Australia Declares U.S. Long-Range JASSM-ER and LRASM Missiles Operational on FA-18F Fighter Jets
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Australia has declared Initial Operational Capability for the U.S.-made JASSM-ER and LRASM on its F/A-18F Super Hornets, giving the RAAF operational long-range strike options against defended land and maritime targets. The move deepens U.S.-Australian combat integration and expands allied stand-off strike capacity in the Indo-Pacific.
The capability combines the AGM-158B JASSM-ER, with a stated range of up to 900 km, and the AGM-158C LRASM, designed to engage high-value surface targets beyond 370 km, following live-fire validation in the United States and Australia. Canberra acquired the weapons through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales framework, including an approved package of up to 200 LRASMs and a separate sale covering 80 JASSM-ER missiles, tying the RAAF more closely to U.S. weapons production, integration standards and operational procedures.
Related News: Australia and U.S. Strengthen Indo-Pacific Long-Range Strike Readiness in Major Munitions Exercise
A Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18F Super Hornet carrying a JASSM-ER missile departs RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland. (Picture source: Australian MoD)
This capability results from an acquisition process initiated several years earlier through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales system. In February 2020, the U.S. State Department approved a possible sale to Australia of up to 200 LRASMs and eleven ATM-158C telemetry missiles, with an estimated value of $990 million and Lockheed Martin as the principal contractor. Canberra subsequently allocated A$895.5 million to the acquisition of the LRASM, without publicly disclosing the final number purchased. For the JASSM-ER, Washington approved a sale in July 2022 covering 80 AGM-158B and AGM-158B-2 missiles, together with associated support equipment, for $235 million. In May 2023, the Pentagon awarded Lockheed Martin a $750.6 million contract for JASSM Lot 21, which included missiles for Australia under the FMS framework. Australia’s 2024 guided weapons plan separately valued the JASSM-ER acquisition effort at A$575 million.
In a statement issued on 11 September 2026, the Australian Department of Defence announced that the RAAF had declared Initial Operational Capability for both the JASSM-ER and LRASM on the F/A-18F Super Hornet. The department stated that the Australian air force is now ready to conduct long-range land and maritime strikes against heavily defended targets. The declaration therefore goes beyond technical integration or a test campaign and confirms that the weapons are available for operational use by the relevant units.
The two weapons belong to the AGM-158 family but address different mission requirements. JASSM-ER is a low-observable subsonic cruise missile designed to penetrate advanced air defense networks. Its turbofan engine and redesigned fuel system provide a range that Canberra states can reach up to 900 kilometers from the launch aircraft. LRASM is a semi-autonomous anti-ship missile intended to engage high-value naval targets at ranges exceeding 370 kilometers. The two U.S.-designed weapons therefore provide the Super Hornet with complementary land and maritime strike options while reducing the need for the aircraft to penetrate deeply into hostile surface-to-air missile coverage.
The operational declaration follows several validation stages conducted with direct U.S. support. In February 2025, two LRASMs were fired from Australian F/A-18Fs at the Point Mugu Sea Range in California with support from the U.S. Navy. Two JASSM-ER missiles were then successfully launched at the Woomera Test Range in South Australia in November 2025. The trials covered weapon preparation, loading procedures, targeting, and successful engagement. During RIMPAC 2026, an Australian P-8A Poseidon also fired an LRASM and struck its target, gradually extending the maritime strike architecture beyond the Super Hornet alone.
At the tactical level, the F/A-18F now has a stand-off strike capability against fixed land targets, protected military infrastructure, and high-value naval units. JASSM-ER can be assigned against air bases, command facilities, storage sites, or logistics nodes without immediately exposing the aircraft to the densest layers of an opposing air defense network. LRASM adds a long-range maritime denial capability and creates options for attacks from multiple axes, particularly when combined with the P-8A. These effects nevertheless remain dependent on intelligence, target identification, mission planning, and sufficiently current targeting data when engaging mobile naval platforms.
The entry into service also reflects the depth of the defense relationship between Australia and the United States. Canberra relies on U.S.-made missiles, FMS procedures, test campaigns conducted with U.S. forces and common integration standards. In the Indo-Pacific, this convergence increases interoperability between the two countries and supports an allied strike architecture based on increasingly common platforms, munitions and operating procedures. For both Washington and Canberra, JASSM-ER and LRASM therefore serve not only as national strike capabilities but also as practical components of bilateral military integration.
Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition GroupErwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in Security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.
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Australia has declared Initial Operational Capability for the U.S.-made JASSM-ER and LRASM on its F/A-18F Super Hornets, giving the RAAF operational long-range strike options against defended land and maritime targets. The move deepens U.S.-Australian combat integration and expands allied stand-off strike capacity in the Indo-Pacific.
The capability combines the AGM-158B JASSM-ER, with a stated range of up to 900 km, and the AGM-158C LRASM, designed to engage high-value surface targets beyond 370 km, following live-fire validation in the United States and Australia. Canberra acquired the weapons through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales framework, including an approved package of up to 200 LRASMs and a separate sale covering 80 JASSM-ER missiles, tying the RAAF more closely to U.S. weapons production, integration standards and operational procedures.
Related News: Australia and U.S. Strengthen Indo-Pacific Long-Range Strike Readiness in Major Munitions Exercise
A Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18F Super Hornet carrying a JASSM-ER missile departs RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland. (Picture source: Australian MoD)
This capability results from an acquisition process initiated several years earlier through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales system. In February 2020, the U.S. State Department approved a possible sale to Australia of up to 200 LRASMs and eleven ATM-158C telemetry missiles, with an estimated value of $990 million and Lockheed Martin as the principal contractor. Canberra subsequently allocated A$895.5 million to the acquisition of the LRASM, without publicly disclosing the final number purchased. For the JASSM-ER, Washington approved a sale in July 2022 covering 80 AGM-158B and AGM-158B-2 missiles, together with associated support equipment, for $235 million. In May 2023, the Pentagon awarded Lockheed Martin a $750.6 million contract for JASSM Lot 21, which included missiles for Australia under the FMS framework. Australia’s 2024 guided weapons plan separately valued the JASSM-ER acquisition effort at A$575 million.
In a statement issued on 11 September 2026, the Australian Department of Defence announced that the RAAF had declared Initial Operational Capability for both the JASSM-ER and LRASM on the F/A-18F Super Hornet. The department stated that the Australian air force is now ready to conduct long-range land and maritime strikes against heavily defended targets. The declaration therefore goes beyond technical integration or a test campaign and confirms that the weapons are available for operational use by the relevant units.
The two weapons belong to the AGM-158 family but address different mission requirements. JASSM-ER is a low-observable subsonic cruise missile designed to penetrate advanced air defense networks. Its turbofan engine and redesigned fuel system provide a range that Canberra states can reach up to 900 kilometers from the launch aircraft. LRASM is a semi-autonomous anti-ship missile intended to engage high-value naval targets at ranges exceeding 370 kilometers. The two U.S.-designed weapons therefore provide the Super Hornet with complementary land and maritime strike options while reducing the need for the aircraft to penetrate deeply into hostile surface-to-air missile coverage.
The operational declaration follows several validation stages conducted with direct U.S. support. In February 2025, two LRASMs were fired from Australian F/A-18Fs at the Point Mugu Sea Range in California with support from the U.S. Navy. Two JASSM-ER missiles were then successfully launched at the Woomera Test Range in South Australia in November 2025. The trials covered weapon preparation, loading procedures, targeting, and successful engagement. During RIMPAC 2026, an Australian P-8A Poseidon also fired an LRASM and struck its target, gradually extending the maritime strike architecture beyond the Super Hornet alone.
At the tactical level, the F/A-18F now has a stand-off strike capability against fixed land targets, protected military infrastructure, and high-value naval units. JASSM-ER can be assigned against air bases, command facilities, storage sites, or logistics nodes without immediately exposing the aircraft to the densest layers of an opposing air defense network. LRASM adds a long-range maritime denial capability and creates options for attacks from multiple axes, particularly when combined with the P-8A. These effects nevertheless remain dependent on intelligence, target identification, mission planning, and sufficiently current targeting data when engaging mobile naval platforms.
The entry into service also reflects the depth of the defense relationship between Australia and the United States. Canberra relies on U.S.-made missiles, FMS procedures, test campaigns conducted with U.S. forces and common integration standards. In the Indo-Pacific, this convergence increases interoperability between the two countries and supports an allied strike architecture based on increasingly common platforms, munitions and operating procedures. For both Washington and Canberra, JASSM-ER and LRASM therefore serve not only as national strike capabilities but also as practical components of bilateral military integration.
Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in Security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.
