Radio Frequency Sensors product area director at BAE Systems said in a statement. “We’re proud to partner with Lockheed Martin in delivering this distinct competitive advantage to U.S. warfighters.”
The 400km+ range LRASM will replace the AGM-84 Harpoon in US Navy and Royal Australian Air Force service. To date, the missile has been integrated with the USAF B-1B bomber, and the US Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.